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Ian Mitchell struggled at times during his 2021 rookie season. | Stacy Revere/Getty Images

“Of course you want to play in the NHL, and I want to do that,” Mitchell said. “But if I have to be in Rockford, then that’s great, too.”

Ian Mitchell’s 2021 rookie season didn’t fully live up to expectations.

After three years of domination at the University of Denver, elevating his stock from the 57th overall pick in 2017 to the Hawks’ unanimous top prospect in 2019 and 2020, Mitchell struggled to adjust to the relentless and unforgiving nature of the NHL.

“It’s a tough league,” the 22-year-old defenseman said Friday, reflecting on last year. “You come in and you don’t necessarily know what to expect as a rookie.

“I learned you can’t cheat the game. If you get on the wrong side of the puck, even for a split second, they’re going to be able to make a play behind you and there’s going to be a scoring chance. It’s about always being detailed with your positioning. That’s the biggest thing for me.”

After playing in 32 of the Hawks’ first 34 games, he spent a while on the taxi squad and in the AHL down the stretch, appearing only twice between March 26 and May 1.

His underlying statistics weren’t pretty by season’s end, either. His even-strength scoring-chance ratio sat at 42.7%, fourth-worst on the team and better than only fellow rookie Wyatt Kalynuk and already-traded forwards Carl Soderberg and Mattias Janmark.

“When I was playing every night the first 30 games, I thought, ‘I’m starting to get into a groove,'” he said on May 3. “But a couple [bad] games and you get rattled, get thrown off your game… It was just mental. Every day, another game, another game, another game. I didn’t feel my body was wearing down; just the grind of the season takes its toll.”

Mitchell returned to Denver this summer, training with a group of alumni to prepare himself for his first full-length pro season. He’s been joined by an alum on the Hawks this season, too — Henrik Borgstrom.

But it looks increasingly likely Mitchell will start the season in the AHL. The last couple semi-available NHL defensive spots have been seemingly locked up by Caleb Jones’ surprisingly impressive camp and Kalynuk’s placement as the second power-play unit quarterback.

And Mitchell’s aforementioned struggles last year cast into doubt whether he’s actually NHL ready yet, anyway. He and Nicolas Beaudin, whose performance also fluctuated last spring, could learn from handling big minutes as the Rockford IceHogs’ presumed top pair.

“[Ian has] a great attitude,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Obviously he played a bunch of games last year, and that was a great experience for him. But coming in, [there are] not guarantees as far as the role you’re going to get. We’ve got a bunch of guys fighting for that. If it doesn’t happen right away, it’s not a failure. Every guy has a different path. Going to Rockford is not a failure. It’s a place to continue to develop and build your game.”

Mitchell emphasized that that likely send-down would not come as a disappointment.

“Of course you want to play in the NHL, and I want to do that,” he said. “But if I have to be in Rockford, then that’s great, too.”

Colliton wasn’t kidding about Mitchell’s great attitude. Molded by his unique personal connections to the Humboldt bus crash tragedy, the Alberta native realizes he’s “blessed to be playing hockey right now” in any form.

And with the Hawks’ newfound commitment to improving their defense, Mitchell understands he remains an important long-term piece for the organization.

“It’s just exciting for us young guys to have an opportunity to play on a really good team and fight for that spot,” he said. “Nothing is given around here — everything’s got to be earned — so it’s just going to make it that much more sweet when you do get that chance and you earn it.”

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Hsiao Bi-khim, the Taiwanese representative to the United States, taking a tour of the Chicago River on Sept. 28. Her nation is under constant threat by Communist China. | Photo by Neil Steinberg

The spunky little democracy is in a constant struggle to stave off communist aggression.

A wolf and a cat are born on the same day. The wolf pup is much bigger, maybe a pound at birth. The kitten, closer to four ounces. But they roll and tumble, playmates if not friends.

Time passes. Both grow. The wolf becomes 150 pounds. The cat, 10. The wolf is sharp-eyed, fierce and hungry, looking for its next meal. The cat is anxious, constantly trying to keep from ending up in the in the wolf’s belly.

Welcome to the China-Taiwan relationship, circa 2021. Both nations were founded at the same time, in the late 1940s. Taiwan was never part of Communist China. But China insists Taiwan is its possession anyway and wants it, eventually.

Communist China is much, much bigger: 1.3 billion people over 3.705 million square miles. Taiwan has 37 million people on almost 14,000 square miles, or about 1/2 of 1 percent of China.

Which leads to the question of why China is so keen to snap it up, even though doing so would plunge the global economy into chaos? And the answer is: because they’re China, growing in power and aggression, keen to claim everything it thinks is its due, Hong Kong was returned from Britain and is being brutally suppressed.

Next on the agenda is Taiwan, which it describes as a “renegade province.” Trouble is brewing. On Friday, the Chinese sent 38 warplanes into Taiwanese airspace. The whole flap over the United States selling submarines to Australia is about keeping China from gobbling up its neighbors.

Trying to keep a distracted world aware, if not exactly focused, on their delicate situation is a continuing task for Taiwan. That’s what brought Hsiao Bi-khim, the Taiwanese representative to the United States, to Chicago last week, and how we ended up sitting in the prow of Chicago’s First Lady, politely balancing paper plates of deep dish pizza that neither of us wanted on our knees, and talking international relations as the glittering riverfront skyscrapers slid by.

“Taiwan and the United States share common values and interests,” said Hsiao, who went to school at Oberlin and Columbia University. “Those values are in democracy and freedom. Those interest in the stability of the Indo-Pacific region and economic prosperity.”

Taiwan calls her “an ambassador,” though in reality the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, at the insistence of China, which shrieks at the smallest recognition of Taiwan as an independent country.

“China has certainly tried to block Taiwan’s international engagements, including our relations with the United States,” she said, noting a new boldness on our country’s part. “In recent years, there has been a new perspective on the need to engage with Taiwan.”

Warming toward Taiwan was one of the few things that Donald Trump got right.

In years past, there was a significant movement in Taiwan to accept Chinese authority. That quieted down after the crushing of civil rights in Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong has certainly had an impact on the public mindset in Taiwan, fortifying our determination to defend the freedom and basic rights that we have in Taiwan,” Hsiao said. “Obviously, they have reneged on their commitments to basic rights in Hong Kong.”

Thousands of Americans study in China, and they’d like them to consider studying in Taiwan instead.

“Our agenda here in Chicago, in addition to the economic and business engagements … is [to promote] educational opportunities,” she said. “American schools want to to study and learn in an environment free of coercion and censorship, We are providing Taiwan as an alternative for Chinese and Mandarin education. We cherish academic freedom and the freedom of speech, all the values that American universities cherish.”

In theory, given how easily places like DePaul yank away the welcome mat from speakers who stray a toe away from current can’t. Which raises the question of how the United States can, with a straight face, encourage democracy abroad while seeing it undermined so perilously at home?

Maybe by contemplating how much worse off we’ll be should China carry out its threats against Taiwan. As bad as that would be for the boisterous democracy there, it would also be terrible for us, already squirming under the heel of the ascendent communists.

I hate to put another concern on the groaning buffet table of worries. But at least when the crisis comes — tomorrow, or next week, or next year, but someday soon — at least you can say, “Hey, I read something about that …”

Before I let Hsiao go back to Washington, I had to ask her. When she took her position last year, she said she would bring a “cat warrior” approach to facing China. What’s that all about?

“It originated when the press asked me how I would confront the wolf warriors of China,” she said. “I think the spirit of a cat warrior does exemplify where Taiwan is. That is, we need to be nimble and flexible and survive in small spaces. Cats are more likable than wolves, obvious. Another important aspect is cats cannot be coerced. You cannot force a cat to do something. We have a mind of our own, We can survive in very challenging circumstances. That’s the spirit of the Taiwanese people.”

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Dyett’s Joshua Seay-Chancellor (23) celebrates his touchdown against Chicago Richards. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The complete area schedule for Week 7.

Thursday, October 7

GREAT LAKES

Johnson vs. Ag. Science at Gately

WINDY CITY

Sullivan vs. Schurz at Lane

CHICAGO AVENUE

Gage Park vs. Juarez at Rockne

LAKE STREET

Corliss vs. Butler at Gately

MADISON STREET

Chicago Academy vs. Foreman at Rockne

Roosevelt vs. Senn at Lane

MICHIGAN AVENUE

Woodlawn vs. Dyett at Eckersall

NONCONFERENCE

St. Edward at Wheaton Academy

Friday, October 8

BIG SHOULDERS

Dunbar at Brooks

GREAT LAKES

Catalyst-Maria vs. Bogan at Stagg

HEARTLAND

Kennedy at Speer

Steinmetz vs. Prosser at Lane

LAND OF LINCOLN

Lincoln Park vs. Young at Rockne

PRAIRIE STATE

Back of the Yards vs. Payton at Lane

Bulls Prep at Orr

RED BIRD

Hubbard at Perspectives

Kenwood vs. Curie at Gately

SECOND CITY

Vocational vs. Carver at Gately

Washington at Solorio

CHICAGO AVENUE

Little Village at Kelly

LAKE STREET

Fenger vs. Bowen at Eckersall

STATE STREET

Rowe-Clark vs. UIC Prep at Rockne

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Deerfield at Maine West

Highland Park at Maine East

Niles North at Vernon Hills

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Evanston

Maine South at Niles West

New Trier at Glenbrook South

DUKANE

Batavia at Geneva

Lake Park at Glenbard North

St. Charles North at St. Charles East

Wheaton North at Wheaton-Warrenville South

DUPAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Naperville Central

Metea Valley at Naperville North

Neuqua Valley at Waubonsie Valley

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake Central at Burlington Central

Huntley at Hampshire

Jacobs at Cary-Grove

McHenry at Crystal Lake South

Prairie Ridge at Dundee-Crown

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Manteno at Herscher

Peotone at Coal City

Reed-Custer at Streator

Wilmington at Lisle

INDEPENDENT

Walther Christian at Ottawa Marquette

KISHWAUKEE I-8 BLUE

Plano at Marengo

Richmond-Burton at Johnsburg

Sandwich at Harvard

KISHWAUKEE I-8 WHITE

LaSalle-Peru at Woodstock

Ottawa at Morris

Sycamore at Woodstock North

MID-SUBURBAN EAST

Buffalo Grove at Rolling Meadows

Hersey at Wheeling

Prospect at Elk Grove

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Barrington at Palatine

Conant at Hoffman Estates

Fremd at Schaumburg

NORTH SUBURBAN

Lake Forest at Lake Zurich

Libertyville at Zion-Benton

Stevenson at Waukegan

Warren at Mundelein

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Lakes

Grayslake Central at Antioch

Round Lake at Grayslake North

Wauconda at North Chicago

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Bremen at Hillcrest

Lemont at Tinley Park

TF South at TF North

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Reavis at Eisenhower

Richards at Evergreen Park

Shepard at Oak Lawn

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Kankakee

Rich Township at Crete-Monee

Thornwood at Thornton

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet West at Plainfield East

Plainfield Central at Plainfield South

Romeoville at Joliet Central

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Minooka at Plainfield North

Oswego at West Aurora

Oswego East at Yorkville

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lincoln-Way East

Lockport at Bolingbrook

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Andrew

Lincoln-Way Central at Lincoln-Way West

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Glenbard East

East Aurora at Larkin

Elgin at South Elgin

Streamwood at Glenbard South

West Chicago at Fenton

VERMILION VALLEY NORTH

Clifton Central at Iroquois West

Seneca at Momence

Watseka at Dwight

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Downers Grove South at Addison Trail

Proviso East at Morton

Willowbrook at Hinsdale South

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Glenbard West at Downers Grove North

Hinsdale Central at York

NONCONFERENCE

Carmel at Marmion

Chicago Christian at Aurora Central

Elmwood Park at Aurora Christian

Joliet Catholic at Brother Rice

Leo at Nazareth

Lyons at Leyden

Marian Catholic at De La Salle

Montini at Marist

Notre Dame at DePaul Prep

Oak Forest at Argo

Riverside-Brookfield at IC Catholic

Rochelle at Kaneland

St. Francis at Bishop McNamara

St. Laurence at Mount Carmel

St. Patrick at Fenwick

St. Rita at Marian Central

St. Viator at St. Ignatius

Sandburg at Stagg

Thornridge at Hope Academy

Westmont at Ridgewood

Saturday, October 9

BIG SHOULDERS

King vs. Hyde Park at Eckersall

UP-Bronzeville at Lindblom

GREAT LAKES

Goode vs. Comer at Eckersall

HEARTLAND

Rauner vs. North Lawndale at Rockne

LAND OF LINCOLN

Lane vs. Phillips at Gately

Taft at Westinghouse

PRAIRIE STATE

Clark at Raby

RED BIRD

Simeon vs. Morgan Park at Gately

SECOND CITY

Julian vs. Harlan at Gately

WINDY CITY

Mather vs. Amundsen at Winnemac

Von Steuben vs. Lake View at Winnemac

CHICAGO AVENUE

Tilden vs. Collins at Rockne

LAKE STREET

South Shore vs. Longwood at Gately

MADISON STREET

Marine vs. Pritzker at Lane

MICHIGAN AVENUE

Chicago Military vs. Hansberry at Stagg

DuSable vs. Chicago Richards at Stagg

STATE STREET

Clemente vs. Phoenix at Lane

Marshall vs. Crane at Rockne

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Oak Park-River Forest at Proviso West

NONCONFERENCE

Providence at Loyola

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No matter what happens to the Chicago Bears going forward, whether that’s here and now against the Detroit Lions, or weeks ahead, there is one constant that will not change unless drastic measures are taken. Head coach Matt Nagy is completely clueless, helpless and totally incapable of leading an NFL franchise. He has proven this […] Chicago Bears: 3 startling quotes doom Matt Nagy’s future – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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Women never want to match with him once they learn he’s 4-foot-11.

DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my late 40s who has been looking for love all my life. One factor that has made it difficult is my height. I’m 4 feet 11 inches tall. What makes finding someone nearly impossible is that the online dating site profiles always ask for my height.

Unfortunately, being extremely short in stature isn’t a characteristic women are looking for, so even though I can spend upward of an hour filling out all that profile information, the system invariably returns a no-match for me. Do you think I should lie about my height, and when I meet the person, hopefully she can give me a chance? Or am I destined to spend my life alone? — SHORTY IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR SHORTY: Lying would be neither helpful nor appropriate, because the person you meet would then be inclined to wonder what else you were lying about. My dear late mother once told me, “Smart women measure their men from the eyebrows up, not the hairline down,” and it’s true. Some of the most brilliant and charming men I know are short, and it doesn’t make them less attractive. You may have better luck if you are introduced to women by people who know you — relatives, friends, friends of friends, etc. You can also do a search online to see which sites have better results for shorter people. Some dating sites and apps even cater to shorter people.

DEAR ABBY: I am the grandmother of eight wonderful grandchildren, whom I love dearly. There is, however, one aspect that I loathe: sleepovers. It doesn’t bother my husband that I’m stuck with endless loads of extra laundry: towels, wash cloths, sheets, blankets, comforters, etc. He works; I am disabled. When I tell him I can’t manage all the extra laundry, he asks, “Want to trade places?” Am I wrong in thinking he doesn’t care about me when he encourages these dreaded sleepovers? — OVERWORKED IN THE WEST

DEAR OVERWORKED: Your husband appears to prioritize his entertainment over the effect it has on your body and your stress level. Draw the line. This isn’t about “trading places.” Tell him you need a hand! If he wants the kiddies over, he will have to shoulder more of the laundry duty because you can no longer manage all of it. The older grandchildren should also help with it before they leave. Stick to your guns, because stress has been known to make fragile people sick.

DEAR ABBY: I recently attended my first rodeo, and during the singing of the national anthem, I realized I was getting the “stink eye” from a pair of teenaged boys. I hadn’t removed my straw sunhat because I was taught that a woman’s hat is considered part of her outfit and need not be taken off on such occasions. I’m the wife and daughter of veterans, and this is their understanding as well. Have the rules changed? — “HATTY” IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR “HATTY”: According to EmilyPost.com, fashionable hats can be left on when the national anthem is played and when the flag of the United States is paraded by. However, if the person is wearing a baseball-style cap, members of both genders should respectfully remove it.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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A teen was shot Sunday morning while driving on the West Side. | Sun-Times Media

The 16-year-old was a traffic light about 4:10 a.m. in the 300 block of North Hamlin Avenue when a dark-colored vehicle stopped next to him and someone inside opened fire, striking him in the left calf, police said.

A teen was shot and wounded Sunday morning in West Garfield Park on the West Side.

The 16-year-old was a traffic light about 4:10 a.m. in the 300 block of North Hamlin Avenue when a dark-colored vehicle stopped next to him and someone inside opened fire, striking him in the left calf, Chicago police said.

The boy self-transported to Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

No one was in custody.

About 3:20 a.m. Saturday, a teen was in the 2900 block of North Halsted Street when he was shot in the back, police said.

He walked into Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

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Three people were shot Sunday morning on the Near North Side. | Sun-times file photo

About 3:35 a.m., two men, 23 and 46, and a 29-year-old woman were in the 1200 block of North Dearborn Street when gunfire erupted, Chicago police said.

Three people were shot Sunday morning in Gold Coast on the Near North Side.

About 3:35 a.m., two men, 23 and 46, and a 29-year-old woman were in the 1200 block of North Dearborn Street when gunfire erupted, Chicago police said.

The 46-year-old was struck in his head, the 23-year-old in his foot and the 29-year-old shot in the foot and grazed in the leg, police said.

The two men were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where the older man was in critical condition, police said. The younger man was in good condition, police said.

The woman was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was in fair condition, authorities said.

No one was in custody.

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A male shot at a CTA bus Saturday night on the South Side. | Sun-Times file photo

A male fired multiple shots at a CTA bus after arguing with a group of people while riding westbound about 8 p.m. in the 700 block of West 79th Street, Chicago police said.

A person shot at a CTA train Saturday night in Gresham on the South Side, but no injuries were reported, Chicago police said.

A male fired multiple shots at a CTA bus after arguing with a group of people while riding westbound about 8 p.m. in the 700 block of West 79th Street, police said.

The male, who was last seen walking north on Union Avenue, was not in custody, police said.

Area Two detectives were investigating.

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