The San Jose Sharks have signed North Bay Battalion forward Mitchell Russell to an entry-level contract, the club announced earlier today. Terms of the contract were not disclosed per club policy.
“Mitchell is a character player and leader on the ice with good production that helps his team win,” said Sharks interim general manager Joe Will in a release. “He has a strong pedigree as a skater who was selected in the first round of the OHL Draft.”
After the 2021 OHL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russell returned for the 2021-22 season to finish third in regular-season scoring on the Battalion, with 88 points (41 goals, 47 assists) in 64 games. Russell also finished third on the team in scoring during his sophomore OHL season (2019-20), with 21 goals and 21 assists in 51 games. He began his juniors career with the Owen Sound Attack, with whom he played 92 games over the course of two seasons.
Russell isn’t the only Battalion player in the Sharks organization, as teammate and leading-scorer Brandon Coe was drafted by the team in the fourth-round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Battalion will start their Eastern Conference Final series against the Hamilton Bulldogs tomorrow night. Russell has tallied 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in nine games so far, recording at least two points in every single game played.
The 21-year-old forward is a native of Barrie, Ontario, and shoots right-handed. He stands at exactly 6-foot tall and weighs in at 194 pounds.
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