Catching up with the Mavs

Its been a busy summer for the Missouri Mavericks with July 1 issued Qualifying offers just the midpoint of several off season moves.

Listed below is a chronological list of what’s been going on in Missouri this summer.

Courtney returns: Veteran forward Andrew Courtney has played every minute of his pro career so far with the Mavs and that won’t change at the start of the new season as he was signed in late June to return for a fifth full season.

A 30-year-old, 6’3,” 201 lbs. forward who calls Belleville, ON home, Courtney actually made his pro debut with seven games played at the end of the 2010-11 season immediately after graduating from a five-year stint at the University of Lethbridge (AB).

The following season, Courtney returned to play 63 games and he has never left, last season making the jump from the CHL to the ECHL with his team and teammates.

In all, Courtney has played 248 games in Missouri, including all 72 last season as an Assistant Captain. Courtney picked up 58 points (36g, 22a) during the season and sat a career high 93 minutes in penalties.

“Courtney is a fan-favorite and a leader in the locker room,” said Richard Matvichuk, Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations for the Missouri Mavericks in a team issued press release.  “Having a proven goal-scorer like Courtney on the ice is a bonus when you look at what he means to this community and this team.  We’re excited to have him back in a Mavs sweater this upcoming season.”

Buckeyes captain to join Mavs

Another late June signing saw Tanner Fritz commit to begin his pro career in Missouri.

A 23-year-old, 5’11,” 192 lbs. forward from Grande Prairie, AB, Fritz finished his fourth season at Ohio State this past spring, wearing the captain’s ‘C’ and racking up 27 points (11g, 16a) in 36 games.

Fritz also played four seasons of junior in the AJHL with his hometown Grande Prairie Storm, named an assistant captain in his final season.

“Tanner is a great all-around player who had an impressive college career and is ready to turn the page and begin his professional career,”said Coach Matvichuk in a team issue press release. “He averaged a point per game while at Ohio State University and we are very happy to have him in the lineup.”

Alber and Owens to return to defend

The Mavericks will have a pair of defenseman back in the lineup with the late June signings of Patch Alber and Chris Owens.

Alber, a 26-year-old, 5’10,” 170 lbs. defenseman from Clifton Park, NY will be back for a second season after playing in 56 games and collecting 26 points (1g, 25a), 20 penalty minutes and finishing as a +10  for the Mavericks last season.

Alber played junior with the EJHL junior Bruins and stayed in Boston for four seasons at Boston College before making his pro debut in 2013-14. He actually started in Elmira last season and played 19 games before moving to Missouri.

Owens is a 25-year-old, 5’10,” 185 lbs. defender from St. John’s NF who gave Mavericks fans a preview appearing in the final 12 games of last season.

He played his junior hockey with Miramachi of the MJAHL, then moved on to play five seasons at Acadia University in Nova Scotia –one as an Assistant Captain and graduating this past spring.

In his 12 games with the Mavericks, Owens collected seven points (2g, 5a) and six penalty minutes and he finished the season as a +1.

Mavericks’ Qualifying offers

Like the other ECHL teams, the Mavericks announced qualifying offers on July 1. The team was eligibile to announce eight, but instead issued seven.

Lindsay Sparks: A 24-year-old, 5’9,” 176 lbs. forward from Oakville, ON, Sparks came to the Mavericks from Cincinnati early last season and made a huge impression with 57 points (22g, 35a) in 62 games in Missouri.

Sparks was playing in just his second full season in the ECHL after graduating from Michigan and playing three games at Fort Wayne at the end of the 2012-13 season.

The following season saw him split time between South Carolina and Greenville and he played just one game with the Cyclones last season before joining the Mavs.

Tyler Currier: This 27-year-old, 6’2,” 205 lbs. forward hails from Anchorage, AK and apart from his time in Missouri, he has been able to stay close to home throughout his hockey career.

After playing junior with the NAHL’s Alaska Avalanche, Currier attended University of Alaska Anchorage for four seasons.

He began his pro career with the Maevericks — then a CHL team in 2013-14, but he was back in Alaska, starting last season with the Aces. He returned to Missouri for the final 14 games of the season and picked up six points (5g,1a) and 43 penalty minutes.

David de Kastrozza: Another forward, de Kastrozza is a 28-year-old 6’3,” 220 lbs. native of Toms River, NJ.

The Mavericks are hoping to get de Kastrozza to come aboard after watching him for parts of six seasons on two other ECHL teams.

de Kastrozza played four seasons at the University of Maine, graduating in 2010 and getting a jump start on his pro career with three games at the end of the season in South Carolina. He played the next two seasons with the Stingrays and also got a lengthy AHL stint, loaned to the Hershey Bears in 2010-11.

de Kaztrozza played his last three seasons at Idaho including this past season that saw him score 42 points (19g, 23a) in 62 games along with 24 penalty minutes and he finished as a +12.

de Kastrozza  accepted his Qualifying Offer on July 13.

David Pacan: This 24-year-old, 6’3,” 187 lbs. center from Ottawa, ON is entering his fourth season of pro.

Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Sixth Round (177th Overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry draft, Pacan was playing in the Central Ontario Junior league at the time and went on to a year at University of Vermont, before returning to Ontario to play a couple of seasons with Niagara of the OHL.

Over the past three seasons, Pacan has played in the ECHL, twice at Cincinnati with a season at Kalamazoo sandwiched in betweeen along with AHL call-ups to Utica and Norfolk.

Last season in Cincinnati, Pacan was named Assistant captain, and collected 40 points (11g,29a) in 62 games played.

Brian Nugent: Another player the Mavericks are hoping to pick up who enjoyed a fine season in the Cincinnati organization, Nugent is a 26-year-old, 5’10,” 198 lbs. winger from Victoria B.C.

Nugent played his junior hockey in the BCHL with his hometown Victoria Grizzlies and then moved on to four seasons at Northern Michigan University.

In 2013-14, Nugent split his time in his first ECHL season between Las Vegas and Cincinnati and last season with the Cyclones, he played 55 games, collecting 17 points (5g, 12a) and 70 penalty minutes.

Josh Robinson: The Mavericks are hoping to bring back this 25-year-old, 6’0,” 185 lbs. goaltender from Frankenmuth, MI after a solid performance in 18 games played in Missouri last season.

Robinson played a couple of seasons in the USHL before moving on to four full seasons at Michigan Tech, graduating in the spring 2012.

He played most of the next two seasons with Idaho of the ECHL with a couple of call ups to the the AHL’s Texas Stars. Last season, Robinson started out with Székesfehérvár in the Austrian pro league, but came back to North America late to join the Mavericks, posting a 2.90 GAA and .912 SP in 18 games.

Robinson accepted his Qualifying Offer on July 13

Tyson Gimblett: The Mavericks also used an qualifying offer on this veteran defenseman who played three previous seasons with the Florida Everblades.

A 30-year-old, 6’3,” 212 lbs native of Newtonville, ON, Gimblett wrapped up a six year junior run at both the Tier II and OHL level with teams in Cobourg, Toronto (St. Mike’s), Owen Sound, Georgetown and Saginaw, then attended the University of PEI for five seasons.

Gimblett began his pro career in the 2011-12 season with a brief stop in Augusta with the SPHL, but since then he has been exclusively in the ECHL, playing two seasons in Bakersfield and the past three in Florida, before moving to the Mavericks for the final 13 games last season.

In a combined 41 games with Florida and Missouri last season, Gimblett collected 10 points (2g, 8a) and 122 penalty minutes.

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2015-16 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until Aug. 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by Aug. 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

Sylvestre joins Mavericks

On the same day as the Qualifying Offers, the Mavericks signed Sebastien Sylvestre in a deal with the Bakerfield Condors (Now Norfolk Admirals), sending Alex Lepkowski and Kain Allicock the other way.

Sylvestre is a great young prospect for the Mavericks; a 21-year-old, 5’11,” 159 lbs. center from Boucherville, QC who last season made his pro debut in Bakersfield, scoring 47 points (23g, 24a) in 62 games. Previously Sylvestre had four seasons of junior, played primarily with Chicoutimi and Rimouski in the QMJHL.

The Mavs sent some quality talent the other way as well, including Lepowski a Fifth Round (137th Overall) Selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Last season Lepowski, a 22-year-old 6’3,” 216 lbs. defenseman from Buffalo, NY collected eight points (1g, 7a) in 62 games with the Mavericks.

Allicock is a 25-year-old, 6’4,” 212 lbs. winger from Thornhill, ON who graduated from the University of Waterloo last season before playing 21 games in Missouri, collecting one point (1g, 0a) and 52 penalty minutes.

Carzo and King join Mavericks

Earlier in July, the Mavericks signed a pair of young forwards picked up as future considerations from a trade with the Ontario Reign for Josh Brittain near the trade deadline last season.

Rocco Carzo is a 25-year-old 6’1,” 203 lbs. forward from Media, PA entering his third full season of play in the ECHL. Last season, Carzo collected 42 points (20g, 22a) and 57 penalty minutes at Ontario and also was sent to Norfolk in the AHL on loan for seven games as well.

King is just 24-years-old, but the 6’0,” 170 lbs. forward from Elk River, MN is already an ECHL veteran, having played in the league since 2010-11, when he split time betweeen Idaho and Texas of the AHL.

Since then he has had stops in San Francisco, Greenville, Fort Wayne and Evansville along with a pair of stops in both Idaho and Ontario.

Last season, King collected 33 points (6g, 27a) in 42 games with the Reign and he finished the season as a +11.

Paquette and Lauwers join Mavs

The Mavericks added two more players later in the month with Danick Paquette and Dax Lauwers both signing contracts for the upcoming campaign.

Paquette was selected in the Third Round (63rd Overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. At the time he had two seasons under his belt with Lewiston in the QMJHL and he played one more there, wearing the captain’s ‘C’ before moving on to Quebec City for a final season.

Last season, Paquette a 25-year-old, 6’0,” 207 lbs. winger from Montreal, played in Utah for a second season and he has previously played for ECHL teams in Gwinnett, South Carolina, Chicago and Reading along with some call ups to AHL teams in Chicago and Hershey.

Last season in Utah, Paquette collected 16 points (5g, 11a) and 220 penalty minutes in 41 games with the Grizzlies.

Lauwers, a 23-year-old, 6’2,” 209 lbs. defenseman from Anchorage, AK had a brief taste of pro hockey, playing nine games with Colorado after wrapping up his NCAA career at Northeastern University. He is still looking for his first professional point entering the season.