When he wasn’t comparing himself to Burt Reynolds, a former matinee idol and poster boy of years past, Missouri Mavericks forward Jeff Christian was having a good time hamming it up during a photo shoot for the Hockey 101 installment on a player’s gear.
“The things you do to promote your sport,” quipped Christian, who posed in various stages of his gear to give fans a hint of what a player wears during a hockey game.
When you watch a hockey game, most fans wonder how a player survives the pounding he takes on the ice, slamming into the boards or taking a hockey puck that’s traveling at an average speed of 98 miles per hour.
“Make me look good,” jokes Christian, a perennial Central Hockey League all-star forward who has become the face of the Mavericks.
“A player’s gear is pretty important. At this level, we pretty much use a stock stick – but all the guys wrap the handle so it’s comfortable. It’s important to feel comfortable out on the ice, yet have the protection that will keep you from getting killed.”
Veteran CHL equipment manager Andrew Dvorak said the gear is plentiful – but simple and designed in such a fashion that it serves its purpose without hindering a player’s ability to perform on the ice.
“For our boys, they need pants, gloves, shin pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads, socks, a hockey garter (to keep up a player’s socks), jock strap, helmets or a goalie mask, skates and their stick,” Dvorak said without skipping a beat. “When we go on the road, we usually take three sticks per guy, in case one breaks.”
The player’s stick is his bread and butter, and most players treat their sticks like a member of the family.
“Guys can get picky about their sticks,” forward Bill Vandermeer said. “You can tape it and pick out the lie of the stick and do all kinds of things to make it feel comfortable.”
Added coach Scott Hillman, a former CHL standout as a defenseman: “The two most important things to a hockey player are his stick and his skates. I played with the same shin and shoulder pads for 11 years. I just liked the way they felt – although they got pretty disgusting.”
After Christian’s photo session, goalkeeper Mike Gorman spent some time in front of the lens. His gear was even more imposing than Christian’s.
“Most goalies like older gear, gear that’s really broken in,” Gorman said. “Being with a new team, I have to break in my pads. My 41⁄2-year old son Riley is helping me do that by jumping up and down on them. (Teammate) Tyler Fleck designs facemasks, and he’s working on one with a Maverick logo on one side and stampede on the other. Then, a local guy is going to paint it for me. I like my pads to be comfortable. Some guys wear them forever, but in goal, you pretty much wear your equipment like your shin pads and gloves out each season.”
Mark Eckelberry, the merchandise manager for the Team Store at the Events Center, said Mavericks fans can wear the exact jersey the players wear on the ice.
“We have replicas and authentic jerseys that we take out of the box that goes to the players and we put in the store,” Eckelberry said, after helping a fan who plans to attend Friday’s home opener, with the purchase of a hat and jersey.
“If you to represent the team Friday night, or any time this season, we have what you’re looking for.”
Products range from hats and team pucks, featuring the Mavericks logo on one side and “GIVE ’EM HELL” – the catch phrase of former president and Independence native Harry Truman – to hats, hoodies, sweatshirts and a hard hat that features a flashing light on its brim.
“We were wall-to-wall, lined up outside of the shop during the open house on Saturday,” said Eckelberry, who had a five-person staff that afternoon. “And we’re pretty busy during the day – usually around the lunch hour is when it gets the busiest.”
The Team Store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and opens at 10 a.m. on weekend game days.
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When he wasn’t comparing himself to Burt Reynolds, a former matinee idol and poster boy of years past, Missouri Mavericks forward Jeff Christian was having a good time hamming it up during a photo shoot for the Hockey 101 installment on a player’s gear.
“The things you do to promote your sport,” quipped Christian, who posed in various stages of his gear to give fans a hint of what a player wears during a hockey game.
When you watch a hockey game, most fans wonder how a player survives the pounding he takes on the ice, slamming into the boards or taking a hockey puck that’s traveling at an average speed of 98 miles per hour.
“Make me look good,” jokes Christian, a perennial Central Hockey League all-star forward who has become the face of the Mavericks.
“A player’s gear is pretty important. At this level, we pretty much use a stock stick – but all the guys wrap the handle so it’s comfortable. It’s important to feel comfortable out on the ice, yet have the protection that will keep you from getting killed.”
Veteran CHL equipment manager Andrew Dvorak said the gear is plentiful – but simple and designed in such a fashion that it serves its purpose without hindering a player’s ability to perform on the ice.
“For our boys, they need pants, gloves, shin pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads, socks, a hockey garter (to keep up a player’s socks), jock strap, helmets or a goalie mask, skates and their stick,” Dvorak said without skipping a beat. “When we go on the road, we usually take three sticks per guy, in case one breaks.”
The player’s stick is his bread and butter, and most players treat their sticks like a member of the family.
“Guys can get picky about their sticks,” forward Bill Vandermeer said. “You can tape it and pick out the lie of the stick and do all kinds of things to make it feel comfortable.”
Added coach Scott Hillman, a former CHL standout as a defenseman: “The two most important things to a hockey player are his stick and his skates. I played with the same shin and shoulder pads for 11 years. I just liked the way they felt – although they got pretty disgusting.”
After Christian’s photo session, goalkeeper Mike Gorman spent some time in front of the lens. His gear was even more imposing than Christian’s.
“Most goalies like older gear, gear that’s really broken in,” Gorman said. “Being with a new team, I have to break in my pads. My 41⁄2-year old son Riley is helping me do that by jumping up and down on them. (Teammate) Tyler Fleck designs facemasks, and he’s working on one with a Maverick logo on one side and stampede on the other. Then, a local guy is going to paint it for me. I like my pads to be comfortable. Some guys wear them forever, but in goal, you pretty much wear your equipment like your shin pads and gloves out each season.”
Mark Eckelberry, the merchandise manager for the Team Store at the Events Center, said Mavericks fans can wear the exact jersey the players wear on the ice.
“We have replicas and authentic jerseys that we take out of the box that goes to the players and we put in the store,” Eckelberry said, after helping a fan who plans to attend Friday’s home opener, with the purchase of a hat and jersey.
“If you to represent the team Friday night, or any time this season, we have what you’re looking for.”
Products range from hats and team pucks, featuring the Mavericks logo on one side and “GIVE ’EM HELL” – the catch phrase of former president and Independence native Harry Truman – to hats, hoodies, sweatshirts and a hard hat that features a flashing light on its brim.
“We were wall-to-wall, lined up outside of the shop during the open house on Saturday,” said Eckelberry, who had a five-person staff that afternoon. “And we’re pretty busy during the day – usually around the lunch hour is when it gets the busiest.”
The Team Store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and opens at 10 a.m. on weekend game days.
