For Immediate Release: September 8, 2017
Kansas City Mavericks Preview
The Cincinnati Cyclones will welcome in 14 different opponents to U.S. Bank Arena this season and we are going to take a closer look at each one. Up next in our preview series are the Kansas City Mavericks- ECHL affiliates of the Stockton Heat (AHL) and Calgary Flames (NHL). This will be the second year in a row that the Mavericks will travel to the Queen City, after making their first appearance last season.
This season's four-game series has a little more meaning than in year's past due to the fact the Cyclones and Mavericks are now rivals in the Central Divison, following the ECHL realignment earlier this summer.
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2017-18 Schedule vs. Cincinnati:
Home: 2/2, 2/3
Away: 1/12, 2/8
Last Season:
2016-17 Regular Season Record: 33-30-5-5, 75 Points. Fifth Place in the Mountain Division
2016-17 Leading Scorers:
Dane Fox – 34g-42a-76p, 71GP
Darren Nowick – 21g-24a-45p, 57GP
Rocco Carzo – 21g-24a-45p, 68GP
The Mavericks finished just four points out of a playoff spot last year, missing the ECHL’s second season for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2014-15 season. The Mavericks stumbled out of the gate, dropping six of their first eight, but managed to play around .500 hockey for the remainder of the first half. The then Missouri Mavericks saw their fortunes change in late January, when they won 11-of-14 and found themselves in the thick of the playoff picture. Despite more solid play down the stretch, the Mavs fell just short of a playoff spot in the season's final weeks.
Special teams were a strong point for the Mavericks in 2016-17 as they ranked sixth in the League with an 84% kill rate on the penalty kill, and were in the top 16 in both home and road power play conversion rate. Offensively, they scored 3.24 goals per game, and defensively they allowed 3.35 goals per game.
Even though the on-ice result was not what the Mavericks wanted, their off-season has been a busy one, as they announced a new affiliation with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and AHL’s Stockton Heat. The new affiliation ended a two-year agreement with the New York Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Mavericks also had a slight name change, going from the Missouri Mavericks to the Kansas City Mavericks. According to team President Brent Thiessen, the change was made to “give a more clear identity to our franchise and include the entire Kansas City region”.
History:
Founded in 2009 as members of the Central Hockey League (ECHL), the Mavericks are entering their fourth campaign as members of the ECHL. Kansas City has seen great regular season success as members of the ECHL, compiling a 113-80-12-11 record in 216 games. Their best season came in 2015-16 when they took the League by storm with 52-13-2-2 for 109 points. They were Brabham Cup regular season champions, and made it to the second round of the playoffs where they fell to the eventual champions, the Allen Americans, 4 games to 2.
The CHL edition of the Mavericks made the playoffs each year from 2009-14, reaching the League semifinals twice in that span. Overall, the CHL Mavericks amassed a record of 186-116-26.
Overall, hockey in the city of Kansas City dates back to 1927 with the Kansas Pla-Mors of the American Hockey Association. In the years since, there have been 12 different teams in 10 different leagues, including the Kansas City Scouts of the NHL from 1974-76.
Arena:
Centrally located, the multi-purpose, state-of-the-art, 5,800-seat Silverstein Eye Centers Arena is the premier entertainment destination of Eastern Jackson County. The arena is home to the Mavericks of the ECHL, the Comets of the MASL and has hosted a multitude of concerts by internationally recognized artists. Designated one of the finest ice skating facilities in the Midwest, the Centerpoint Community Ice offers a wide variety of programs including public skating, learn-to-skate classes, figure skating, hockey, special events, birthday parties and private rentals.
The march towards 2017 First Face-Off is ON! The Cincinnati Cyclones return to U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday, October 14, when they take on the Kalamazoo Wings. In the meantime, we invite you to stay tuned in the coming weeks for information on tickets and promotions for the 2017-18 season, great offseason events like Concrete Clones, player signings, and MORE! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones Season and Group Tickets, and you can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!
