The popularity of Willie Mitchell in his home province remains undiminished despite the knee surgery that has kept him out of this National Hockey League season.
The product of Port McNeill is among three Island athletes in the six-athlete short list for Sport sa国际传媒鈥檚 2012 Best of sa国际传媒 Award, given annually to the province鈥檚 top athlete.
Mitchell, who hoisted the Stanley Cup last spring as a key defensive cog for the Los Angeles Kings, trails only Christine Sinclair of Burnaby in online voting.
It is basically a two-athlete race.
Sinclair, who was outstanding in leading sa国际传媒 to the bronze medal in women鈥檚 soccer at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, leads with 2,520 votes, which is 49 percent of the 5,167 votes that had been cast up to Tuesday.
Mitchell has 2,376, or 46聽per cent, of the votes.
鈥淭his is flattering,鈥� said Mitchell of the support he is receiving in balloting.
鈥淚 take a great sense of pride in coming from the Island and I always try to represent it, and sa国际传媒 in general, the best I can,鈥� he added, by phone from Los Angeles.
The next closest to the two runaway leaders is Mario Gutierrez, the jockey out of Hastings Park who came close to riding to the Triple Crown last year, with 110 votes (two per cent).
The other three athletes are each at one per cent 鈥� 2012 Giro d鈥橧talia cycling champion Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria with 76 votes, London Olympics silver-medallist swimmer Ryan Cochrane of Victoria with 43 and youthful rising NHL star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of Burnaby with 42.
Voting is open until midnight next Tuesday. Anyone can vote by going to SportBC.com and linking to the ballot.
The award will be handed out at the 47th annual Sport sa国际传媒 athlete of the year awards March 7 at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond. The event will be hosted by the dean of Canadian Olympic broadcasters Brian Williams.
鈥淪port is a lifestyle choice on the Island,鈥� said Mitchell, of half the 2012 short list being composed of Islanders.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nowhere like it. It鈥檚 a diverse area and people explore their environment and do everything from running, rowing, cycling, sailing and playing soccer to skiing and playing hockey. It allows us to produce a lot of great athletes encompassing a wide scope of sporting activities.鈥�
Meanwhile, Mitchell said he can鈥檛 put a time frame on how long he will be out.
鈥淭he body is a crazy thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t tells you when it鈥檚 ready. I鈥檓 not putting any timeline on this. You only set yourself up for disappointment if you do. I鈥檓 just every day doing what I can.鈥�
Which makes the shortened 2013 NHL season a bitter thing, especially after the Stanley Cup sweetness of 2012.
鈥淚 miss being out there. It鈥檚 tough watching,鈥� admitted Mitchell.
Maybe the sports fans of sa国际传媒 can make him feel a little better with some online voting love.
The inaugural Best of sa国际传媒 Award went to former MLB National League MVP Larry Walker of Maple Ridge in 1992. Last year鈥檚 winner was kicker Paul McCallum of the sa国际传媒 Lions. The last Island athlete to win it was NBA star Steve Nash of Victoria in 2006, in a tie that year with MLB star Justin Morneau of New Westminster.
Walker has won the award four times and Nash and Joe Sakic three times each.
