Missouri Mavericks honor Negro League's Monarchs with special jerseys (Photos)

The ECHL’s Missouri Mavericks won their sixth in a row with a 2-1 win over the Quad City Mallards Saturday, and before and during the game they paid tribute to a big part of Kansas City’s history.

The Mavericks honored the 75th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs’ Negro League title by wearing jerseys in the design of the baseball team that gave us the likes of Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Ernie Banks, among others.

Even the Mavericks’ staff got involved, donning Monarchs gear while behind the bench.

Mavericks netminder Josh Robinson wore this special mask that was auctioned off for $1,000 to benefit the Negro League Baseball Museum. The jerseys were also up for bid.

Willie O’Ree, the man who broke the NHL’s color barrier in 1958, was a special guest of the Mavericks and received a standing ovation during a pre-game ceremony. On Friday, he spoke with the team following their skate.

“They are a fine group of young men, and I really enjoyed visiting with them,” O’Ree said via Bill Althaus of the Examiner. “I just told them to go into each game with a superior attitude and a superior state of mind. If you believe you can do something, you can go out and do it.”

Photos by John Howe/Howe Creative Photography

– – – – – – –

Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: