Hockey 101: Mavericks already involved in community

Members of the Missouri Mavericks sat in a side-room dining area at Tim’s Pizza, sampling a wide variety of the food served by the iconic Independence eatery.

“You know what I love about having the Mavericks in here?” asked Tim’s founder Tim Pace, a Mavericks season ticket holder. “They are the nicest group of guys you could ever imagine coming in here. We have a lot of postseason parties and things like that for summer league teams, and these guys are friendlier and more appreciative of what we offer than a lot of the kids.

“A lot of athletes get a bad rap because of the guys who make all the headlines for what they say or what they do off the field. But these kids are just great. Every one of them come up and say thank you and leave our kids who bus the tables nice tips. They’re a part of the community, like you and me.”

That statement has to put a smile of the face of coach Scott Hillman, who said long before the season started, “We want our boys to be standing next in line to you at the bank, or filling up their car with gas at the convenience store where you fill your car with gas.

“We want them watching your son or daughter playing Little League baseball or soccer. We want them to be an active part of the community, like a member of the family.”

When Hillman and general manager Brent Thiessen began piecing together the newest team in the Central Hockey League, they were looking for a certain type of player.

“We wanted someone who wasn’t afraid to mix it up on the ice,” Thiessen said, “but also we wanted players who would be good citizens in the community. Some of the boys have been in town for a while and been able to meet the fans, but now that our (season-opening) nine-game road trip is over and we’re going to start playing at the Events Center, the players will really become a part of the community.”

Practice sessions at the Events Center are enthusiastic, spirited and competitive – especially for 8:30 in the morning.

“Our fans can expect a group of energetic guys who play on the edge,” Hillman said. “I think they’re going to be surprised at the skill level they’re going to see in this league.

Members of the Missouri Mavericks sat in a side-room dining area at Tim’s Pizza, sampling a wide variety of the food served by the iconic Independence eatery.

“You know what I love about having the Mavericks in here?” asked Tim’s founder Tim Pace, a Mavericks season ticket holder. “They are the nicest group of guys you could ever imagine coming in here. We have a lot of postseason parties and things like that for summer league teams, and these guys are friendlier and more appreciative of what we offer than a lot of the kids.

“A lot of athletes get a bad rap because of the guys who make all the headlines for what they say or what they do off the field. But these kids are just great. Every one of them come up and say thank you and leave our kids who bus the tables nice tips. They’re a part of the community, like you and me.”

That statement has to put a smile of the face of coach Scott Hillman, who said long before the season started, “We want our boys to be standing next in line to you at the bank, or filling up their car with gas at the convenience store where you fill your car with gas.

“We want them watching your son or daughter playing Little League baseball or soccer. We want them to be an active part of the community, like a member of the family.”

When Hillman and general manager Brent Thiessen began piecing together the newest team in the Central Hockey League, they were looking for a certain type of player.

“We wanted someone who wasn’t afraid to mix it up on the ice,” Thiessen said, “but also we wanted players who would be good citizens in the community. Some of the boys have been in town for a while and been able to meet the fans, but now that our (season-opening) nine-game road trip is over and we’re going to start playing at the Events Center, the players will really become a part of the community.”

Practice sessions at the Events Center are enthusiastic, spirited and competitive – especially for 8:30 in the morning.

“Our fans can expect a group of energetic guys who play on the edge,” Hillman said. “I think they’re going to be surprised at the skill level they’re going to see in this league.

“Over the first few weeks of the season, we’ve made some changes. We’ve had to say goodbye to some of the boys and we have replaced them with some very good players.

“We’re a work in progress, and we want to give everyone a memorable experience when we open the season at home this Friday.”

And the players feel the same way.

“We want Friday night to be a night everyone remembers,” forward/assistant coach and longtime CHL star Jeff Christian said. “We play a lot of games, but we will never play another game like Friday night. We’re opening up a great arena with a sell-out crowd that has never seen us play.

“The energy is going to be incredible. I can’t wait and I know the other players feel the same way.”