General | 11/28/2025 11:00:05 PM

Former defenseman for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Omaha Lancers, Travis Mitchell, made his NHL debut for the New York Islanders on Friday, Nov. 28.

Mitchell played 41 games for Muskegon and 111 for Omaha from 2016 to 2019, logging 49 points and 170 penalty minutes in that time. The South Lyon, Mich. native played four years at Cornell before two full years in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Islanders' affiliate in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).