Kansas City Not Entirely Off Radar For NHL Expansion

[Young_Guns]

While Hunt did not submit a proposal as part of the NHL's most recent expansion process - he balked at the $500-million expansion fee, calling it "ridiculously big" in a July 2015 interview with The Kansas City Star - it does not mean the market is no longer a possibility for the NHL.

"Kansas City has never been entirely off our radar screen," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Dave Caldwell of ESPN.com. "We have talked to potentially interested stakeholders in the past, and it's certainly a market that in the right circumstances (including a desire by our board to entertain further expansion) our league would fairly evaluate and consider.

"We have never studied whether the market demographics of Kansas City are likely to be suitable for an NHL franchise long-term because there has not yet been a need to do so."

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/...i=AAggXBR&ocid

[Red Slinger]

I always got the sense that KC would be a good hockey market. It's not a particularly transient demographic so the fans are pretty loyal. It fits the need for a Western Conference team and it also fits in well geographically: relatively close to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, St.Louis and Chicago. While KC has NFL and MLB it doesn't have NBA so there is a seasonal gap in 'major' sports. IIRC they also have a relatively new arena. Makes more sense that a lot of places. If they're balking at expansion fees maybe relocation is a better option.

[calgaryred]

Didn't Kansas City have team before that failed? Not sure this is a great market, but I don't think Glendale and Las Vegas are either.

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[Erick Estrada]

If the Hunts were behind it I would feel pretty good about it as that's about as stable an owner as you could hope for. However I'm not sure if it's a market where the NHL would flourish especially if they are a bad team for a long time like Columbus. Population-wise it's not a very big city relative to other US markets at just over 2 million people so they would be probably like most US markets where they will support a winner but not a loser.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by calgaryred

Didn't Kansas City have team before that failed?

Kansas City Scouts lasted for 2 years in the mid 70's. Mind you that was 40 years ago, things have undoubtedly changed.

[Jay Random]

One thing that's changed: we no longer have a flood of horrible expansion teams scraping the bottom of the barrel for players.

In 1966, there were six NHL teams. By 1974, when the Scouts started up, there were 18 teams in the NHL and another 14 in the WHA, and only a handful of European players in either league. There was simply too little talent available for further expansion. The other new team in the NHL that year was the Washington Capitals, who set the all-time record for utter futility.

In 1976, the Scouts moved to Denver, where they failed again. But I don't think anybody nowadays would say that Denver is a bad hockey market because of that. It was just a weak franchise with little talent and lousy management, until Lou Lamoriello turned it around in New Jersey.

[FireGilbert]

It would make sense to have a team in KC since there is an open spot in the Central division.

I would like to see Quebec get a team back but hopefully they are being left open if a team like the Canes needs to be relocated.

[Oil Stain]

I'm not in favour as I want to see more cities in the league that I would actually want to visit to watch a game.

So Seattle and Quebec way over KC for me. San Diego would be nice.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I'm not in favour as I want to see more cities in the league that I would actually want to visit to watch a game.

So Seattle and Quebec way over KC for me. San Diego would be nice.

Good thing that wasn't criteria for Edmonton to join the NHL

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I'm not in favour as I want to see more cities in the league that I would actually want to visit to watch a game.

So Seattle and Quebec way over KC for me. San Diego would be nice.

I would love to go to KC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas...style_barbecue

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Young_Guns

"Kansas City has never been entirely off our radar screen," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Dave Caldwell of ESPN.com. "We have talked to potentially interested stakeholders in the past, and it's certainly a market that in the right circumstances (including a desire by our board to entertain further expansion) our league would fairly evaluate and consider.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/...i=AAggXBR&ocid

And in other news ... NHL says it will take $500million from anyone willing to offer it.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

I would love to go to KC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas...style_barbecue

Could you get that same style BBQ in Nashville?

I like BBQ.