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Independence, MO —
The Missouri Mavericks announced the signing of three more players Friday, bringing the total number of signees on the 2012-13 team to seven.
Defenseman Matt McCready and forward Brandon Smith will return to the Mavericks this season and forward Derek LeBlanc, who played in the East Coast Hockey League last year, will join the team.
“Our fans are certainly familiar with Matt and Brandon,” coach Scott Hillman said in a phone interview from Minnesota, where he is part of a scouting camp that features players from across the country.
“Matt is a player who plays much larger than his size. And with a little more work, we feel he can become one of the top offensive defenseman in the CHL.
“Brandon was the heart and soul of our team last year. When he arrived in December, we were a .500 team. We were so much better after Brandon arrived. He is a team-first player who can play forward or defense, and he scored some huge goals for us in the playoffs.”
Fans might not be familiar with LeBlanc, but Hillman certainly is.
“Derek was a force with the Rapid City Rush the first year we were in the league,” Hillman said. “He played on the same line with Colt King – who was the first player we signed for the upcoming season – and they just hammered our blue line. He and Colt are going to add a toughness that was missing in the playoffs last year. He and Colt can become difference makers this season.
“We are slowly piecing together our team for next year with the types of players that we believe can continue to make us better.”
LeBlanc, 26, played his first three pro seasons with the CHL’s Rapid City Rush where he won the 2010 President’s Cup Championship with King. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound forward played in 171 games for the Rush over three seasons and had 130 points and 167 penalty minutes. LeBlanc was also called up to the AHL's Manitoba Moose for 11 games during the 2009-10 season.
McCready, 24, made his professional debut with the Mavericks last season. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound defenseman played in seven regular-season games and 11 post-season games. He finished with two goals, four assists and a plus-7 plus/minus rating combined in 18 games for Missouri.
Smith, 25, enters his third professional season and second with the Mavericks. He joined the Mavericks in December of 2011 and played in 45 games after starting the season in the Southern Professional Hockey League with the Fayetteville (N.C.) FireAntz.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward had 18 points with the Mavs during the regular season and five points on four goals and one assist in 11 games in the playoffs.
The Missouri Mavericks announced the signing of three more players Friday, bringing the total number of signees on the 2012-13 team to seven.
Defenseman Matt McCready and forward Brandon Smith will return to the Mavericks this season and forward Derek LeBlanc, who played in the East Coast Hockey League last year, will join the team.
“Our fans are certainly familiar with Matt and Brandon,” coach Scott Hillman said in a phone interview from Minnesota, where he is part of a scouting camp that features players from across the country.
“Matt is a player who plays much larger than his size. And with a little more work, we feel he can become one of the top offensive defenseman in the CHL.
“Brandon was the heart and soul of our team last year. When he arrived in December, we were a .500 team. We were so much better after Brandon arrived. He is a team-first player who can play forward or defense, and he scored some huge goals for us in the playoffs.”
Fans might not be familiar with LeBlanc, but Hillman certainly is.
“Derek was a force with the Rapid City Rush the first year we were in the league,” Hillman said. “He played on the same line with Colt King – who was the first player we signed for the upcoming season – and they just hammered our blue line. He and Colt are going to add a toughness that was missing in the playoffs last year. He and Colt can become difference makers this season.
“We are slowly piecing together our team for next year with the types of players that we believe can continue to make us better.”
LeBlanc, 26, played his first three pro seasons with the CHL’s Rapid City Rush where he won the 2010 President’s Cup Championship with King. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound forward played in 171 games for the Rush over three seasons and had 130 points and 167 penalty minutes. LeBlanc was also called up to the AHL's Manitoba Moose for 11 games during the 2009-10 season.
McCready, 24, made his professional debut with the Mavericks last season. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound defenseman played in seven regular-season games and 11 post-season games. He finished with two goals, four assists and a plus-7 plus/minus rating combined in 18 games for Missouri.
Smith, 25, enters his third professional season and second with the Mavericks. He joined the Mavericks in December of 2011 and played in 45 games after starting the season in the Southern Professional Hockey League with the Fayetteville (N.C.) FireAntz.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward had 18 points with the Mavs during the regular season and five points on four goals and one assist in 11 games in the playoffs.
