Ty Mueller

Playing career

Growing up in Cochrane, Alberta, Mueller got his start in hockey with the local minor hockey association. From 2016 to 2018, he played for the Airdrie Xtreme U15 AAA team in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. During the 2017-18 season, he was one of the team’s top scorers and earned a spot on Team Central for the Alberta Cup. After winning that tournament, he helped the Xtreme capture an AMBHL championship. He also participated in the 2018 U15 World Selects Invitational in Philadelphia. That same year, the Prince George Cougars selected him in the WHL Bantam Draft, but he didn’t join them right away. Instead, Mueller spent the 2018-19 season with the Airdrie CFR Bisons U18 AAA in the Alberta Midget Hockey League, plus two games with the Okotoks Oilers in the AJHL. In 34 games with the Bisons, he put up 10 goals and 24 assists, and the team handed him several internal awards: Most Valuable Player, Top Defensive Forward, co-Rookie of the Year, and co-Top Scorer.

Mueller moved to the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL for the 2019-20 season, scoring 30 points in 50 games. That performance earned him a spot on the AJHL All-North Rookie Team, making him just the 15th Crusader ever to receive that honor. He also committed to play college hockey for the Omaha Mavericks at the University of Nebraska Omaha. The following season, NHL scouts started taking notice. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau put him on its “Players to Watch” list in October and November 2020. But the AJHL shut down in November after only four games and didn’t resume until mid-March 2021. Despite the limited schedule, Mueller managed eight goals and three assists, and his teammates voted him team MVP.

From 2021 to 2024, Mueller suited up for the Omaha Mavericks while studying business. He made his college debut on October 30, 2021, and scored his first collegiate goal on November 6 against the Miami RedHawks. In February, the NCHC named him Rookie of the Month after he recorded five points and notched his first two multi-point games. He wrapped up his freshman year with eight goals and five assists for 13 points.