Best of KC 2024: Hockey’s new home begins to break through the ice

Photo by Eli Ralls

Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2024. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

We might not be STL, but we have some love for hockey. The town’s ECHL team, Kansas City Mavericks, found themselves with yet another unforgettable winning season this past year. Finishing the regular season with a record of 54-12-6, the team was crowned with the Brabham Cup, claiming the best regular season record among all ECHL clubs for the second year in a row.

Heading into the postseason, the team looked untouchable, having set the ECHL all-time record for most regular season road wins. The club looked dominant to begin the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs, having swept the Tulsa Oilers in the first round and dropping just three losses heading into the championship series of the playoffs. The team would go on to face the Florida Everblades in the championship, ultimately falling 4-1 in the series.

Nevertheless, it was a historic season for the club and an exciting year for the fans. Having attended a few regular season and playoff matches, The Pitch got a chance to glimpse at how widespread our hockey fandom truly is. Each game that we attended was nearly packed, with fans roaring throughout.

Although the city has no NHL team to claim, those around the community seem to enjoy the KC Mavericks’ presence in itself. Regardless of whether the team is top-notch pro level or not, Kansas Citians are proud and willing to support any winning team, and the Mavericks have proved worthy of the Heartland’s love.