Former Blades bench boss keeping tabs on team during his own playoff run

It’s been two years since Mitch Love left the Saskatoon Blades for the American Hockey League (AHL), but he’s still keeping a close eye on his former team.

Love, now head coach of the Calgary Wranglers, said he watched around three-quarters of the Blades games during the season, seeing the action both live and taped, depending on his schedule.

“Of course I have lots of ties still to the organization in terms of the players, staff and whatnot,” Love said.

It was a busy year for Love, as the AHL affiliate for the Calgary Flames was based in California in the 2021-22 season before relocating to Alberta this year.

“It was a little more difficult, but (I) still kept tabs on the team and how they’re doing through the standings and the boxscores. Obviously (it was) a phenomenal season they had up there with the playoff run. I was a little more in tune to watch those games live,” he said.

While he kept an eye on the Blades for a good portion of the season, Love said he didn’t let it become a distraction from his own work and team.

Love led the Wranglers to a 106-point regular season, earning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the top team in the league and collecting the championship in the Pacific Division. Those achievements saw him chosen as the AHL’s coach of the year.

“(I’m) very honoured to be the recipient of it this year,” Love said.

He said a lot of the credit goes to the people around him.

“At the end of the day it’s about your roster and your players and the work they put in daily. Along with the staff, the support staff that make sure the players are ready to play each and every day in practice at a competitive level, that’s probably what I’m most proud about,” he said.

Love said he was also able to extend his congratulations to Blades head coach Brennan Sonne, who picked up the WHL’s coach of the year honours this season.

He said they chat mostly during the off-season, as both of them are focused and committed to their teams. Love said Sonne deserved the award after the Blades’ stellar season.

“I’m not surprised. He’s learned a lot as a coach. I had the pleasure of working with him in Everett under Kevin Constantine, (where) we were both assistant coaches,” Love said.

Both Love and Sonne were both part of Blades captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere’s WHL career, which came to an end this year. Love said he heard nothing but good things about his former defenceman, and likes to stay up to date with the players he’s coached over the years. The former Blades coach said De La Gorgendiere’s off-ice leadership and maturity make him proud.

Sonne echoed those statements, and both said they believe De La Gorgendiere has set himself up well for a pro career.

There were even more Saskatoon connections for the Wranglers head coach during the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. Love faced Chase Wouters of the Abbotsford Canucks, who was the Blades’ captain while Love was head coach.

Calgary eliminated Abbotsford in their best-of-five first-round series in four games.

“To shake his hand at the end of the series and see how emotional he is and how invested he is in what he does, that was hard,” Love said.

“But again, (that’s) another guy I’m really proud of and seeing where his career has gone since the Western Hockey League.”

While both Love and Sonne have had a lot of success on the ice this season, they both always try to ensure they’re giving the players the right skills to excel off of the ice as well.

“As a coach, you get into this to help develop and grow and be a part of the lives of people. This is a people business,” Sonne said after the recent season.

“Hockey ends for everyone at some point. And the citizens we’re putting out into the world, (I) couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Love said that translates into the AHL as well.

“Your job is to teach them to become better hockey players and young pros, but your job is also to teach them how to lead and what that looks like,” Love said.

But as much as Love enjoys keeping tabs on his former team and players, the Wranglers are still in the Calder Cup playoffs and that’s what he’s focused on.

The Wranglers begin the Pacific Division final against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Thursday.