The Missouri Mavericks can be found in many categories as the Central Hockey League announced its “Best of the Best” poll Tuesday afternoon.
The poll identifies the top three players or organizations in 46 categories as voted on by players, coaches and front office personnel.
Mavericks players and organization received recognition in 10 of the 46 categories.
The only first place vote the Mavericks received went to Karl Sellan for Most Annoying Player. He took six of the 15 first-place votes.
Jeff Christian finished third in the voting for both Best Playmaker and Smartest Player.
Mavericks captain Carlyle Lewis ranked second in Best Fighter (Heavyweight) behind Rio Grande Valley’s Brett Clouthier.
Nick Sirota ranked third in the Best Rookie category behind Josh Garbutt of Corpus Christi and Rapid City’s Danny Battochio.
The organization received multiple mentions. The fans at Independence Events Center ranked third for Best Fans behind Rapid City and Colorado. Steve Garrett, the Mavericks’ public-address announcer, also finished third.
Missouri’s game operations department was highlighted with a third-place ranking in On-Ice Promotions and a second-place bid for Best Arena Music.
The 10th and final vote went to the City of Independence, which took second place in the voting for Best City. Only Allen, Texas, was ranked higher.
To view a full list of the CHL’s “Best of the Best” poll, visit www.centralhockeyleague.com.
The Mavericks will play their final two home games at 7:05 p.m. this Friday and Saturday at the Independence Events Center. The CHL-leading Odessa Jackalopes will be the Mavericks’ opponent in each game.
Friday is Fan Appreciation Night and the Mavs will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned to fans after the game.
On Saturday, the team will host a fundraiser for Ryan Christian, Jeff Christian’s daughter, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment at St. Jude’s hospital in Memphis. Both games are close to being sold out.
