1-35-8

This is the first of what I hope will be many looks at the brief history of the Kansas City Scouts.

On December 28, 1975, the Kansas City Scouts defeated the California Golden Seals by a score of 3-1. This improved the Scouts' record to 11-21-4. Not a record worth writing home about perhaps, but respectable enough for a second year expansion team trying to establish itself.

They would finish the season with a record of 12-56-12.

Let that sink in for a moment: From 11-21-4 to 12-56-12.

I'll do the math for you: After that victory in the bay, they went 1-35-8.

That's one victory. And 35 defeats.

Immediately following that abysmal streak, the Kansas City Scouts became the Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City's ride as an NHL town was over after only two seasons. I don't have attendance numbers handy, but it seems a pretty safe bet that a slide like that led to a dramatic decrease in attendance, which contributed to an untenable financial situation for Scouts ownership, which led to the move to Denver.

As for that one final victory, it came on February 7, 1976 at home against the Scouts' doppelganger, the Washington Capitals (also a second year expansion team) by a score of 5-1. Beating the Capitals in 1975-'76 was nothing to be too proud of; they were even worse than the Scouts that year, finishing 11-59-10 (32 points compared to the Scouts' 36).

See the game-by-game ugliness that was the '75-'76 Scouts here.