The 1974–75 Kansas City Scouts season was the first

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...

for the franchise. The NHL completed its first 8-year expansion cycle by adding franchises in Washington and Kansas City.Kansas City Scouts
/ref> Kansas City was awarded an NHL franchise on June 8, 1972. The city had a hockey history but had been a home to minor league hockey teams only. Initially, the franchise chose MO-hawks as their nickname to reflect a Missouri-Kansas union, an attempt to appeal to both

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

residents (the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

spills across both states) and incorporating Missouri's postal abbreviation with the Kansas

Jayhawker Jayhawker and red leg 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 were ...

nickname, but the name was vetoed by the

Chicago Black Hawks Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Therefore, the franchise selected its 2nd choice, Scouts. This was named after the famous statue overlooking the city. The arrival of the Scouts and Capitals led the NHL into creating 4 divisions, the Adams, Norris, Patrick and Smythe Divisions. The Scouts would be placed in the Smythe Division while their expansion cousins, the Capitals, would be in the Norris Division. The Scouts played for the first time on October 9 in Toronto. With construction of Kemper Arena (the Scouts home arena) starting late, then delayed by union work stoppages, the Scouts were forced to play their first 8 games on the road losing 7 and tying 1. On November 2, the Scouts made their home debut losing 4–3 to the Black Hawks. The following day they would get their first win beating the Capitals in Washington 5–4. The highlight of the seasons would come on January 23 when the Scouts upset the Bruins 3–2 in Boston. Despite being led in scoring by team captain Simon Nolet, the Scouts finished in last place with a 15–54–11 record. Kansas City's games aired on radio station WDAF-AM with Dick Carlson the play-by-play broadcaster. A limited number of road contests were televised by KBMA Channel 41. Gene Osborn handled play-by-play with Bill Grigsby serving as analyst.

Offseason

NHL draft

Expansion draft

Regular season

Along with the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

, the Scouts joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 1974–75 season. With a combined 30 teams between the NHL and the rival

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...

, the talent pool available to stock the new teams was extremely thin. In their first season, the Capitals would set an NHL record for futility, losing 67 of 80 games, and only winning one on the road. The Scouts fared only marginally better, and the expansion was widely seen as having been a mistake. They played their home games at

Kemper Arena 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. It ...

. The team was not a particular success either at the gate or on the ice. Rising oil prices and a falling

commodity market A commodity market is a market that trades in the primary economic sector rather than manufactured products. The primary sector includes agricultural products, energy products, and metals. Soft commodities may be perishable and harvested, w ...

made for hard going in the Midwest during the 1970s. * October 9, 1974 – The Scouts played their first game in franchise history against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The final score was 6–2 in favor of the Maple Leafs. * November 2, 1974 – The first home game in Kansas City Scouts history was played. The opponent was the Chicago Blackhawks and the Blackhawks won the game by a score of 5–4. * November 3, 1974 – The Scouts won their first game in franchise history by defeating their expansion brethren, the Washington Capitals by a 5–4 score. * November 13, 1974 – The Scouts won their first home game in franchise history. The final score was 5–3 in a triumph over their cross-state rivals, the St. Louis Blues. * December 9, 1974 – Prior to a morning practice, the team was informed that head athletic trainer Gordon Marchant had committed suicide at his farm near Plattsburg, Mo. north of Kansas City. Clinton County (Mo.) Sheriff Ray Boyd stated Marchant died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Marchant's body was discovered by Scouts equipment manager James Kraus. (Icing on the Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City's NHL Scouts, Pgs. 100–102, Troy Treasure, Balboa Press) * January 23, 1975 – The Scouts had their biggest win of the season by defeating the Boston Bruins by a score of 3–2 in Boston. Gary Croteau's second-period goal turned out to be the game-winner. Following the game, a Boston fan attempted to attack Croteau at the Scouts' bench, but Boston police intervened. (Icing On The Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City's NHL Scouts, Pg. 122)

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

, - , 1, , L, , October 9, 1974, , 2–6 , , align="left", @

Toronto 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. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–1–0 , - , 2, , L, , October 12, 1974, , 2–6 , , align="left", @

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–2–0 , - , 3, , L, , October 13, 1974, , 2–3 , , align="left", @

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–3–0 , - , 4, , L, , October 18, 1974, , 2–4 , , align="left", @

Atlanta Flames The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with t ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–4–0 , - , 5, , L, , October 19, 1974, , 0–3 , , align="left", @

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–5–0 , - , 6, , T, , October 23, 1974, , 4–4 , , align="left", @

California Golden Seals The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967–68 NHL season, 1967 to 1975–76 NHL season, 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oa ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–5–1 , - , 7, , L, , October 25, 1974, , 3–5 , , align="left", @

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–6–1 , - , 8, , L, , October 27, 1974, , 2–8 , , align="left", @

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

( 1974–75) , , 0–7–1 , - , - , 9, , L, , November 2, 1974, , 3–4 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 0–8–1 , - , 10, , W, , November 3, 1974, , 5–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 1–8–1 , - , 11, , L, , November 5, 1974, , 3–5 , , align="left",

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

( 1974–75) , , 1–9–1 , - , 12, , L, , November 7, 1974, , 4–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 1–10–1 , - , 13, , L, , November 9, 1974, , 1–6 , , align="left",

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

( 1974–75) , , 1–11–1 , - , 14, , W, , November 13, 1974, , 5–3 , , align="left",

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 (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

( 1974–75) , , 2–11–1 , - , 15, , W, , November 15, 1974, , 4–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 3–11–1 , - , 16, , L, , November 16, 1974, , 1–3 , , align="left", @

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

( 1974–75) , , 3–12–1 , - , 17, , L, , November 20, 1974, , 0–1 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 3–13–1 , - , 18, , L, , November 22, 1974, , 6–7 , , align="left",

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

( 1974–75) , , 3–14–1 , - , 19, , L, , November 23, 1974, , 0–6 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 3–15–1 , - , 20, , W, , November 26, 1974, , 4–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 4–15–1 , - , 21, , L, , November 27, 1974, , 2–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 4–16–1 , - , 22, , L, , November 30, 1974, , 0–1 , , align="left",

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

( 1974–75) , , 4–17–1 , - , - , 23, , L, , December 1, 1974, , 0–10 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 4–18–1 , - , 24, , L, , December 4, 1974, , 3–7 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 4–19–1 , - , 25, , T, , December 6, 1974, , 3–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 4–19–2 , - , 26, , L, , December 7, 1974, , 1–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 4–20–2 , - , 27, , L, , December 10, 1974, , 2–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 4–21–2 , - , 28, , W, , December 12, 1974, , 5–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 5–21–2 , - , 29, , T, , December 14, 1974, , 2–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 5–21–3 , - , 30, , L, , December 18, 1974, , 0–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 5–22–3 , - , 31, , T, , December 19, 1974, , 4–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 5–22–4 , - , 32, , L, , December 21, 1974, , 4–6 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 5–23–4 , - , 33, , L, , December 22, 1974, , 2–5 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 5–24–4 , - , 34, , L, , December 28, 1974, , 2–7 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 5–25–4 , - , 35, , L, , December 29, 1974, , 1–2 , , align="left", @

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

( 1974–75) , , 5–26–4 , - , - , 36, , L, , January 2, 1975, , 1–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 5–27–4 , - , 37, , W, , January 4, 1975, , 2–1 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 6–27–4 , - , 38, , W, , January 6, 1975, , 5–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 7–27–4 , - , 39, , L, , January 8, 1975, , 1–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 7–28–4 , - , 40, , W, , January 11, 1975, , 5–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 8–28–4 , - , 41, , L, , January 14, 1975, , 4–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 8–29–4 , - , 42, , L, , January 16, 1975, , 4–7 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 8–30–4 , - , 43, , W, , January 18, 1975, , 4–1 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 9–30–4 , - , 44, , L, , January 19, 1975, , 0–5 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 9–31–4 , - , 45, , W, , January 23, 1975, , 3–2 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 10–31–4 , - , 46, , L, , January 25, 1975, , 1–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 10–32–4 , - , 47, , T, , January 27, 1975, , 3–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 10–32–5 , - , 48, , T, , January 29, 1975, , 4–4 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 10–32–6 , - , - , 49, , L, , February 1, 1975, , 2–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 10–33–6 , - , 50, , L, , February 2, 1975, , 1–8 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 10–34–6 , - , 51, , T, , February 4, 1975, , 3–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 10–34–7 , - , 52, , W, , February 6, 1975, , 3–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 11–34–7 , - , 53, , L, , February 7, 1975, , 0–5 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 11–35–7 , - , 54, , W, , February 9, 1975, , 2–1 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 12–35–7 , - , 55, , L, , February 11, 1975, , 0–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 12–36–7 , - , 56, , W, , February 13, 1975, , 5–1 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 13–36–7 , - , 57, , L, , February 15, 1975, , 0–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 13–37–7 , - , 58, , L, , February 16, 1975, , 0–3 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 13–38–7 , - , 59, , T, , February 18, 1975, , 2–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 13–38–8 , - , 60, , L, , February 20, 1975, , 3–6 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 13–39–8 , - , 61, , W, , February 23, 1975, , 4–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–39–8 , - , 62, , L, , February 26, 1975, , 2–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–40–8 , - , - , 63, , L, , March 1, 1975, , 0–3 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–41–8 , - , 64, , L, , March 2, 1975, , 0–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–42–8 , - , 65, , L, , March 4, 1975, , 4–7 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–43–8 , - , 66, , T, , March 5, 1975, , 4–4 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–43–9 , - , 67, , L, , March 7, 1975, , 2–5 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–44–9 , - , 68, , L, , March 8, 1975, , 1–5 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–45–9 , - , 69, , T, , March 11, 1975, , 3–3 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–45–10 , - , 70, , L, , March 14, 1975, , 1–6 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–46–10 , - , 71, , L, , March 16, 1975, , 3–6 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–47–10 , - , 72, , L, , March 19, 1975, , 1–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–48–10 , - , 73, , L, , March 22, 1975, , 2–4 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–49–10 , - , 74, , L, , March 25, 1975, , 1–2 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–50–10 , - , 75, , T, , March 26, 1975, , 2–2 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 14–50–11 , - , 76, , L, , March 29, 1975, , 1–4 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–51–11 , - , 77, , L, , March 30, 1975, , 2–8 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 14–52–11 , - , - , 78, , W, , April 1, 1975, , 3–1 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 15–52–11 , - , 79, , L, , April 3, 1975, , 4–6 , , align="left", @

( 1974–75) , , 15–53–11 , - , 80, , L, , April 6, 1975, , 2–3 , , align="left",

( 1974–75) , , 15–54–11 , - , - , ''Legend'':

Player statistics

Forwards

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''

Defensemen

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''

Goaltending

''Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average''

Transactions

Trades

References

Scouts on Hockey Database

1974–1975 Scouts Transactions
(Archived 2009-05-27) {{DEFAULTSORT:1974-75 Kansas City Scouts season Kansas City Scouts seasons

1974 in Missouri 1975 in Missouri