Great Opening Weekend

November 18, 2009

Oh what a night...oh what a weekend!

Friday was a nail biter that we came from behind to win in a shootout. Saturday the powerplay finally got together and got us a win. Like i said to reporters after the game; it's great to be on the powerplay and put up points but the heroes are the guys that draw the penalties. Often these guys dont get to play on the powerplay but i wanted to recognize the grunt work that they do. Fans watch for these guys..and cheer for them when they cause the other team to take penalties. Its a team game and these " unsung heroes" don't complain when they don't get to play on the powerplay. They just go about the business of getting the team a win.

"Its amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit" - Harry Truman

This Harry Truman quote was written on our board before the weekend by coach Scott Hillman and every Maverick player has bought into this idea. Speaking of President Truman, the team will be wearing a "speciality jersey" this Friday to honor the President. Come down and support our team this Friday against a very tough, revamped Tulsa team.

See you at the rink,

-Jeff

Opening Night Eve

November 12, 2009

Its the Night Before the Home Opener...I m not much of a poet so I ll stop right there. But seriously, everyone is pumped for tomorrow night. The staff and players are very excited that Opening Night is finally here.

But fans, make no mistake, just because we are opening the Events Center that doesnt mean its a guaranteed win . The Thunder will want to spoil our party. Adding to that, they changed their Head Coach today which always motivates players to play harder.

I want everyone out there to know that the Maverick players are aware of these things and we are preparing to win...at any cost. We know how big this game is to our entire organization and we are ready to go. Its going be a great night and we want to win this game for our fans .

Sorry to those of you who got shut out at the box office as it is a complete sell out. Great job to all the Mavericks staff who worked so hard to sell out the building. Ok fans , I gotta try to get some sleep. Its very exciting and we are ready to go!

-Jeff

Thoughts after opening weekend

October 18, 2009

The season is finally started! I felt like we had a good start in Rapid City...not a great one. A great one would have been two wins. But we did see a lot of good things and we learned a lot about what it will take to win every night in the CHL. We stood up for each other and played very physical...both very important things.

Head coach Scott Hillman has made it clear to the team that it is time to start winning. The Mavericks will have an intense week of practice at the Independence Events Center before hitting the road again. We will again bus all night Wednesday night...this time to Fort Collins, Colorado to face the always strong Eagles. From there we go to the Amarillo Gorillas...who are three for three so far. The road trip, our longest of the year, will conclude in Odessa Tuesday night.

By the time the playoffs roll around we will have put over 23000 miles on our bus. But don't worry..its a nice sleeper bus with satellite tv . I believe that starting on the road is a good thing and it will bring our team closer together. By the time we get to open that beautiful new arena on November 13th we will be on top of our game and ready to put on a show for our home fans.

Tune in on CHLTV.com or listen to Bob call our games on 1030am. Please feel free to comment on this blog . Email me with comments or questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Getting Closer...

September 23, 2009

The countdown is on! We can not wait for training camp to open October 4th. I have been receiving daily phone calls and emails from our players asking when they can come in and get going. Everyone involved with the Mavericks is very excited for our Inaugural Season to get underway and the fun to begin.

Last night I went to the Sprint Center to watch the NHL preseason game. Hosting the pregame party at Johnny's and watching that game with 10000 hockey fans fueled the desire to get our season going. The turnout downtown proved to me that there are many of hockey lovers here in the area and we look forward to putting on a great show for them all season.

On a somewhat related note, my Mavericks Office Staff Fantasy Football team stinks.. Starting 0-2. I guess I only have myself to blame as I am in charge. I feel a big turn around coming this weekend!

My family and I are loving this area. Great people and lots to do. Thank you to everyone here that have made us feel welcomed. Please send your comments and/or questions about anything Mavericks to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

See you at the rink.

- Jeff

Santa-Cali-Gon and More...

September 4, 2009

Big, big weekend coming up. Santa-Cali-Gon is here, and we're there! Please come say hi to the Mavericks staff at the Examiner Booth. This will be my first time at the festival and I'm excited to experience it. The Mavericks, as a team, have been very busy lately. We are in the home stretch and hockey season is just around the corner. We recently announced Chad Hinz. I played against Chad last year and I guarantee that Chad will make some plays this season that will "WOW" Maverick fans. I'm very excited to be on the receiving end of some of those great passes. We are going to have an explosive offense this season.

The season ticket  holder seat selection event at the Sheraton last weekend was a huge success. I enjoyed meeting our fans and talking hockey all weekend. The energy at the event was great and everyone is pumped for the start of the season. Personally, I've started skating out in Overland Park. It is never fun to get back in shape after a long summer. But ,like my dad told me years ago, "you can pay me now, or you can pay me later!" So I'm starting to pay now...good thing I've got a month before training camp starts. My hands (meaning stickhandling) felt fine but it is the legs (skating) that I need to get after.

Signing off for now. I look forward to seeing everyone downtown Independence this weekend.

- Jeff