MAVS RE-SIGN FOUR PLAYERS, ADD ANOTHER

June 24, 2010

MAVERICKS RETURN FOUR, ADD ONE FOR 2010-11 SEASON
Festa, Hammond, Pallardy, Watson return; Knowles signs with Mavs

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri – Missouri Mavericks’ Head Coach Scott Hillman announced Thursday the Central Hockey League (CHL) club has re-signed forwards Brett Hammond, Derek Pallardy and Simon Watson as well as goaltender Gerry Festa. Rookie forward Derek Knowles has also signed to become the newest member of the Mavericks.

“We made our team much better today by bringing back our core guys,” said Mavericks’ President and General Manager Brent Thiessen. “I think everyone in the organization and our fans will be excited about the news today. We are certainly excited to bring these guys back.”

“The four returning players represent the character of the Mavericks,” said Hillman. “They are four guys that you really have to talk about when trying to build chemistry in the locker room. They are all about the team and the community, and they come to work every day willing to accept any role they are asked to take on.”

Festa, 26 (1/18/84), joined the Mavericks halfway through the team’s inaugural season. The Calgary, Alberta native played in 13 games with Missouri and finished with a 2.88 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. Prior to turning pro, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound goaltender played four seasons for the University of British Columbia where he accumulated nearly 4,000 minutes and finished with a 33-27-6 record and a .910 save percentage. Festa also played four seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for four different teams and totaled over 7,300 minutes, a .900 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average.

“If not for the arrival of Gerry Festa, we could not have made the run we did to make the playoffs,” said Hillman of his second-year netminder. “In his 13 starts he collected wins against three of the top four teams in the league. He is one of the hardest working goalies I have even been around, and his team seems to gain energy from his exciting style of play.”

Hammond, 29 (9/8/80), enters his sixth professional season and second with the Mavericks. The Roseville, Minnesota native finished with 28 points (11-17=28) in 59 games during Missouri’s inaugural season. He was an integral part in the Mavericks’ success in the playoffs and led the team with five goals including two on the power play. In five seasons as a pro, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward has 144 points (63-81=144) in 258 games in the CHL, ECHL and Germany.

“Brett was on one of our top penalty killers, faceoff men and also led the team in goals and power play goals in the playoffs,” said Hillman. “We expect bigger and better things from Brett this season based on his outstanding playoff performance.”

Pallardy, 26 (7/16/83), is playing in his third season for coach Hillman and second in a Mavericks sweater. The Chesterfield, Missouri native played in 61 games for Missouri last season (fourth most) and finished with 18 points on four goals and 14 assists. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward also played defense during the Mavericks inaugural season when the team was hampered by injuries. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Pallardy played for Coach Hillman in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) for the Knoxville Ice Bears for one season.

“Pallardy is one of the most versatile players in the league,” said Hillman of the player he has coached longer than any other player. “He is a very smart hockey player and was called on to play every position but goalie last year, and he finished second on the team in plus/minus. He is spending many hours working with our youth hockey players this off-season and is greatly anticipating his second year in Missouri.”

Watson, 30 (4/3/80), enters his second season with the Mavericks and fifth overall in the CHL. The Waterloo, Ontario native had 20-plus goals in each of his first three seasons as a pro including a career-high 24 in his rookie season. He has been among the top five scorers on every team he has played for in his first four pro seasons. The 6-foot-0, 190-pound forward finished with 38 points (10-28=38) in 63 games with Missouri last season, and after a slow start, Watson had 18 points (4-14=18) in his final 24 games. The Mavericks were 21-6-3 in games that Watson scored at least one point.

“Watson had 17 points with a rating of +4 in the final 22 games of the regular season,” added Hillman. “He showed in the playoffs that he can play a strong defensive game and he is determined to have the best season of his career next year.”

Knowles, 25 (4/6/85), is the only non-returning player in this group of signings. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward will enter his rookie season with the Mavericks in 2010-11. The Vanderhoof, British Columbia native played the previous four seasons with the University of Guelph in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league. He finished with 62 points (30-32=62) and 274 penalty minutes in 98 career games with the Gryphons. Prior to playing collegiately, Knowles played a pair of seasons with the Victoria Salsa of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) where he had 12 goals, seven assists and 217 penalty minutes in 80 games.

“Derek is a big power forward who likes to drive the net and finish his checks,” said Hillman of his newest player. “He can score goals but he can also change the momentum of the game with a big hit. He gives us more of the size and presence that we are after to allow us to play an aggressive game that we showed in the playoffs last year.”

Including the five signings today, Missouri now has 11 players on the roster for the 2010-11 season. Of the 11 players, eight return from last season, and three are new to Independence. Missouri has signed eight forwards in Olivier Filion, Hammond, Knowles, Toby Lafrance, Carlyle Lewis, Pallardy, Bill Vandermeer and Watson. The Mavs have two defensemen under contract with Chris Mifflen and Mike Wakita, and one goaltender signed with Festa returning.

“I could not be more excited to add these five players to our line-up,” finished Hillman. “Four guys who were the glue that held this team together last season as we made our run to the playoffs, and a big, powerful young player who represents the direction we are heading with our new signings in 2010.”

The Missouri Mavericks will begin their second season in the Central Hockey League in October 2010. The Mavericks play their home games at the state-of-the-art Independence Events Center where parking is always free. Season tickets are on sale now and start at just $10 per game. Call (816) 252-7825 for more information.