Mavericks Report: An Obituary...and a New Playmate?

What was supposed to be a lengthy playoff run for the Missouri Mavericks this season instead ends in the Conference semi-finals, as the Allen Americans put an end to that dream in six games. At times during the series, the Mavericks' offense was nowhere to be found while their sterling goaltending suddenly had holes. Before pointing fingers, it should be noted that the Mavericks had a constantly changing roster due to injuries, call-ups, and PTOs with other teams in the AHL, as well as seeing two players make it to the NHL. So, while the season as a whole can be considered a wasted opportunity, there are still silver linings to be taken from a record-breaking season, one that will ultimately be a footnote in history rather than the cherry on top.

And now, for the other news making the rounds. In a move designed for the 2017-18 season, the Kansas City area will be getting a USHL team. Full details are at the Kansas City Star, but the gist is that owner Lamar Hunt Jr. is going to try his hand at the premier junior league in the United States. The site where they plan to play is going to be the BluHawk development area of Overland Park, KS, which places it around the 159th Street and Highway 69 area. No plans are being made to move the Mavericks out to that area, as well, but the arena that will be built will seat around 6,000 people, approximately 2,000 more than what the Mavericks' current home of Silverstein Eye Centers Arena seats for hockey.

What benefits will having a USHL team have for the Kansas City area? The USHL is rising in terms of visibility, buoyed by the fact that they are becoming a viable place for future NHLers to begin plying their trade. Like their Canadian counterparts, players can be up to 20 years old, but space for those players is generally limited to about one or two players. Unlike the major junior leagues in Canada, players can generally commit to colleges in the United States (the Canadian leagues are considered pro under NCAA rules). With the majority of teams in the upper Midwest, it only makes sense that Hunt Jr. would be tapping into the market where Kansas City hockey can continue to grow.

Military Appreciation: the Green Bay Gamblers Way

This Saturday, the Green Bay Gamblers will be holding their third annual "Military Night" as they take on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.  As you would expect, there will be a special Military themed jersey that the Gamblers will be wearing, as shown above.  However, take a closer look at the helmet, and you will see that there is something special about it.  And in case you can't see it well, here is a standalone picture of the helmets the Gamblers will be wearing:

That's right, the helmets will be prominently featuring the American flag wrapped around the helmet.  While it is a nice thing for teams to honor their country's military forces, the Gamblers took a bold step and included the helmets, which adds a little more fun to what is considered a serious occasion.

USHL Playoffs Update

I realize in the midst of the WHL playoffs and the upcoming NHL playoffs (Vancouver is in and can clinch the Northwest Division as soon as tonight) that I have largely ignored the USHL.  The Clark Cup tournament began last week, and so far, we can expect the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Youngstown Phantoms in the Eastern Conference finals after they disposed of the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Green Bay Gamblers, respectively.  The Western Conference is less certain at this point, but the Waterloo Black Hawks can send the Fargo Force home, as they are up 2-1 in the best of five series.  The Lincoln Stars and Sioux Falls Stampede are nodded at two a piece with a deciding fifth game that will determine one of the spots in the Western Conference finals.

New Man in Charge in Buffalo

Meet Ron Rolston, the man that will be coaching the Buffalo Sabres for the rest of this season.  In a press conference yesterday, the Sabres tabbed the 46-year old Rolston to coach the Sabres after letting Lindy Ruff go earlier in the day.  Rolston had been coaching the Sabres' minor league affiliate in Rochester since the 2011-12 season and before that, was the head coach of the United States NTDP, who play in the USHL in addition to international tournaments.  Under Rolston's watch, the US team took home three gold medals in international play, and in recent years, has been a hotbed for potential future NHLers, as they produced six first rounders in the 2010 and 2011 drafts, plus Brandon Saad and Justin Faulk, both of whom played with the US NTDP, are currently playing in the NHL.

Casting Call for Writers

With the WHL playoffs (and if I'm lucky, the OHL playoffs) looming, as well as the continuing education on the USHL, that has left me with little time to talk about the NHL in the last few weeks.  To solve this problem on some level, I am turning over the month of March to you, the people who may (or may not) be reading this blog.

All you have to do is write about anything hockey, whether is it complaining about your team's play this season, any thoughts on who you should get (as outrageous as it may be), trash talk the other teams, anything.  The only rule is that it has to pertain to hockey.  If you are interested, shoot an email over to doclindgren (at) gmail (dot) com, and be sure to list a date in March that you would like to contribute, so as to make things easier on me as playoff season in the Juniors approach.

Mid-term Crash Course into the USHL

Yesterday, I started to delve into the United States Hockey League and their outdoor game.  Today, we will get to learn more about the league, as their season winds down and is heading into the playoffs.  The league has been around since 1947, when it was called the American Amateur Hockey League name.  The USHL name came to be in 1961, and has been that way since.  Currently, there are 16 teams in the league, and became an all-junior league league in 1979.  Like its Canadian junior league counterparts, the USHL has an age limit of 20 and players can jump to either college or the NHL once they're drafted by an NHL team.

Eastern Conference

• Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
• Chicago Steel (play in Bensenville, IL)
• Dubuque Fighting Saints
• Green Bay Gamblers
• Indiana Ice
• Muskegon Lumberjacks
• US Hockey NTDP (play in Ann Arbor, MI)
• Youngstown Phantoms

Western Conference

• Des Moines Buccaneers
• Fargo Force
• Lincoln Stars
• Omaha Lancers
• Sioux City Musketeers
• Sioux Falls Stampede
• Tri-City Storm (play in Kearney, NE)
• Waterloo Black Hawks

The Anderson Cup recognizes the best team in the regular season while the Clark Cup recognizes the best in the playoffs.  Notable alumni of the USHL include David Backes, John Carlson, Thomas Vanek, Joe Pavelski, Paul Stastny, and Max Pacioretty.

USHL Goes Outdoors

I bumped up the Peterborough Express weekly piece to get this article put in, and yes, it is an outdoor game.  The United States Hockey League had their own Outdoor Classic on Saturday with the Omaha Lancers defeating the Lincoln Stars 4-2 in Omaha, NE.  This game was the first ever in league history, and featured two Nebraska rivals.

More information about the USHL will be posted in the coming days, as this league has its own unique history and stories to tell.