Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

By Regan Bartel

Mitch Fritz keeps peace among inmates

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Mitch Fritz subscribed to the theory, it’s best to throw the first punch than receive it.

The former Kelowna Rockets enforcer gave more than he took both as a junior player and as a pro.

Now living in Osoyoos, where he is an officer at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver, the 41-year-old spoke candidly about his first Western Hockey League training camp with the Kelowna Rockets, his 20-game stint in the NHL with the New York Islanders and his most notable fight.

Fritz stood out like a sore thumb when the 6’8 forward attended Seattle Thunderbirds training camp in the fall of 1998. After being released by the American-based team, Fritz quickly made his way back to the Okanagan to attend Kelowna Rockets training camp four days later.

“Skating obviously wasn’t a strong part of my game so that extra four days of conditioning before I got to Kelowna probably helped me out”, Fritz told RocketFAN. “I remember the first day in Kelowna, Justin Jack was there. I think he was testing me a little bit. We had a bit of a tussle. He had to goat me into it pretty much. I was definitely not into fighting back then. He ended up hurting his shoulder in the fight and after he was hurt they needed somebody so they kept me around”.

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In two seasons with the Rockets (1998-99-1999-2000), Fritz would drop the gloves 52 times. It wasn’t something he liked to do, it was a matter of something he needed to do in order to play in the NHL.

“There was no other way I was going to make it,” Fritz admitted. “I remember talking to different people outside the organization that if you want to make it, this is your avenue and you have to do it. If not, it is going to be a lot harder.”

For seven seasons, Fritz toiled in the East Coast and American Hockey League before getting his big break on October 30th, 2008 when the New York Islanders called him up to play against the Philadephia Flyers.

Fritz knew his time in the NHL would be numbered, so he had to make the most of each opportunity. It included a fight with Montreal Canadiens forward George Laraque, who at the time, was arguably the toughest player in the NHL.

“He (Laraque) was at the peak,” Fritz recalls. “He was the top guy. At that point it was almost like me getting to validate everything that I had done for eight years. I was either going to know if I wasn’t good enough, or good enough, and I did pretty well”.

Don’t believe him? The fight can be viewed on Youtube where Fritz is seen tangling with Laraque, who at the time was 6 foot 3 and 280 pounds.

For all the fights that Fritz was involved in, he thanks his lucky stars that he was never hurt.

“One inch one way or another and ya, you could end up with major brain damage which could turn into concussions, depressions or that type of thing. Maybe I was a different style of fighter? I don’t think my height hurt me. I think it was a huge advantage where I didn’t get hit as hard as some guys that were a bit shorter. They had to take a few more punches maybe to land a few more.”

After just 20 games with the Islanders, Fritz wouldn’t see the NHL ice again. He would spend two more seasons with the American Hockey League’s Norfolk Admirals before a hip injury ended his playing career.

“I still often wake up from a dream about playing hockey, but it is those weird dreams where you are trying to get on the ice but you can’t find your skates or you can’t find your gear. It was tough to walk away from the game, but I was content and fortunate I wasn’t badly hurt.”