Sabres.com's Jourdon LaBarber talked to some of the people who know Mittelstadt best - his high school friends Noah Deraney and Tommy Hartle, and his dad - to help find out more about Buffalo's first-round pick.
Deraney's earliest memory of Mittelstadt dates back over a decade, to their first game together at the Mite level.
"He was just a beast back then, too," Deraney said. "We used to play in a small 3-on-3 rink and he would just tear it up. I can just picture him skating around those guys."
Mittelstadt's friends speak about him with a level of reverence, almost as if they still can't believe the type of competitor he is even after knowing him for most of their lives. He comes off in their stories as something of a tall tale hero.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it," Deraney explained. "You could literally be doing anything, he's going to win somehow.
"…When Casey's name was called, it was incredible. I don't even know how to describe it. He's a life-long friend. It was unbelievable."
You can read the full feature here.
My favorite tidbit? His buddies can't even beat him in a game of NHL.
