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Independence, MO —
Missouri Mavericks forward Andrew Courtney, who makes wearing a goofy orange cowboy hat look good, is returning to the Central Hockey League team for what promises to be an offensive sophomore season.
Courtney, who won over the hearts of Eastern Jackson County hockey fans and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon with a hat trick late last season, joins second-year defenseman Mike Wakita and newcomers David Pszenyczny and Jakub Macek as the latest players to sign contacts with the Mavericks.
Courtney, 26, joined the team late last season, and in a 7-0 victory over Mississippi that was witnessed by Nixon, the newest member of the Mavericks scored three goals.
After the game, a bright orange cowboy hat was thrown out on the ice, and at the coaxing of his veteran teammates, the rookie picked it up, placed it on his head and did a victory lap as the standing-room-only crowd roared its approval.
“That was a pretty special night,” said Courtney, who was given the hat as a present at a going-away party after the season ended. “I just might have to bring that hat back to training camp and keep it in the locker room.
“It can inspire some other guys to get a hat trick.”
While Courtney made a late-season impact, Wakita quickly became a fan favorite and CHL tough-guy with his devastating checks and rapid-fire fists.
Both Courtney and Wakita missed postseason play because of injuries, and coach Scott Hillman said he will never know just how far his team might have gone in the playoffs with that duo healthy.
“They were so important to our team – Mike all season long and Andrew toward the end of the season,” Hillman said. “We saw almost immediately the type of impact Andrew made on our offense, and Mike has a nasty streak that we like.
“We think they will both become premier players in the league this season, and we can’t wait to have them both back healthy and ready to go.”
Courtney suffered a separated shoulder and Wakita sprained his MCL in his knee right before the playoffs.
“I missed the playoffs and, man, that really hurt,” Courtney said. “I can’t wait for the training camp to start and to get the opportunity to really learn about the game from Coach and the guys on this team.
“I know I scored some goals, but I’m coming into training camp like Joe Schmo, and I’m going to work harder than anyone else to earn a spot on this team. I want to make a contribution because I believe we can win a championship this season, and I want to be a part of that.”
Missouri Mavericks forward Andrew Courtney, who makes wearing a goofy orange cowboy hat look good, is returning to the Central Hockey League team for what promises to be an offensive sophomore season.
Courtney, who won over the hearts of Eastern Jackson County hockey fans and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon with a hat trick late last season, joins second-year defenseman Mike Wakita and newcomers David Pszenyczny and Jakub Macek as the latest players to sign contacts with the Mavericks.
Courtney, 26, joined the team late last season, and in a 7-0 victory over Mississippi that was witnessed by Nixon, the newest member of the Mavericks scored three goals.
After the game, a bright orange cowboy hat was thrown out on the ice, and at the coaxing of his veteran teammates, the rookie picked it up, placed it on his head and did a victory lap as the standing-room-only crowd roared its approval.
“That was a pretty special night,” said Courtney, who was given the hat as a present at a going-away party after the season ended. “I just might have to bring that hat back to training camp and keep it in the locker room.
“It can inspire some other guys to get a hat trick.”
While Courtney made a late-season impact, Wakita quickly became a fan favorite and CHL tough-guy with his devastating checks and rapid-fire fists.
Both Courtney and Wakita missed postseason play because of injuries, and coach Scott Hillman said he will never know just how far his team might have gone in the playoffs with that duo healthy.
“They were so important to our team – Mike all season long and Andrew toward the end of the season,” Hillman said. “We saw almost immediately the type of impact Andrew made on our offense, and Mike has a nasty streak that we like.
“We think they will both become premier players in the league this season, and we can’t wait to have them both back healthy and ready to go.”
Courtney suffered a separated shoulder and Wakita sprained his MCL in his knee right before the playoffs.
“I missed the playoffs and, man, that really hurt,” Courtney said. “I can’t wait for the training camp to start and to get the opportunity to really learn about the game from Coach and the guys on this team.
“I know I scored some goals, but I’m coming into training camp like Joe Schmo, and I’m going to work harder than anyone else to earn a spot on this team. I want to make a contribution because I believe we can win a championship this season, and I want to be a part of that.”
So does Wakita.
“You play all season, and your goal is to make it to postseason and win a championship, and I missed the playoffs so I am determined to come back strong this year and play in the postseason,” said Wakita, 25, who is living with Mavericks teammate and goaltender Gerry Festa this season.
“Even though I’ve been in Calgary most of the season, I’ve been following what’s been going on by reading stories on the Internet. We’re all excited about how the team is coming together, and we want to win a championship.”
Pszenyczny (pronounced pshuh-NITCH-nee) knows all about winning championships as he was a standout defenseman for the defunct Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs team that topped the Colorado Eagles for the CHL crown this past season.
“We haven’t gotten our rings,” Pszenyczny said in a telephone conversation, “but if coach wants me to bring mine in so the boys can see what we’re all playing for, I will be happy to do it.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman played the last three seasons with the Mudbugs and scored 20 goals with 34 assists.
“He’s one of those players who you talk about before you play his team – you always have to account for him because you know he’s going to make an impact on the game,” Hillman said. “He’s one of the players we zeroed in on after the end of last season, and we know he can make an impact on our team.”
The veteran defender said he can’t wait to begin a new career in Independence.
“Missouri is one of the teams I really wanted to play for,” Pszenyczny said. “I remember playing at the Events Center and how great the crowd was. I have a lot of respect for Coach Hillman. My goal is to win another championship, and I believe we will have the team to do that.”
Macek, 24, is the first goaltender to be signed this offseason by the Mavericks, who are not sure about the future of Festa and CHL Goaltender of the Year Robby Nolan.
The 6-foot, 172-pound goaltender, a native of Bratislava, Slovakia, has played in Hungary, France and Slovakia. Before turning pro, he played for HC Slovan Bratislava in the U20 and U18 leagues in Slovakia. Macek, who will be playing his first professional season in North America, also represented his country in the U20 World Junior Championship in 2007. In his best season, 2008-09 with Rapaces de Gap in France, he had a 2.27 goals against average in 20 regular-season games and 2.87 GAA in six playoff games.
“We have our scouts in Europe and we have heard a lot of great things about Jakub,” Hillman said. “We believe he can play at this level, and we know he is very excited about coming to North America. The reports from Europe came back positive, so much so, we were obliged to give him an opportunity with the Mavericks.”
