Missouri Mavericks Hockey - Pro Sports Success

Thanks to free tickets from a friend, we made our first journey yesterday evening to the Independence Events Center to watch a Missouri Mavericks hockey game. It was a great time at a fine facility, and the hometown Mavericks beat the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (gotta love a team named after crawdads) 4-3 in an overtime, shoot-out thrillfest.

Simply put, Missouri Mavericks hockey is a good time. The evening featured a boisterous but not obnoxious group of fans cheering on a team that has some really talented players and a few that the really talented players have to cover for, plus a facility that is the perfect size to keep the action close but not feeling either crowded or abandoned. Parking was free.

The play itself was tremendously fun to watch. The hitting is not quite as hard and the action is not quite as fast as the NHL, but it had me on the edge of my seat. The team seemed very well-coached, with some well-run set plays and players attentive to passing and shooting lanes. The officiating was competent - neither intrusive nor oblivious.

The game also featured tons of hokey promotions and advertisements - I think every section was in on at least one opportunity to win something. I wound up with a free sub at Firehouse Subs - a franchise I had never heard of before venturing into the suburban wilds of Eastern Jackson County.

If you're thinking of going to check out a game - do it.