The former GB junior international will join up with the Stars and player-coach Dan Ceman in August, ahead of the 11/12 season, for their inaugural season in the Elite League after they ended their first year in the top flight in a credible eighth place despite losing their first 15 games.
Kirkcaldy born Mitchell moved south to Hull in 05/06 as an 18 year old after two seasons with his hometown Fife Flyers and, with the Rays dropping down into the English Premier League, he became one of the club's leading forwards, netting 14 goals and 19 assists in 33 games in the club's largely unsuccessful year in the British second tier.
The club stepped up to the top flight the following year and, although Mitchell put in a career low in goals, while registering just 11 points in 50 games, he remained an ever present in the Stingrays lineup as he continued a promising start to his career.
He would go on to register career point high's in three successive seasons in Hull, notching 20 points in 40 games during 07/08, 30 in 54 during 08/09 and 35 in 44 during 09/10.
Joining the Rays as an Great Britain Under-20 international, Mitchell's progression over the year's from 18 year old prospect into one of the up and coming, must have British forwards has been clear to see and all things being well he should make his second appearance at the World Championships next week, after his debut in GB colours against the Netherlands last season.
Unfortunately, while in his first two seasons in Hull he was evidently still developing, Stingrays fans have been largely robbed of seeing the Scot at full flight at full potential for a full season after injury problems severely blighted his six season stay, and that may leave a sour taste in the mouth as he moves north of the border to Dundee next season.
Those injury problems, particularly his numerous knee injuries, have restricted him to just two 50+ game seasons in six years in Hull, while this past season he was able to ice in just 27 games. That said, although he has missed more than 70 games over the years, including more than 30 this season, Mitchell ends his stay in the top five of all the clubs all-time records charts, sitting in second in appearances (255), fourth in goals (59), third in assists (94) and third in points (153).
Undoubtedly one of the best British players to have iced for the Stingrays, and certainly one of the most loyal servants to the club during it's eight year existence, Mitchell's departure is a big blow to Sylvain Cloutier's team building plans and leaves a big hole in Rays roster for the 11/12 Elite League campaign with just Jereme Tendler signed up for next season.
Brother Craig Mitchell is already expected to have quit the club after a supposed disagreement during his lengthy spell on the sidelines with a wrist injury and Lee's defection from the club, while possibly costly depending on the quality of his replacement, is no surprise with Belfast and Braehead previously rumoured to have been ready to sign.
With the Elite League dropping the import limit down from 11 and 12 to 10 for the upcoming season Brits, and more importantly quality international Brits like Lee Mitchell, are invaluable and the loss of siblings will put extra strain on Cloutier, who will now have to find three extra homegrown players on top of what he had at his disposal this year providing no further Brits leave the club.
Considering every Elite League side will be most likely adding at least one Brit to account for the new rule change, prices for players from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to rise in line with demand and as such that search may not be as easy as it initially sounds.
