April 8, 2023
By Fred Liggett
sports.lstribune08@gmail.com
On Saturday, Mar. 25 the Kansas City Mavericks played host to Mountain Division rival Tulsa and before a single goal was scored a memorable moment had already been made. On this particular night this game served as the 700th ECHL hockey game as an assistant or head coach for KC Mavericks head coach Tad O’Had. O’Had spent seven years as an assistant with Florida before serving the past three seasons as a head coach here in Kansas City.
For KC Mavericks head coach Tad O’Had a 700th game means “makes me feel old.” O’Had says hockey “has been a passion since I was a child.” O’Had feels “blessed to coach a child’s game” and adds “an honor to do it with those around me.” O’Had feels “pretty fortunate” being able to coach this long with just two franchises. First was the Florida Everblades where O’Had served seven seasons as an assistant coach with a team that was a regular post-season participant. Now serving in his third season as head coach and second season as general manager of the KC Mavericks. Regarding the Mavericks front office and support staff O’Had states “can’t say enough about them.”
Coach O’Had enjoyed another memorable moment the very same week when the KC Mavericks announced a two year extension of his contract that will now take him through the 2024- 2025 season. O’Had says of the extension “very fortunate and blessed.” O’Had admits for right now “all we care about is making the playoffs, we want to win here.”
Mavericks owner Lamar Hunt, Jr. said, “This is a well-earned extension for Tad as both the general manager and head coach.” Mavericks president Mike Cukyne on O’Had’s extension, “The strides the team has made this season have been remarkable, we are looking forward to continuing and growing the success and we know Tad is the right man for that job.”
The weekend of April 7-9 will find the Mavericks playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma playing a pair of games against division rival Tulsa Oilers. The following week is the final week of the ECHL regular season and finds the Mavericks in action three times. The Mavericks will visit Allen, Texas on Wednesday, Apr.12tbefore hosting the Cincinnati Cyclones on Friday and Saturday Apr. 14-15. No matter how the regular season ends for the team, players, coaches and front office staff all know who will be guiding the Mavericks fortunes for years to come.
