For his 35th NHL season, Mitch is back with the Nashville Predators as “Director of Goaltending”. Korn’s legendary career includes most recently 6 seasons with the NY Islanders, 4 with the Wash. Capitals, 16 with the Preds and it all began in 1991 with 7 seasons for the Buffalo Sabres. Korn was a Stanley Cup Champion with the Caps in 2018.
His hard work, superb communication skills, ability to “dissect" a goalie’s game, and great sense of humor have gained him the respect and friendship of those he has coached and worked with at all levels. In 2010, “The Hockey News” chose Mitch as “one of the top 10 Genius’ in hockey”.
With Illya Sorokin’s nomination in 2023 and Braden Holtby’s earning of the 2016 Vezina Trophy, it marked the 10th goalie nomination and 5th awarded Vezina for Korn as coach or director. Dominik Hasek also won 2 MVP Hart trophies under Korn. He is the only coach in NHL history to coach a goaltender to a Vezina Trophy with two different teams (Buffalo, Washington) and to have earned 3 Jennings Trophies (fewest goals against) with 3 different teams (Buffalo, Washington, NY Islanders).
Fondly referred to as “Children of the Korn” (a phrase coined by current Nashville GM Barry Trotz) these current and former goalies (many of whom are now coaching) have benefited from and helped spread the “goalie gospel according to Mitch”.
Mitch has influenced many present and former pro goalies including Semyon Varlomov, Ilya Sorokin, Cory Schneider, Thomas Greiss, Braden Holtby, Philipp Grubauer, Vitek Vanecek, Robin Lehner, Pekka Rinne, Carter Hutton, Devin Dubnyk, Scott Darling, Pheonix Copley, Parker Milner, Mike McKenna, Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, Marty Biron, Dominik Hasek, and Tomas Vokoun, (to name some) along with the present goalies in the Pred ’s organization.
Mitch has coached and influenced many others who have (in the past) or who are currently coaching professionally. Some include: Ben Vanderklok (Nashville), Scott Murray (Wash.), Mike Leighton (Detroit), Wade Flaherty (Winnipeg), Justin Peters (Ottawa), Mike Bales (Buffalo), Olaf Kolzig (dev. for Wash.), Jason Baron (AHL for Nash), Mike Dunham (AHL for Boston), Drew McIntyre (AHL for Winnipeg), Seamus Kotyk (AHL for Buffalo), Karel Popper (dev. for Pitts.), Dan Ellis (dev. for Chicago), Karl Goehring (NCAA), Cam Doomany (NCAA), Eric Sorenson (NCAA), Kevin Delamarter (OHL), Jan Lasak (Slovakia), Grant Fuhr (formerly Phoenix), Corey Hirsch (formerly St. Louis), Mike Valley (formerly Dallas), Clint Malarchuk (formerly Calgary), Steve Briere (formerly Seattle) and Alex Westlund (formerly Detroit).
In addition, Mitch has trained countless others who now are in the "hockey business" coaching goalies and others, scouting and training a "new generation" of goaltenders/players at various levels. Some include Dillon Caffrey, Nick Petraglia, Chris Economou, Justin Camuto, Justin Goldman, Bob Janosz, Bill Pye, Robb Stauber, Cody Osborne, Trey Dill, Andrew Furbush, Laura Pecchia, Bill Horn, Jim Stanaway, Nick Blanchette, Paul Trochin, Rob Spolar, Kevin Kreutzer, Rich Shulmistra, Dan Kodatsky, Tom Sullivan, Bo Kisch, Bill LoPinto, Alvin Dow, etc. Mitch is truly a teacher and a mentor.
Mitch, who has over nearly 50 years of organizing and running summer hockey programs, remains personally deeply involved in each camp. He is absolutely “hands on”.
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