Griffin Mendel has emerged as one of the shutdown defensemen for top-ranked Denver. We’ve also seen a bit of offensive flair emerge as the junior also has shown more of a willingness to jump up into the play early this season.

The question now is how will the soft-spoken, 6-foot-4 native of Kelowna, British Columbia, fare facing a barrage of questions from Magness Mayhem? We think he more than holds his own.

Read on to learn more about dog-sled adventures, Halloween costumes and much more as One-timers returns for its fifth season!

The Pioneers recently finished a 10-day trip, and I understand the beginning in Alaska was particularly interesting.

I’d never gone to Alaska before but we got the full experience. We got to go dog mushing, which is quite the experience. There was no snow when we were up there, so the dogs pulled us in ATVs. … We saw what their training schedule was. The dogs were all pretty fired up to run. They loved that.

You’ve started the season with a new goalie, Magnus Chrona, making every start so far. What sort of transition is there playing defense with a goalie you’re unfamiliar with?

There’s not really too much of one. Our goalies all know our vocabulary. You don’t really notice much of a difference – we’re talking to each other just the same. … He’s pretty good at telling you when you’re in the front of the net, screening him. That helps because I don’t want to be the cause for a goal.

Did you have an opportunity to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving recently earlier this month?

We had just got back from our (10-day) trip so I had a lot schoolwork. I didn’t have much time to celebrate. But I wish I could have had a nice turkey or something. Some of the guys went and got a burger. That was their Thanksgiving.

Are you particular about any of your gear?

I change my sticks almost every year. I’m not really particular about skates or anything else. Maybe just the curve on my sticks, but other than that not much.

You attended your first NHL prospect camp in St. Louis this summer. What was that experience like?

It was pretty cool. They’d just won the Cup – I never got to see it. You learn about their culture and how they practice, how they run their team. It was cool to see how a different team runs their organization compared to how we run ours. … There were a lot of guys from the NCHC there and I got to play with them or against them in games. To see what they were like off the ice was nice. It’s different when you’re always battling them every weekend.

You seemed noticeably more comfortable in your game last season. How much more has your comfort level increased?

I definitely feel more comfortable than when I came in. I still feel young at heart, which is funny. We’ve been playing in the same system for three years, so it’s easy to stay with. Thanks to Matt Shaw’s training, I feel more comfortable in my own body so I can do more things out there. Ultimately the goal is to be the best me.

Did you have a favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

It was probably when I was Mickey Mouse. My family had just gotten back from Disney World, and once I go somewhere I get obsessed with it. So I wanted to be Mickey Mouse. I had the hands, the mouse ears.

Are you going to roll that out again this year if the team has a party?

I’ll probably have to go find another costume, but that would be pretty funny if I did that.

Do you have a favorite Halloween candy?

Kit Kats

Is there a team comedian this season, someone with a gift for keeping the team loose?

Well, Liam Finlay’s pretty goofy. He always gets the guys laughing. I think Kohen Olischefski is pretty funny. I live with him so I get to experience his humor every day. Some of the things he does are pretty funny. He’ll say somebody’s name funny. So (NHL defenseman) Jake Muzzin might be “Jake Buzzin, he’s really flying out there tonight.” He’s clever.

©First Line Editorial 2019