Charlie Effinger Leaves Mavs for Shot at the Big Time

Missouri Mavericks goalie Charlie Effinger (Eff-bomb) is leaving the team to pursue better opportunities in the hockey world.

From the Examiner:

Effinger has been flooded with offers following his brilliant 2011-12 season with the Mavericks, where they took eventual CHL champion Fort Wayne to the seventh game of the conference championship series. 

“This was never about money,” Effinger said. “Hilly and Brent know that – and I want the fans to know that they bent over backwards and offered me 18 different ways to stay with the team. But they couldn’t offer me what I can get in the ECHL.” 

When a player signs with the ECHL, he is basically a free agent and can be signed by any AHL team. 

Effinger signed a two-way contract last season with the Mavericks and Chicago, of the AHL. However, Chicago is goalie-deep and there is little chance Effinger can get a legitimate shot with the Wolves.

Effinger holds almost every Mavericks goaltending record by default.  He played 64 regular season games totaling 3,790:01 minutes with the Mavs – the most of any Mav goaltender – and went 41-18-3.  He started all eleven playoff games for the Mavs last season, going 7-4.

It is reported the defending CHL champs the Fort Wayne Komets are interested in signing Effinger.  The Komets made the jump to the ECHL after the end of last season.

You can't blame the guy for pursuing his passion, especially someone who has proven their level of talent is much higher than "AA" hockey.  It's too bad he can't take the spot on the AHL roster in Chicago, but it seems like it's just a matter of time he will land somewhere.  Only 26 years old and he gets to play hockey for a living.  Wicked sweet, eh?

Good luck to you, Eff-bomb, and thanks for the good times!  Have fun in the (real) world.

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Mavs One Win Away From Final (and One Loss Away From Ending Their Season)

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If you like Game Sevens to decide who goes to the CHL Finals, well, then you will love what the Mavs are doing right now.  After losing tonight to Fort Wayne in Game Six, the Mavs set up a Game Seven to decide if they move on to the CHL Finals to take on rival the Wichita Thunder.  Or they could just lose and end their season.  That's pretty intense!  But, don't just take my word for it.  If you want to know what it's like to be a part of a Game Seven series deciding game, just ask any Rangers/Senators/Panthers/Devils/Capitals/Bruins fans you know.  They'll tell ya.

Here are a few recaps of Game Six, and an article from the CHL site on the Berry Conference Champion Wichita Thunder.  Game Seven is Thursday night in Fort Wayne at 6:30pm CT.  Listen live for free on the Mavs site, or watch it live on CHL-TV (that costs money though).

Mavs Site: Mavs Fall To Komets In Game 6

KC Star: Mavs drop game on road

CHL Site: Thunder Advance to Presidents' Cup Finals