Meet the Mavericks

In the five years that the Missouri Mavericks have been in existence, this blog has not once given them a bit of press for reasons unknown to this scribe.  Today is a chance to change that, so in an effort to make good on covering a hockey team that is actually in my back yard, the Mavericks will get an introduction and a brief overview of their history.

The Missouri Mavericks were founded in 2009 and began play in the 2009-10 Central Hockey League season in the Independence Events Center, where they play their home games.  Their current affiliation is with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.  They have made the playoffs in each of their five seasons under coach Scott Hillman, but have never reached the Ray Miron President's Cup Finals.  Recently, Hillman resigned from his post as coach to take the same job with the Indy Fuel, who will be beginning play this coming season in the ECHL.  The man tabbed to take his place is Richard Matvichuk, who spent most of his NHL playing career with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise, winning a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.