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“When you put a little work in and get the same support that I did, there are some fun things you can do out there in life whether it’s hockey or something else — and that’s pretty cool for me.”

Mitchell played on Canucks teams that sported high-end offence, a stacked defence and Roberto Luongo, but could never take that next step. The Canucks lost in the Western Conference semifinals on three occasions during Mitchell’s time here from 2006-07 to 2009-10 and missed the playoffs once.

“It was the best team I played on that didn’t go the distance,” said Mitchell, who won two Stanley Cup titles with the Los Angeles Kings and a gold medal at the world championship. “We had a great team here. Everyone who played understood that and sometimes you don’t realize it until you walk away.

“It’s the one thing I regret in my career because I know in B.C. how much it would mean to the province for the Canucks to win.”

Mitchell had 58 points (10-48) and 233 penalty minutes in 264 games with the Canucks and the foundation for his longevity came from the guidance of Lemaire in Minnesota and Robinson in New Jersey.

“I couldn’t have come into a better environment,” added Mitchell, who logged 907 career NHL games and compiled 180 points (34-146) and 787 penalty minutes. “I was smart enough to be a sponge and learn off those guys. I wasn’t the most skilled player but understood the game well.”

Hannan was born in Richmond and played his minor hockey in Surrey. He was also a product of the Kelowna Rockets, who had several defencemen graduate to the NHL, and logged 1,055 career games with five teams in carving out a reputation as a hard-rock defender.