Inside a Kansas City Mavericks game day — from theme nights to action on the ice
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mavericks sell out Cable Dahmer Arena by growing community ties and partnerships.
- Team sits atop ECHL after All‑Star break, fueled by fast offense and strong defense.
- Saturday win 5‑3 featured early tallies, multi‑point Jutting and 31 saves by Terness.
The Kansas City Mavericks’ winning streak came to an end Friday against the Iowa Heartlanders, but their winning ways continued back home Saturday.
In front of a sold-out Cable Dahmer Arena crowd, the Mavericks defeated the Wichita Thunder 5-3. The Mavericks immediately captivated the crowd, taking the lead 37 seconds into the game.
The Mavericks currently sit atop the ECHL standings after the All-Star break thanks to their swift attack and stiff defense.
It’s easy to assume winning puts fans in seats and leads to sellouts. But Mavericks owner Lamar Hunt Jr. insists it took building upon the team’s relationship with the community to bring out the hockey fever that the team is relishing in this season.
“We had a good, good core audience, but we knew we needed to go ahead and expand across the state line and really make an effort to reach people and expose them to this experience,” Hunt said. He emphasized local partnerships with charities, community events and local sponsorships in helping the Mavericks sell out games.
“That’s what we’ve been able to do over the last decade — really in the last five years,” Hunt said.
The popularity of hockey stemming from the sports-romance TV show “Heated Rivalry” also helps.
“This whole boy aquarium thing is going nuts,” Mavericks chief operating officer James Arkell said with a laugh.
Mavericks game day at Cable Dahmer Arena is a chilly, intimate experience with fans packing seats and hallways throughout the 5,800 seat venue.
Tickets, concessions and the team store are moderately priced with full lines. Children make up a solid part of the fan base with some of them playing in a mini-rink with plastic sticks and balls just across from a concession stand near the front gate.
Cowbells ring throughout the game. The in-house DJ plays songs from virtually every era and genre The stands feature a multitude of colors of different hockey jerseys, but Mavericks black and orange dominate, with teal from NHL affiliate Seattle Kraken seeping in.
Saturday’s game was Affiliation Night, celebrating the Kraken and AHL affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds. Theme nights also help draw fans, Hunt said, as does the atmosphere.
But winning always helps.
“If you win and people come to games, that’s what they remember is: One, I had a great time,” Hunt said. “We do that very, very well. And sustaining it, we just keep building because people were aware of us in the community.”
Mavericks hold off late Wichita rally
The Mavericks were on a 14-game winning streak, one win away from a new franchise record, before they lost 3-2 to Iowa on Friday.
“Yesterday, I thought we put about 30 minutes of good hockey together. Tonight, I thought we put together about 40 minutes of good hockey,” Kansas City head coach Tad O’Had said Saturday. “I thought we had a nice start. It was a step in the right direction. ... Proud of the guys, they’re grinding.”
Forward Jack Randl got the scoring started, deking his way past two defenders toward the net. Randl ended his night with an assist.
Wichita’s Michal Stinil tied the score with less than two minutes left in the first period, but Lucas Sowder gave the Mavericks the lead back almost a minute later, knocking in the puck from a scrum in front of the net.
The second period was a repeat performance with leading goalscorer Jackson Jutting scoring in 37 seconds to increase the Mavericks’ lead. Jutting added two assists. Jake McLaughlin stretched that lead to 4-1 three minutes later with a backhand goal.
“I don’t think I’ve been on a team that’s had this much success. ... It’s really fun to show up to the rink every day,” Jutting said after the game. “We have such a deep, deep group of guys. We can roll all four lines, play any defenseman that we have. I think we’re super confident every time we show up to the rink.”
Wichita cut the lead to 4-3 with goals in the middle of the second period and early in the third period from Declan Smith and Ryan Finnegan. Wichita was on the attack for the latter stretch of the third period, including pressuring the Mavericks for two of the last three minutes on a late-period power play.
After the Mavericks’ penalty kill, McLaughlin jumped out of the penalty box and scored his second goal of the match, taking advantage of a Wichita empty net.
Goalie Logan Terness had 31 saves on the night.
O’Had, who coached his 400th game Saturday, said Saturday’s win was more about reversing a loss instead of avenging a streak.
“We want to give our fans something to cheer about,” O’Had said. “We play Wichita a lot over the season. They’re a very good team. They’ve got a lot of firepower. So this was an important one for us.”
The Mavericks are 30-8-1 heading to Wichita to face the Thunder on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Kansas City is back home Wednesday, hosting the Heartlanders with puck drop at 7:05 p.m. for $3 beer night.
