February 22, 2020

By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net

A number of rookies have seen action this season with the Kansas City Mavericks but a recent addition may be the best one yet. Acquired in a trade with the South Carolina Stingrays on February 4, Forward Mitch VanderLaan continues to display the talent that earned him steady playing time since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Vandy, as he is called by his new teammates, played last year for Cornell University. Wherever Mitch plays at this season he is far from his hometown of New Brunswick, Canada. Back home his parents, a brother and a sister root him on to success in this his initial season as a pro hockey player.

While hockey serves as Vandy’s first love he really enjoys Formula One racing. Mitch loves to follow the teams competing in that racing series. Vandy’s favorite hockey memory so far happened when he was just 14 years old. The memory is of an Atlantic championship during his youth hockey days. Mitch first put on a pair of skates at age three thanks to his mom. His mother used to take him to a free skate at an area rink near their home.

Vandy’s favorite website to visit daily is TSN so he can keep up on Canadian Sports. If not in pro hockey today Mitch feels he would be an accountant thanks to accounting being his major while in college. Vandy’s favorite sports movie is “The Rookie.” Following his playing days Mitch wishes to be remembered as a good teammate.

Now that he is in Kansas City Vandy is looking forward to going to a major league baseball game, something he has never done.

Check out Mitch and the rest of the Mavericks when they come home from a five-game road trip on Saturday, Feb., 29 to host the Kalamazoo Wings. The fun begins inside the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena when the puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

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