Mavericks Building Up KC’s Hockey Foundation

Kansas City’s professional hockey team has high aspirations for the future of hockey in Kansas City.

Since being founded in 2009 as an expansion team in the Central Hockey League, the Kansas City Mavericks have been building up the hockey foundation in a city with a great sports history.

On the ice, the Mavericks have tasted a little success. The Mavs won the Bud Poile Governors’ Cup in 2014 as CHL’s regular season champions. After merging into ECHL during that offseason, the Mavericks won the division and Brabham Cup as the regular season title winners in 2016.

“The hockey foundation in Kansas City is huge,” said Mavericks head coach and general manager Tad O’Had. “Hockey culture in Kansas City has grown exponentially over the last few years and there is no sign of it slowing down. Kansas City is one of the best sports cities in America and it only continues to get better with the growth of hockey, the growth of the Mavericks and the hockey foundation throughout the city.”

When the Mavericks were in the CHL, they won Franchise of the Year for four straight years. The Mavericks aren’t just building a hockey foundation on the ice, but also off the ice and in the community.

“Community service is the most important thing that professional athletes and organizations can be a part of,” O’Had said. “Our fans give so much time and energy in supporting our team, it is only right that we do our best to repay that as often as we can.”

The team has raised nearly half a million dollars for charity through the annual Dinner on Ice event, which earned the Mavs the John J. ‘Buck’ O’Neil Diamond MVP Award from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.

Previously serving as affiliates to NHL franchises New York Islanders and Calgary Flames, the Mavericks have been the ECHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken since 2022.

Part of what makes Mavericks hockey so appealing is that it is a smaller community since the ECHL is equivalent to AA baseball. With all home games at Cable Dahmer Arena, tickets are affordable and fans are close to the action.

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