The Capitals goaltending prospect played in all three pro leagues this past season.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals goaltending prospect Mitch Gibson didn't exactly have a lot of time to sit back and reflect this season; first and foremost, he had planes to catch, but also, he was busy soaking in as much as he could.
After all, learning — especially on the fly — is Gibson's forte. He's a Harvard graduate with a degree in economics and love for books, especially World War II nonfiction.
Though one book in particular that he read during the pandemic, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryū Suzuki, has stuck with him over the years and really set him up for success this season, where he got a taste of just about everything.
"Just (taught me) to be able to slow down and just kind of be in the moment... take it one thing at a time, but how do you actually do that?" Gibson said. "How do you actually implement that?"
The 26-year-old, who was taken by Washington in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, didn't receive a qualifying offer last summer with D.C. at its contract limit, and ultimately signed a contract with the AHL's Hershey Bears to stay in the organization. From there, he had work to do.
He'd been a mainstay in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays, but wanted to make that full-time AHL jump, and at the same time, put him back on the Capitals' radar as a top rising netminder.
After showing his skill-set alongside seven other goaltenders at Washington's training camp, Gibson started the year with the Stingrays, going 7-4 through 11 games with a .921 save percentage, 2.20 GAA and one shutout before earning the call-up to the Bears.
From there, Gibson became the No. 2 behind Clay Stevenson and put up a .903 save percentage through 23 games, and at the end of the season, got a call-up with the Capitals to play second chair behind Logan Thompson with Charlie Lindgren hurt.
"I was just trying to make my flight on time," Gibson quipped.
With that call-up, Gibson accomplished a feat not many see these days, playing in three different pro North American leagues and then, ultimately, earning a two-year extension from the Capitals.
"Tasting a little bit of everything this year for me personally, and seeing every level of play is pretty special," Gibson said. "Not a lot of guys are able to say that. Just trying to be in the moment."
At the same time, it can take its toll and at times, feel exhausting, going from city to city, missing out on sleep and practicing every other day while trying to find consistency across different levels of play.
To stay refreshed and maintain balance amid the chaos, Gibson keeps up the routine of meditation that he picked up years ago.
"We're hockey players, but we're not at the same time, right? There's so much coordination, the nature of the position we kind of have to focus on certain things... people think it's weird and strange and (ask) why I'm doing it, but it works.
"It helps with everything, and with the added extracurriculars between going a lot of different places this year, it'd definitely part of my practice."
Ultimately, as he continues his climb up the goaltending depth chart, Gibson wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'm just trying to be in the moment. A lot of hotel nights, a lot of flights, each day's been pretty fun," Gibson said. "Not enough sleep for sure... in 20 years from now, wherever I might be, it's going to be a grind during the moment, but I'm just fortunate enough to be a part of it."