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The Kansas City Scouts were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974 to 1976. In
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, the franchise relocated to Denver, and became the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors F ...
. In
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., U ...
, the Rockies relocated to New Jersey where they have since been known as the New Jersey Devils.


Franchise history

In 1974, the NHL ended its first significant expansion period, that had started in 1967, by adding teams in Kansas City, Missouri, and
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
Kansas City Hockey Associates, led by managing general partner Edwin G. Thompson, originally consisted of 22 investors. It was awarded a franchise on June 8, 1972. Kansas City Hockey Associates was one of four groups that applied for the franchise. Missouri Lt. Governor William Morris (former owner of the Central Hockey League's Kansas City Blues), Stan Glazer and Arthur Rhoades headed up the other three potential ownership groups.
Kemper Arena The Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, is an indoor arena located in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to conversion to a youth sports and community gymnasium facility, Kemper Arena was previously a 19,500-seat professional sports arena ...
was constructed to host the team's home games. Kansas City had been the home of several minor league ice hockey teams through the years. The Scouts shared Kemper Arena with the
Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the olde ...
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
franchise from the National Basketball Association (they are now based in Sacramento, California). The arrival of the Scouts and
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
resulted in the NHL creating four divisions (and renaming the conferences, which each had two divisions), and the Scouts were placed in the
Smythe Division The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Conn Smythe, who was a longtime owner, general manager, and head coach in the leagu ...
of the
Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
. The owners of the new Kansas City franchise originally wanted to call their team the "Kansas City Mohawks", since the Kansas City metropolitan area includes portions of Missouri and Kansas. The name would have combined Missouri's postal abbreviation (MO) and the Kansas nickname of "
Jayhawkers Jayhawkers and red legs are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs ...
". However, the
Chicago Black Hawks (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
objected because of the similarity of "Mohawks" to their own name. The team then held a contest for people to name the new team. The name "Scouts" was chosen, named after '' The Scout'' which is located in
Penn Valley Park Penn Valley Park is an urban park overlooking the Downtown Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 202 ...
and overlooks downtown. The iconic statue was featured on the team's logo. The hockey club's logo was designed by lettering artist Gary Sartain of Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards in 1973 on a free-lance basis. Sartain's daughter, Sheila Snyder, told author Troy Treasure in 2018 her mother indicated Sartain was paid $2,000. On October 9, 1974, the Scouts took the ice for the first time, at
Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
in Toronto, and lost 6–2 to the
Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic ...
. Team captain Simon Nolet scored the first-ever goal in club history. To allow construction to be completed on Kemper Arena, the Scouts played their first eight games on the road, where they lost seven and tied one. The Scouts made their home debut on November 2, losing to the Black Hawks 4–3. Chicago's Ivan Boldirev scored the first NHL goal at Kemper Arena three minutes into the game. Rookie first-round draft selection Wilf Paiement scored the first Scouts goal. The following day the team's first victory came against the Washington Capitals by a score of 5–4 at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Peter McDuffe was the winning goaltender for Kansas City. Like many other expansion teams, the Scouts performed poorly garnering only 41 points with a record of 15–54–11 in their inaugural season, though this would be the better result of their two-season history. The team's second season started out with some promise. Near the midway point of the season, the team was competing for a playoff spot, with a 3–1 win over the
California Golden Seals The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The ...
on December 28 placing them just one point behind the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
and a playoff position in the weak Smythe Division. However, the Scouts went into free fall for their remaining 44 games. After going winless from December 30 to February 4 (0–14–2), they finally won a game, against the Capitals on February 7, before going 0–21–6 for the rest of the season. The Scouts' second-half crash left them with a season result of 12–56–12 and 36 points, still the worst record in the Scouts/ Rockies/
Devils A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film and ...
franchise's history. The last four games the Scouts ever played took place in Japan. Following the conclusion of the 1975–76 regular season, Kansas City and Washington participated in an exhibition series with the first two games played in Sapporo (site of the 1972 Winter Olympics), the third and fourth in Tokyo at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, site of the swimming and diving competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Capitals won the first three contests. On April 18, 1976, the Scouts defeated Washington 4–2. Thus, Kansas City won its final game but it did not count in the NHL standings. In their two seasons, the Scouts went through three coaches–
Bep Guidolin Armand "Bep" Guidolin (December 9, 1925 – November 24, 2008) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He is notable for being the youngest player in National Hockey League history. He was born in Thorold, Ontario. He and Eleanor, his wife of ...
,
Sid Abel Sidney Gerald Abel (February 22, 1918February 8, 2000) was a Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Detroit Red Wings, and was a member of three Stanley Cup-winning te ...
(three-game interim stint), and
Eddie Bush Edward Webster Bush (July 11, 1918 — May 31, 1984) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played 26 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings between 1939 and 1942. The rest of his career, which lasted fr ...
. Guidolin resigned during the 1975–76 season following a dispute with management over player personnel. The team had two captains,
Simon Nolet Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
and
Guy Charron Guy Joseph Jean Charron (born January 24, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the NHL from 1969–1981. He previously served as the head coach of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers. Guy is currently the Commissioner ...
.
Steve Durbano Harry Steven Durbano (December 12, 1951 – November 16, 2002) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player noted for his villainous behaviour on the ice and his larger-than-life persona off it. Career Born in Toronto, Durbano rose through minor ...
led the league in
penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penal ...
minutes during the 1975–76 season. The franchise failed to make the playoffs in either season in Kansas City and won only 27 of 160 games, including a 7–66–7 mark away from home. With the 1972 startup of the rival World Hockey Association (WHA) resulting in a combined 32 teams between the NHL and the WHA, the talent available to stock the new teams in Kansas City and Washington was stretched thin. In their first season, the Capitals set an NHL record for futility, losing 67 of 80 games, and winning only one on the road. The Scouts fared only marginally better (losing 56 games), and the 1974 NHL expansion was widely seen as having been a mistake. Attendance tailed off so much that the NHLPA wondered if the Scouts would make payroll.


Relocation to Denver

The Scouts suffered from inflated player costs, undercapitalized ownership, an economic downturn in the Midwest, poor performances on the ice and weak attendance. The Scouts averaged just 8,218 per game during their two years in the 17,000-seat Kemper Arena (at a time when the league average was approximately 13,000). The team's group of 37 owners, buried in debt, mounted a season-ticket drive to raise more revenue. When only 2,000 more season tickets sold, they concluded that the Scouts were not a viable venture and opted to sell. While the Capitals were far worse on the ice, their owner,
Abe Pollin Abraham J. Pollin (December 3, 1923 – November 24, 2009) was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketba ...
, had the financing and the patience to absorb the typical struggles of a 1970s expansion team. The Scouts were put up for sale with a Denver-based group led by oilman Jack Vickers looking to buy the club. A local group, according to author Troy Treasure, led by Scouts' limited partners Gene Novorr and George Shore was also interested but when the NHL informed the Scouts' owners that they would be on the hook of over a million dollars in expansion and territorial fees (owed the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
) if they didn't sell to Vickers, they reluctantly did so on July 26, 1976. Three weeks later, the 1976 Republican National Convention was held at Kemper Arena. After just two seasons in Kansas City, the club became the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors F ...
. They played six NHL seasons in Denver, then relocated to the East Coast and became the New Jersey Devils in the fall of
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., U ...
. The last active Scouts player in the NHL was
Wilf Paiement Wilfrid Paiement, Jr. (; born October 16, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974 through 1988, for seven different NHL teams. He is the younger brother of former NHL ...
, who retired in 1988. The Scouts and the
California Golden Seals The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The ...
, who moved to become the
Cleveland Barons The name Cleveland Barons has been used by three professional hockey teams and one junior team. *Cleveland Barons (NHL), the National Hockey League team that played between 1976 and 1978 *Cleveland Barons (1937–1973), the original American Hockey ...
the same year, were the first NHL teams to relocate since the 1934–35 season.


Legacy

Following the departure of the Scouts, Kansas City became a minor league hockey town again, most notably with the
Kansas City Blades The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena. Team history Russ and Diane Pa ...
operating from 1990–2001 in the International Hockey League. Within a few years of the Blades' departure, plans started for what is now the
T-Mobile Center T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively becom ...
in downtown Kansas City, which has led city officials to actively pursue a return to the NHL, speaking with the Nashville Predators, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins about possible relocation. To this day, the Devils make almost no mention of their past as the Scouts or Rockies; the Devils' media guide and the history sections of the Devils' website do not acknowledge any captains, coaches or general managers prior to the move to New Jersey. However, inside of the
Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball, m ...
, the Devils home rink, there is a mural on the second floor that shows the former arenas of the Rockies and Scouts, along with Devils' original (1982–2007) New Jersey home, the
Brendan Byrne Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on ...
.


Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties minutes''


Team captains

*
Simon Nolet Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
, 1974–1976 *
Guy Charron Guy Joseph Jean Charron (born January 24, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played in the NHL from 1969–1981. He previously served as the head coach of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers. Guy is currently the Commissioner ...
, 1976


First round draft picks

*
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
:
Wilf Paiement Wilfrid Paiement, Jr. (; born October 16, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974 through 1988, for seven different NHL teams. He is the younger brother of former NHL ...
(2nd overall) *
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
: Barry Dean (2nd overall)


Broadcasters

Dick Carlson was the radio play-by-play announcer in 1974–75 on
WDAF (AM) KCSP (610 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri. The Audacy, Inc.-owned station broadcasts a sports radio format. The studios and offices are located on Squibb Road in Mission, Kansas. KCSP is one of the old ...
with simulcasts on KBMA-TV (now
KSHB-TV KSHB-TV (channel 41) is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Lawrence, Kansas-licensed independent station KMCI-TV (channel 38). Both stations share ...
) beginning in 1975–76. Following the Scouts departure, Carlson called Major League Baseball games for the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. He died in 2004, age 60. In 1974–75,
Gene Osborn Gene Osborn (August 10, 1922 – November 27, 1975) was a radio and television sportscaster in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, known primarily as a play-by-play for several major league baseball teams. He also had a substantial career in radio and tele ...
was the sole television play-by-play announcer, also on KBMA, with analysis provided by Bill Grigsby. KBMA was an independent station distributed in the Midwest via cable television, including the cities of Des Moines, Iowa and Wichita, Kansas.


See also

* 1974 NHL Expansion Draft * List of Kansas City Scouts players * List of Kansas City Scouts draft picks * List of Kansas City Scouts head coaches *
List of defunct NHL teams The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional men's ice hockey league, founded in 1917. The NHL Board of Governors review and approve the relocation of any member club. Each team appoints an individual or individuals to represent their tea ...


References

{{Navboxes, titlestyle= background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#0033A0 5px solid; border-bottom:#C8102E 5px solid;, list1= {{Kansas City Scouts seasons {{New Jersey Devils {{NHLdefunct Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Defunct National Hockey League teams National Hockey League in Missouri Professional ice hockey teams in Missouri Colorado Rockies (NHL) History of the New Jersey Devils Ice hockey clubs established in 1974 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1976 Sports in the Kansas City metropolitan area 1974 establishments in Missouri 1976 disestablishments in Missouri