Kansas City Mavericks

The Kansas City Mavericks are an ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play in Independence, Missouri, USA, located near Kansas City, Missouri, at the Independence Events Center.

History
On April 16, 2009, the Central Hockey League announced an expansion team for Independence, to begin play in the 2009–10 season.

The team teamed up with local newspaper The Examiner to hold a name-the-team contest until May 11. The Mavericks' name, logo, and colors were unveiled on June 24.

On May 29, 2009, it was reported that Scott Hillman would be the Mavericks' first head coach, resigning from his same position with the Southern Professional Hockey League's Knoxville Ice Bears to do so. In his time with the Ice Bears, Hillman led them to two consecutive SPHL President's Cup championships and Coffey Trophies (awarded for the most regular-season points).

On November 13, 2009, the team played their home opener before a crowd of 5,760 people at the Independence Events Center.

On September 17, 2011, the Mavericks announced an affiliation agreement with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League for the 2011-12 season. . This agreement was renewed on September 8, 2012 for the 2012-13 season. It was announced on July 11, 2013 that this agreement was renewed again for the 2013-14 season. On June 26, 2014, this agreement was renewed again for the 2014-15 season.

On May 24, 2012, the Mavericks extended Head Coach Scott Hillman's contract for two additional seasons through the 2013-14 season.

On July 31, 2012, the Mavericks announced an agreement with Entercom to have all 66 games for the 2012-13 season broadcast on the radio on 1660 KUDL.

On May 21, 2014, Head Coach Scott Hillman announced his resignation from the Mavericks because he is "...pursuing other hockey opportunities and wants to move to a community where he and wife Dalyn's sons can compete at the highest level." On May 27, 2014, Hillman was named as the first Head Coach for the expansion Indy Fuel of the ECHL.

On June 12, 2014 Richard Matvichuk, a 14-year veteran Defenseman in the National Hockey League, was announced as the new Head Coach for the Mavericks. Matvichuk had spent the previous two seasons as the Assistant General Manager and Defensive Assistant for the Allen Americans, also of the Central Hockey League, during which time the team won two consecutive Ray Miron President's Cup league championships.

On October 7, 2014, soon before the 2014-15 Central Hockey League season was set to begin, it was announced that the Central Hockey League ceased operations and the Mavericks, along with the Allen Americans, Brampton Beast, Quad City Mallards, Rapid City Rush, Tulsa Oilers, and Wichita Thunder, were all admitted to the ECHL for the 2014–15 ECHL season. For the 2014-15 ECHL season, the Mavericks were designated to play in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference in the ECHL.

In February 2015, Lamar Hunt Jr., son of former Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, purchased the Mavericks outright from majority owner Matt Adams, partners Mark Adams and Mike Carper, and General Manager Brent Thiessen, who had a minority stake in the organization. Hunt Jr. will own the team through his company Loretto Sports Ventures, LLC.

On June 11, 2015, the Missouri Mavericks announced an affiliation agreement with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League, which is also an affiliate of the Islanders.

On June 2, 2016, Head Coach Richard Matvichuk left the Mavericks to become the Head Coach of the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League. On June 30, 2016, former Mavericks player and Mavericks Assistant coach John-Scott Dickson was named the third Head Coach in Missouri Mavericks history.

On March 11, 2017, the Missouri Mavericks announced the team would be renamed as the Kansas City Mavericks beginning with the 2017–18 season. Also prior to the 2017–18 season, their affiliation with the Islanders ended when that organization affiliated with the expansion Worcester Railers.



2014 Vote
Between July 1st and July 11th, 2014, Mavericks fans voted for the Top-10 Mavericks players from the first 5 years of the team's existence. Beginning on July 15th, 2014, The Examiner newspaper revealed the players one-per-day.