tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57137187546608250232024-02-06T21:28:30.987-06:00The NHL In Kansas CityOne eye on the potential return of the NHL and one eye on the brief history of the ScoutsAaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-85520656744018015372012-11-13T20:45:00.003-06:002012-11-13T20:45:40.013-06:001974-75 Sports Illustrated Scouts Preview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's what <i>Sports Illustrated</i> writer Mark Mulvoy had to say about the Scouts in his 1974-75 NHL preview. (He picked the Scouts to finish better than the California Golden Seals and Washington Capitals. The Scouts ended up only besting the Capitals.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8uoCjDZausCJinvKYY_Cb6W6pPZ-7JhN1_hyGUaPF8k1zZPfSlJpVHY9qiGTHsUB4jt6mr3aWDLJkKH_byvdB8BaXqiNq778OnuRjzXp8wqVXR6MyO0a_WoYqQMphG3PtkzSPeT40mI/s1600/10-21-74+SI+scouts+preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8uoCjDZausCJinvKYY_Cb6W6pPZ-7JhN1_hyGUaPF8k1zZPfSlJpVHY9qiGTHsUB4jt6mr3aWDLJkKH_byvdB8BaXqiNq778OnuRjzXp8wqVXR6MyO0a_WoYqQMphG3PtkzSPeT40mI/s640/10-21-74+SI+scouts+preview.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-48848632562079575372012-09-27T14:24:00.001-05:002012-09-27T14:24:30.653-05:00KC's Pre-season Game Cancelled On Account Of Owners Being Tremendous Assholes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The NHL will announce the cancellation of the remainder of the pre-season later today. No hockey thru October 8th.<br />
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) <a data-datetime="2012-09-27T17:54:51+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/JSportsnet/status/251379390687105024">September 27, 2012</a></blockquote>
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The NHL In Kansas City has obtained a copy of the announcement from the NHL:<br />
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"The NHL regretfully must cancel the remaining pre-season schedule due to the ongoing issue of our league managers and owners being tremendous assholes. We continue to be open to talks with the Players Association in hopes that they will cave to our incredible assholeness, but we remain committed to our insanely greedy demands that the players agree to roll back the money we already agreed to in existing contracts and tie their salaries to a lower fixed rate of our healthy revenue. We realize those demands are out of touch with reality and the fair market system most businesses are expected to work within, but, again, we are raging assholes.<br />
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To our fans in Kansas City, we appreciate your role as a leverage chip that helped the Penguins get a new arena as well as your surprising sell-out of last year's pre-season game, and we were looking forward to throwing you another bone with the Avalanche vs. Rangers match-up originally scheduled for October 6. Unfortunately, we are hot, steaming assholes."<br />
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Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-217465547021391122012-05-14T12:20:00.002-05:002012-05-14T12:25:12.707-05:00Seven Second Video Of The Scouts Not Playing Hockey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIipQQqDDqAXs591VYvUWR25KCCHJ5hoDxwP94soMRrDVdZbvHI-lU5Nx6W9eRm99HGJaxAS3ztloZvGtt6bDqR1Wi4PuorGiakLSV09KO8GbipYGQnLINWNFlJDrZiYu_5dc2JTwwhlw/s1600/hudson+vid+still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIipQQqDDqAXs591VYvUWR25KCCHJ5hoDxwP94soMRrDVdZbvHI-lU5Nx6W9eRm99HGJaxAS3ztloZvGtt6bDqR1Wi4PuorGiakLSV09KO8GbipYGQnLINWNFlJDrZiYu_5dc2JTwwhlw/s1600/hudson+vid+still.jpg" /></a></div>
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Footage of the Scouts is hard to come by. The only video I'd ever seen is from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvJ1CUNbLA" target="_blank">a video on YouTube showing some clips of the North Stars manhandling the Scouts (around 4:00-7:00)</a>. We can now add to that seven more seconds from <a href="http://youtu.be/fyFAvQx1TqU?t=54s" target="_blank">this video (0:54-1:01)</a>. Wilf Paiement is shown fighting Grant Mulvey of the Black Hawks in Kemper Arena, and then we see Dave Hudson leaning on his stick, assumedly waiting to start playing again while the aftermath of the fight is cleared up. I'm pretty sure the footage comes from January 18, 1975, during a rare Scouts victory.</div>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-7155431739486013632012-05-04T11:31:00.001-05:002012-05-04T11:31:23.376-05:00Avalanche vs. Rangers at Sprint Center October 6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso3Wdia8f5XO1cuPCcVL34Uv0uETLpPL5oeHtqOtfnMVaWOD9PcqMyCSKU7Mae_nBjiF7PyYEYDNDfnvntaw6ACgR0zEC30rZ03j30SNcDXr3jz3_BGVdt9_nkchiPNr6WZUIeW5Ns2Q/s1600/col+v+nyr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso3Wdia8f5XO1cuPCcVL34Uv0uETLpPL5oeHtqOtfnMVaWOD9PcqMyCSKU7Mae_nBjiF7PyYEYDNDfnvntaw6ACgR0zEC30rZ03j30SNcDXr3jz3_BGVdt9_nkchiPNr6WZUIeW5Ns2Q/s1600/col+v+nyr.jpg" /></a></div>
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Good news today with <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/03/3592519/nhl-exhibition-game-at-sprint.html" target="_blank">the announcement that another NHL pre-season game will be played at the Sprint Center</a> on Saturday, October 6, 2012 between the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers. It will be the fourth such game at Sprint, and the first to not include the Los Angeles Kings (who are owned by AEG, the same company that owns the Sprint Center). The game falling on a Saturday is ideal, and nabbing a marquee team in the Rangers is extra nice. The later date is also a bonus--October 6 should be deep into the preseason, so the rosters could be trimmed down close to what they will look like when the regular season begins. You never know who might actually make the trip with the Rangers, but between Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan and Henrik Lundqvist, there is the potential for some star power. The Rangers coming is especially exciting for me since they have been "my" team ever since the early '90s when I learned the game watching the great Messier-Leetch-Richter teams.</div>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-24358822179769683342012-02-04T20:08:00.003-06:002012-02-04T20:08:28.297-06:00Kansas City Name & Jersey Concepts at Puck Drawn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the absence of any real news regarding the NHL in KC, here are five concepts for what an NHL team here might look like as part of a <a href="http://www.puckdrawn.com/" target="_blank">Puck Drawn</a> contest:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73479252@N04/6776965117/in/set-72157629070083583" target="_blank">Comanches</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73479252@N04/6807238863/in/set-72157629070083583" target="_blank">Generals</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73479252@N04/6813527739/in/set-72157629070083583" target="_blank">Scouts</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73479252@N04/6814623845/in/set-72157629070083583" target="_blank">Copperheads</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73479252@N04/6808589439/in/set-72157629070083583" target="_blank">Thunder Wasps</a></li>
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You can vote for your favorite at <a href="http://www.puckdrawn.com/puckdrawn/2012/02/vote-now-nhl-expansion-design-competition.html" target="_blank">Puck Drawn</a>.</div>
</div>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-28420787171774138602011-09-28T23:58:00.001-05:002011-09-29T10:25:23.008-05:00Penguins vs. Kings Links III<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• PucKChaser: <a href="http://puckchaser.com/index.php/2011/09/28/patient-kc-hockey-fans-sell-out-sprint-center-preseason-game/">"Patient" KC hockey fans sell out Sprint Center preseason game</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• Just discovered another hockey in KC blog, <a href="http://lostcityofbettman.blogspot.com/">The Lost City of Bettman</a>. Here are their thoughts on the game: <a href="http://lostcityofbettman.blogspot.com/2011/09/kings-vs-penguins-in-perspective-plus.html">Kings vs. Penguins in Perspective, Plus Pictures!!!</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• <i>Pitch</i>: <a href="http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2011/09/28/after-awesome-nhl-exhibition-game-fans-shouldnt-hold-their-breath-for-a-team-to-move-into-the-sprint-center">After awesome NHL exhibition game, fans shouldn't hold their breath for a team to move into Sprint Center</a> </span></div>
Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-43437470698056061942011-09-28T15:43:00.001-05:002011-09-28T15:43:45.150-05:00Penguins vs. Kings Links II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• Dennis Dodd: <a href="http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/32338775" style="color: #cc6600; text-decoration: underline;">We've been duped here in Kansas City</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• Greg Wyshynski captures my feelings about KC/AEG talking about only getting a team on their terms: "<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Ovechkin-on-women-Briere-vs-Av?urn=nhl-wp13615">So, like, never then.</a>"<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• Houses of the Hockey: <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2011/09/28/would-nhl-hockey-in-kansas-city-work/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HousesOfTheHockey+%28Houses+of+the+Hockey%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">Would NHL Hockey In Kansas City Work?</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">• Pro Hockey Talk: <a href="http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/27/relocation-audition-time-kings-penguins-game-in-kansas-city-sold-out/">Relocation audition time? Kings-Penguins game in Kansas City sold out</a></span></div>
Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-67301290804876020902011-09-28T12:23:00.000-05:002011-09-28T15:43:19.243-05:00Penguins vs. Kings Links<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">• LA Kings Insider: <a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/09/28/the-view-from-kansas-city/">The View From Kansas City</a>, <a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/09/28/postgame-notes-boxscore-sept-27/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">Postgame notes, boxscore</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">• Sam Mellinger: <a href="http://mellinger.kansascity.com/entries/aeg-would-take-back-what-it-said-about-landing-nhl-or-nba-kc-wont-say-it/">AEG would like to take back what it said about landing the NHL or NBA in KC, but won't say it</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">• Mayor's Manor: <a href="http://www.mayorsmanor.com/2011/09/is-kansas-city-more-of-hockey-town-than.html#more">Is Kansas City more of a hockey town than Los Angeles?</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">• KCTV5: <a href="http://www.kctv5.com/story/15563929/fans-flock-to-nhl-game-at-sprint-center">Fans flock to NHL game at Sprint Center</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">• KMBC: <a href="http://www.kmbc.com/video/29322905/detail.html">Fans Pack Sprint Center For NHL Exhibition</a></span></div>
Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-63228529515623866702011-09-27T23:56:00.000-05:002011-09-27T23:56:03.981-05:00Penguins vs. Kings Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbt9czGluY1w2lFMvPlIQyBCUEXU-JP54_pfvfSu4ZioNINWW8ZmTV_jLQWjjSzyhQGU8ieAQVnVd2_l_6UMvKVnrlVElIyepMCK3MYrQBnRDlrmCkth0m4GhYK4wYS8AQo80-eOXako/s1600/sprint+ctr+9-27-11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbt9czGluY1w2lFMvPlIQyBCUEXU-JP54_pfvfSu4ZioNINWW8ZmTV_jLQWjjSzyhQGU8ieAQVnVd2_l_6UMvKVnrlVElIyepMCK3MYrQBnRDlrmCkth0m4GhYK4wYS8AQo80-eOXako/s400/sprint+ctr+9-27-11.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Just a great night at the Sprint Center thanks to a good game and a large, electric crowd. It turns out the Penguins are huge in Kansas City</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">—</span><span class="Apple-style-span">who knew? Must be the residual effects of Lemieux and Crosby? I had no rooting interest either way, and just wanted a good game. I got one.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">The Penguins were flat footed for the entire first period. The Kings carried the play but only came away with a 1-0 lead. The Penguins showed up in a big way halfway through the game, and dominated the rest of the night. Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier did well to hold them to two goals, and the Kings managed to bang in a late one to send the game into OT. The 4-on-4 had fantastic flow and back and forth chances, but neither team could put the other away, leading to an eight round shootout. I am generally not a big fan of the shootout (deciding a hard-fought team game based on a few plays by individuals doesn't make a lot of sense), but in the preseason, it was right at home and a blast to see live.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">This game felt totally different than the previous two games at the Sprint Center, and it had everything to with the crowd. Tonight, Kansas City was an NHL town.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsmmvs_lXfRm9Nuvh5vYRDdgYe0gRFRxA0VqGgzDUuszDf0A0Hb2I5b8VzFxOvfayW_3T04rWJiqA0t-6b9SdfYg1gEMQttPzXDQNC2LtgWQdzbck3iPYKkasH-NINGk9QrDqXrdQHGg/s1600/malkin+tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsmmvs_lXfRm9Nuvh5vYRDdgYe0gRFRxA0VqGgzDUuszDf0A0Hb2I5b8VzFxOvfayW_3T04rWJiqA0t-6b9SdfYg1gEMQttPzXDQNC2LtgWQdzbck3iPYKkasH-NINGk9QrDqXrdQHGg/s400/malkin+tweet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evgeni Malkin on Twitter</td></tr>
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Links:<br />
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<i>Star: </i><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/27/3171831/hockey-fans-pack-sprint-center.html">Hockey Fans Pack Sprint Center, but there's no urgency to land a local team</a><br />
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<a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=589960&navid=DL|PIT|home&navid=DL|PIT|home">Penguins official in-game blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/club/gallery.htm?id=24007&navid=DL|PIT|home">Photos</a><br />
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<a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/09/27/exhibition-game-kings-0-penguins-0-1st-period/">LA Kings Insider game blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://theroyalhalf.com/2011-articles/september/trh-gameday-misery-in-missouri.html">The Royal Half game preview</a></div>
Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-32696631478453844742011-09-27T14:09:00.000-05:002011-09-27T14:09:25.994-05:00Penguins vs. Kings Notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A couple of blogs to keep an eye on regarding tonight's game: <a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/">LA Kings Insider</a> and <a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=590063&cmpid=pit-twt-pghpenguins">Penguins Report</a>.<br />
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Goalies Jonathan Bernier and Marc-Andre Fleury are slated to play the full game.</div>
Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-17859496554714401012011-09-27T08:29:00.000-05:002011-09-27T08:30:47.080-05:00Pens Lineup, Now With 100% More Malkin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/09/26/chemistry-needed-and-pens-lineup/#more-16065">LA Kings Insider</a> has the probable Penguins lineup, featuring some big names:<br />
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F:<br />
10-Mark Letestu; 11-Jordan Staal; 12-Richard Park; 14-Chris Kunitz; 18-James Neal; 25-Eric Tangradi; 27-Craig Adams; 28-Nick Johnson; 33-Steve MacIntyre; 46-Joe Vitale; 48-Tyler Kennedy; 71-Evgeni Malkin</div>
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D:<br />
2-Matt Niskanen; 5-Deryk Engelland; 6-Ben Lovejoy; 7-Paul Martin; 37-Brian Strait; 70-Joseph Morrow; 78-Scott Harrington</div>
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G:<br />
29-Marc-Andre Fleury; 39-Brad Thiessen</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/26/3169339/fans-will-flock-to-sprint-center.html">Randy Covitz at the <i>Star</i> takes a look at the game</a> and the sellout. Paul McGannon gives credit to the Mavericks and Wichita Thunder, "as well as clubs in Lincoln and Omaha...and Des Moines...in helping sell out the arena."</span></div>
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Sounds like the pregame ceremony may just be a formal announcement of the 2012 NCAA Ice Breaker tournament taking place in KC.</div>
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Exciting news from <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/malkin71_/status/118542863205277697">Evgeni Malkin's Twitter feed</a> last night, translated from Russian: "I read the opposite word toilet, now I am afraid to sit on it!!!"</div>
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Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-7019994415995263312011-09-26T19:09:00.000-05:002011-09-26T19:10:03.034-05:00Penguins vs. Kings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Sorry for neglecting this space. My blogging focus has shifted to my other sports love, baseball in Kansas City (<a href="http://www.i70baseball.com/author/astilley/">here</a> and <a href="http://kcbbh.blogspot.com/">here</a>).</i><br />
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After a two-year hiatus, the NHL is returning to Kansas City for another preseason game tomorrow, September 27, the third such game at the Sprint Center.<br />
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Shockingly, it was announced today that <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/26/3168643/sprint-center-sells-out-nhl-exhibition.html">the game has sold out</a>. The previous two crowds were both disappointments: 11,603 and 9,972 were the announced crowds in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Somehow they have already sold 17,500 tickets for tomorrow's game. I don't know how to explain it, other than the Penguins being a marquee team and perhaps better marketing and promotion by AEG. The Blackhawks and Blues played here in 2003 at Kemper Arena and drew over 17,000, so perhaps the market is elastic depending on the name recognition of the teams involved. Another potential factor for increased interest and ticket sales could be the return of professional hockey to the area with the CHL Missouri Mavericks in 2009. The Mavericks have drawn quite well, no doubt converting quite a few new hockey fans.<br />
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I have argued in the past that the attendance at these games is not a great measuring stick for KC's viability as an NHL town, so I won't try to spin the sellout any other way. But it is certainly interesting, and something KC hockey fans can at least be excited about.<br />
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The press release announcing the sell-out also mentions that there will be a pre-game ceremony at 6:40. This is only a guess, but it could be to honor <a href="http://kcnhl.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-kevin-gray-president-of.html">Kevin Gray</a>, long-time president of the KC Sports Commission who passed away recently.<br />
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The <a href="http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/09/26/expected-lineup-for-k-c/">LA Kings Insider</a> blog has the probable Kings lineup for the game:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">F:</span></span><br />
Dustin Penner - Mike Richards - Hunter<br />
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Dwight King - Jarret Stoll - Dustin Brown<br />
Jordan Nolan - Andrei Loktionov - Justin Williams<br />
Kyle Clifford - Trevor Lewis - Ethan Moreau</div>
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D:</div>
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Rob Scuderi - Jack Johnson<br />
Alec Martinez - Matt Greene<br />
Davis Drewiske - Slava Voynov</div>
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G:</div>
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Jonathan Bernier - Jonathan Quick</div>
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Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-11795952787437507452011-01-31T20:08:00.000-06:002011-01-31T20:08:07.987-06:00Scouts In Color<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Color photos of the Scouts are a rare treat. Just came across these on eBay. Enjoy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoHrycHgWcC0Kt6_VWBYf-tLX4pJi45tmVdyWyuTa5iU1G9grCfAIkjsFUPvk9ql8pzxIPELvI7COMyia4nSJDRQa9QtRG9kL8hCwClc_3J8UcMexgYPh8nbpuwPxHB_ge9CEPBF9Alo/s1600/croteau+ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoHrycHgWcC0Kt6_VWBYf-tLX4pJi45tmVdyWyuTa5iU1G9grCfAIkjsFUPvk9ql8pzxIPELvI7COMyia4nSJDRQa9QtRG9kL8hCwClc_3J8UcMexgYPh8nbpuwPxHB_ge9CEPBF9Alo/s320/croteau+ebay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Croteau</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKcOeH5poxq70PB1vt6-QCvMlYgRpms_l5FN_3K7XlTbTt8CYmGcqy3jgqXp5yCL-i4ioiDGc9f0zbiAl-rmK88FGO50t3tn68xPVjpR2nYaXORxndmGSqc1YWeSue5SVxESD9Eij03c/s1600/paiement+ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKcOeH5poxq70PB1vt6-QCvMlYgRpms_l5FN_3K7XlTbTt8CYmGcqy3jgqXp5yCL-i4ioiDGc9f0zbiAl-rmK88FGO50t3tn68xPVjpR2nYaXORxndmGSqc1YWeSue5SVxESD9Eij03c/s320/paiement+ebay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilf Paiement</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw7uXVMlpVt7y6ov8o3qodoAe2VJqsauzpuocxyEAOcJy6db33L7ztt7EVriMsFON7brIGZvFwslqxo10wq80ZoSLOXKXJzJIsQgE2aWGcCATHXUTLs8Gkh235z7acPcKnXr2jtbaBIA/s1600/plasse+ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw7uXVMlpVt7y6ov8o3qodoAe2VJqsauzpuocxyEAOcJy6db33L7ztt7EVriMsFON7brIGZvFwslqxo10wq80ZoSLOXKXJzJIsQgE2aWGcCATHXUTLs8Gkh235z7acPcKnXr2jtbaBIA/s320/plasse+ebay.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michel Plasse</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ8T8TCkUQaWsLyGCWEFK14RCKy7jAcWENFCOW0tgGOM8UzT63s6kx0tTBMhfcBgzhNe1lET4Fmg1cj56nLcQJIAPHTWSxes1HboRwE_d9wAzzGgPngApSRoQDwrgMeqJUrrygi5cd-4/s1600/rota+ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ8T8TCkUQaWsLyGCWEFK14RCKy7jAcWENFCOW0tgGOM8UzT63s6kx0tTBMhfcBgzhNe1lET4Fmg1cj56nLcQJIAPHTWSxes1HboRwE_d9wAzzGgPngApSRoQDwrgMeqJUrrygi5cd-4/s320/rota+ebay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randy Rota</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-5822853486521313772010-09-06T13:23:00.000-05:002010-09-06T13:23:36.733-05:00"City of Various Pro Levels"Teebz at <a href="http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2010/09/city-of-various-pro-levels.html">Hockey Blog In Canada has a post up</a> about pro hockey's history in KC from the Scouts to the Outlaws.Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-72371038602376280702010-07-16T18:19:00.001-05:002010-07-16T18:19:48.104-05:00Islanders Shmilanders<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Charles Wang's Lighthouse Project appears dead, which has lead to more baseless but predictable mentions of KC as a potential landing spot for the Islanders. To me there is zero link between the Islanders and KC at the moment, but it's made enough noise on the intertubes I figured I'd toss up some links.<br />
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It's true Wang was mentioning KC as a bargaining ploy a year ago, but to his credit, he hasn't brought up KC once since the preseason game last September that I'm aware of. (Perhaps he wasn't pleased that we didn't play along with a big turnout for the game.) Wang bought the Islanders because he loves Long Island, not because he loved hockey. By his own admission, he didn't know much about hockey when he bought the team. I can see him selling the team, but I can't see him moving the team out of the NYC area. Oh, and the Isles' lease at their current arena doesn't expire until 2015.<br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Linkage:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
<a href="http://www.kctv5.com/sports/24244913/detail.html">Report: NY Islanders Keeping KC As A Backup Plan</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (the interview with Chris Botta on that page is worth a listen)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 44px;"><a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/7/13/1567993/new-york-islanders-arena-move-kansas-city-sprint-center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kansas City Reportedly Remains An Option For The NHL's NY Islanders</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/is-kansas-city-a-plan-b-if-ny-islanders-lighthouse-project-falls-through.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is Kansas City a Plan B if NY Islanders' Lighthouse Project falls through?</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
<a href="http://puckchaser.com/index.php/2010/07/14/kc-still-in-mix-for-islanders-doubtful/">KC Still In Mix For Islanders? Doubtful</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.royalsreview.com/2010/7/16/1572666/why-not-kc-for-the-nhl">Why Not KC For The NHL?</a></span></span></span>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-25432808159853488352010-07-10T22:57:00.000-05:002012-02-04T20:11:45.132-06:00Kansas City Concepts at Hockey Jersey Concepts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Blogger Ryan over at <a href="http://hockeyjerseyconcepts.blogspot.com/">Hockey Jersey Concepts</a> has posted concepts both for an update of Scouts uniforms and for a hypothetical team, the Kansas City Express.<br />
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<a href="http://hockeyjerseyconcepts.blogspot.com/2010/02/kansas-city-scouts.html">Scouts</a> (click for more images):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEMrBe7C0RESoprBC2YwM0Qq-OeyfitOaqEylozR4SP3WdncQEAeei8q9gF9z6dE90AGVpthwVfQcSL2quuDJOmf90PniMcChw3Ok2Dik2bNCPAwHgcwkWLr90ngCnUwfN4nvHcHsw0E/s1600/KansasCity-Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEMrBe7C0RESoprBC2YwM0Qq-OeyfitOaqEylozR4SP3WdncQEAeei8q9gF9z6dE90AGVpthwVfQcSL2quuDJOmf90PniMcChw3Ok2Dik2bNCPAwHgcwkWLr90ngCnUwfN4nvHcHsw0E/s320/KansasCity-Home.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://hockeyjerseyconcepts.blogspot.com/search/label/Kansas%20City%20Express">Express</a> (click for more images):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4-IN7Bg7xD9epN7oXdQe_wD14tTwOX6U5KmmCEOUFHqNjdK_21ACaTxgM44ePG2u5Q529swyhVMFPqTz4Sb_ueflf5aqoH89n-E4amzVVyKdKSexzdqAl9a7DxQHum7Wyzq5RuqeTbo/s1600/KC+Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4-IN7Bg7xD9epN7oXdQe_wD14tTwOX6U5KmmCEOUFHqNjdK_21ACaTxgM44ePG2u5Q529swyhVMFPqTz4Sb_ueflf5aqoH89n-E4amzVVyKdKSexzdqAl9a7DxQHum7Wyzq5RuqeTbo/s320/KC+Home.png" /></a></div>
</div>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-12984059038091759362010-04-27T20:58:00.003-05:002010-04-27T21:10:28.967-05:00Artwork by Mark Penxa featuring Denis Herron<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4v0TulLkDy_6bjr-0wIYQiBT3KBG3XC-CSKT6oFuiTVKXNiD1GaZA2Xs8QbNCh7OjeaJA2zm6StDKK9fGMH_zY_KMF4eDMa_iy_xBPFCdWZuAGdVQsrqjtn-jId7l30BXuSEYQiqABY/s1600/herron+art.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4v0TulLkDy_6bjr-0wIYQiBT3KBG3XC-CSKT6oFuiTVKXNiD1GaZA2Xs8QbNCh7OjeaJA2zm6StDKK9fGMH_zY_KMF4eDMa_iy_xBPFCdWZuAGdVQsrqjtn-jId7l30BXuSEYQiqABY/s400/herron+art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465003173201273394" border="0" /></a>Had to share this great piece of art by Mark Penxa featuring Denis Herron in Scouts garb. There's lots more of Penxa's work to see <a href="http://markpenxa.com/">here at his site</a>.Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-57974811341956860032010-04-18T14:25:00.003-05:002010-04-18T14:33:10.823-05:00Sam Mellinger of the Star Paints a Bleak PictureSam Mellinger of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Star</span> has <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/17/1883818/oklahoma-city-steals-kcs-thunder.html">a depressingly realistic look at the chances for KC gaining an NBA or NHL team anytime soon</a>. A couple of lines that stood out to me:<br /><br />"...Anschutz Entertainment Group is set to lose exclusive negotiating rights on landing a team."<br /><br />AEG apparently had a three year window with exclusive negotiating rights. But what does that mean - Who else would be negotiating?<br /><br />And regarding the Penguins:<br /><br />"Revisionist history says Kansas City was just used as leverage, but decision-makers with the Penguins had begun planning on what the franchise would look like in Kansas City."<br /><br />Doesn't matter either way, but interesting.Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-56765982772189211742010-04-13T11:09:00.003-05:002010-04-13T11:39:01.459-05:00Eddie Bush of Your 1938-39 Kansas City Greyhounds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbWHrZXkPvSv4TpyGmedLV51QaIPqmBG-wTPzyeCyU0Pb8YpbRR_7zeJdgqn5snsR_v2DrHREXOwp04hFH8yRoWNnu1_rfeWo9NdTUkBh0frZapPz_dMewqfTJWKrSa2q-knSSpHJcHc/s1600/eddie+bush.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbWHrZXkPvSv4TpyGmedLV51QaIPqmBG-wTPzyeCyU0Pb8YpbRR_7zeJdgqn5snsR_v2DrHREXOwp04hFH8yRoWNnu1_rfeWo9NdTUkBh0frZapPz_dMewqfTJWKrSa2q-knSSpHJcHc/s400/eddie+bush.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459655193578928386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >All my best stuff is stolen from <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy">Puck Daddy</a> or <a href="http://uniwatchblog.com/">Uni Watch</a>...<br /><br />This gem comes from a link on Uni Watch. Jake Doyle has posted photos from a <a href="http://s769.photobucket.com/albums/xx338/handsomeirishdevil/?action=view&current=CIMG0624.jpg">scrapbook that features all sorts of great hockey coverage and photos from 1938-39</a>. I couldn't believe my eyes when I came across a shot of Scouts coach Eddie Bush in a Kansas City Greyhounds uniform. I knew Bush had played briefly for the Greyhounds, but wouldn't have expected to see a photo from his 25 game stint in KC 81 years ago.</span> The Greyhounds were the American Hockey Association affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. Bush had a long and winding minor league career, and two cups of coffee with the Red Wings, including eight games in 1938-39, probably soon after this photo was taken. He was back for 18 regular season games with the Red Wings in 1941-42, plus an eleven game run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Wings lost in the seventh game of the finals to Toronto. Bush, a defenseman, scored 7 points in his eleven playoff games, good for fourth best on the Red Wings. Scouts GM Sid Abel was Bush's teammate in Detroit, which probably was the basis for a relationship that led to Abel choosing Bush as the Scouts new coach after Bep Guidolin stepped down in January, 1976. It turned out to be Bush's only shot at coaching in the NHL after the Scouts went a woeful 1-23-8 after his hiring.Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-19231666723932824412010-04-04T08:32:00.004-05:002010-04-04T13:23:33.148-05:00KSHB-TV Reports Three Dates Being Held For Preseason Game, McGannon Interview<a href="http://www.nbcactionnews.com/sports/story/Is-NHL-Coming-to-KC/xKsVJD87B0agQetwuFQ3jg.cspx">According to KSHB-TV</a>, Friday, September 24, Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2 are being held open at Sprint Center for a possible NHL preseason game this year.<br /><br />The same article also says Paul McGannon is "optimistic that an NHL team could relocate to the metro as soon as next season." That guy certainly doesn't lack for optimism! You can watch KSHB's ten minute interview with McGannon <a href="http://www.nbcactionnews.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=594031@kshb.web.entriq.net">here</a>.Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-87546346865433429222010-04-02T09:38:00.003-05:002010-04-03T21:54:04.684-05:00Where There's Smoke, There's SmokePlenty of chatter with no actual substance going on:<br /><br />Mike Sunnucks of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Phoenix Business Journal</span> contributed <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2010/03/29/daily32.html?ana=from_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_kansascity+%28Kansas+City+Business+Journal%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">a piece to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Kansas City Business Journal</span></a> with the earth-shattering news that the NHL wants to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, but if they can't, Kansas City has an arena. Seriously though, it is news if he's correct that the NHL is determined to not run the Coyotes next season, even if it means new ownership would move the team. However, this doesn't mean anything for Kansas City unless there is a secret ownership group waiting in the wings.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/01/1851612/sprint-center-schedules-nba-exhibition.html">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Star</span> chimes in with a story</a> about how an NBA preseason game has been announced for the Sprint Center this fall, but no NHL game as yet. Author Randy Covitz speculates that AEG may not want to schedule a preseason game in KC in case they can get their own team in place for next season.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2010/04/horrible-hockey-to-kansas-city.html">Tony's Kansas City blog</a> shows hockey ignorance by bemoaning the thought of the Coyotes moving to KC since they're "horrible;" the Coyotes are having a Cinderella season, sitting at <span class="frmStat">47</span>-<span class="frmStat">25</span>-<span class="frmStat">6 and having clinched a playoff spot. Even if they were horrible, beggars can't be choosers, Tony.<br /></span>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-42333107313871208562010-03-30T20:43:00.002-05:002010-03-30T20:49:28.645-05:00Derek Zona of From The Rink Takes a Look at Potential NHL Markets<a href="http://www.fromtherink.com/2010/3/30/1396883/the-reality-of-relocation-in-the">Here's a new column</a> on the website From The Rink comparing the following cities as potential NHL markets: Cincinnati, Halifax, Hamilton, Hartford, Houston, Kansas City, Quebec, Seattle and Winnipeg. Author Derek Zona says, "Kansas City is the only city on the continent with an NHL-ready arena."Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-80266346645280984242010-03-25T00:01:00.003-05:002010-03-25T00:10:34.302-05:00Ken Campbell of The Hockey News Says KC Making "Serious Push" For Predators<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In spite of what a couple hockey writers have said recently about KC falling off the radar, </span><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/32354-Campbells-Cuts-Rumors-of-relocation.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ken Campbell at </span></a><i><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/32354-Campbells-Cuts-Rumors-of-relocation.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Hockey News </span></a></i><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/32354-Campbells-Cuts-Rumors-of-relocation.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">brings us up</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> again in a recent column. The relevant passage:<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Nashville Predators have reached an agreement with the Metro Sports Authority to keep the team in Nashville for at least another two seasons, but the deal has yet to be signed and there are rumblings Kansas City is making a serious push for the Predators to relocate there.<br /><br />Los Angeles Kings governor Tim Leiweke is also the CEO of AEG, the company that owns the Sprint Center in Kansas City, a building that is ready-made for hockey and seeking a tenant. There are those who maintain it is only a matter of time before one of the NHL’s struggling franchises relocates to Kansas City.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A little contradictory to say a new deal has been reached in Nashville but KC is pushing hard.</span></span>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-87053475844624677842010-03-21T21:48:00.002-05:002010-03-21T21:58:05.099-05:00Don Cherry: Kansas City is a Graveyard For Hockey<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8sZFF-ZxWOI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8sZFF-ZxWOI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Crazy Don Cherry chimes in on where he feels the NHL should expand/relocate on the March 20th broadcast of <i>Hockey Night In Canada</i>. Hint: Not KC. (Cherry was coach of the Bruins in the mid-'70s, so he came to Kemper a few times to meet the Scouts.)Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713718754660825023.post-78050135355737961472010-03-20T22:57:00.002-05:002010-03-20T23:05:36.328-05:00Scouts Off-Ice Notes: March, 1976<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Way more detail than you need about the Scouts slowly falling apart:<br /><br />• </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The season ticket drive to save the Scouts “officially launched (March 1</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">st</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) by Mayor Charles B. Wheeler, Jr., at a breakfast for business and civic leaders at the Plaza Inn…The turnout…was smaller than expected, but several firms pledged to double their season ticket orders and now solicitations will continue on an individual basis.” –Joe McGuff, 3/2 </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Star</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></span> <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">• “I will agree that from the standpoint of sales, promotions and educating the public to the game the Scouts overall have been less than efficient.” –Joe McGuff, 3/2 </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Star</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br />• On March 10</span></span> <sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> came word that the NHL had done an about face and would loan the Scouts money after all. The league loaned $300,000 and the Scouts ownership group scraped together another $100,000 in order to allow the Scouts to finish the season. “The total appearances of the league are best served by the arrangement,” said NHL president Clarence Campbell, meaning they didn’t want to suffer the embarrassment of a team folding mid-season. (3/10 </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Times</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)<br /><br />• By March 11</span></span> <sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, it was already apparent the ticket drive was a mess. Scouts president Edwin Thompson was under the impression that Henry Bloch, president of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, was in charge of the drive. Bloch was not. It turned out no one was running the ticket drive. Joe McGuff wrote, “…the members of the Scouts organization cannot expect someone else to do all of their work while they watch. The drive will not run itself and since the Scouts have the most to gain from it they had better start worrying about such things as having a chairman.” (3/11 </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Star</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />• Lots of good info in Joe McGuff’s March 23</span></span> <sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">rd</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> “Sporting Comment:” “Edwin Thompson…has said that the present owners cannot operate beyond April 15 without a season ticket sale of 8,000. Yesterday Mayor Charles B. Wheeler, Jr., called on the National Hockey League to clarify the status of the franchise and made it clear that the business community is not going to make a substantial dollar commitment unless there are assurances of stability in the ownership situation. In brief, Thompson says he cannot continue without a major sale of season tickets, the mayor is saying the tickets cannot be sold for a team that may or may not be here. The ticket drive started slowly and has come to a standstill…The Scouts and the business community are blaming each other for the failure of the drive…it is apparent that if the franchise is to be saved for Kansas City new ownership must be developed…The Scouts still owe the league $4,250,000 for the franchise and when the interest is added the figure exceeds $5 million. They owe the St. Louis Blues $800,000 for territorial rights. The Scouts recently borrowed $300,000 from the league, they are not current on the rent at Kemper Arena and they have other debts…the crowd of 16,219 last Saturday was significant. All tickets were priced at $2 so management did not make a profit from the promotion, but the size of the crowd shows that there is a strong base of hockey interest. If the public has no interest a promoter can give away his product and no one will come.”<br /><br />• On March 24</span></span> <sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Times</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> published the below look at Scouts fans.<br /></span></span><br /> <br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0MbIJpGuc5fdveM8VPma2bUn3zoUj3kcVo-H9bLcEAKHu6VwSoqpI4DKOBcSG1CfdZCsPGCZ9cOATZAvF0FZHfaCF7u90otJnWZpBcGRhF7e1-Fh_iji69t2Xsl2dk8TdXxfW_JaBpA/s1600-h/fans+loyal+but+few.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0MbIJpGuc5fdveM8VPma2bUn3zoUj3kcVo-H9bLcEAKHu6VwSoqpI4DKOBcSG1CfdZCsPGCZ9cOATZAvF0FZHfaCF7u90otJnWZpBcGRhF7e1-Fh_iji69t2Xsl2dk8TdXxfW_JaBpA/s320/fans+loyal+but+few.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450931951117884626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUX3Xk_CLMw44sbwchBKcu3M5y5jV5RQPOZx5ggQHZqP3OYRFNituDEerCgtmvdH8HpcMfMSpiPw7lrYjR51ArEnuIgdPavRYL1gruVP1Kws-r9_7kmEA-05AQxcWctxnyQGya0sWFS8/s1600-h/fans+loyal+but+few+-+pics.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUX3Xk_CLMw44sbwchBKcu3M5y5jV5RQPOZx5ggQHZqP3OYRFNituDEerCgtmvdH8HpcMfMSpiPw7lrYjR51ArEnuIgdPavRYL1gruVP1Kws-r9_7kmEA-05AQxcWctxnyQGya0sWFS8/s320/fans+loyal+but+few+-+pics.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450931943293830962" /></a><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">• March 27</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> brought the first mention of Denver as a potential landing spot for the Scouts. “We have also been contacted by representatives from Cleveland and Miami, Florida,” said Edwin Thompson. (3/27 </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Times</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)<br /><br />• The NBA Kansas City Kings were continually mentioned as a potential buyer that would keep the team in KC: “Of all the parties involved, only the Kings have made an offer, though the Scouts insist it is not a formal legalized bid. In any case, the Kings reportedly are willing to assume the Scouts’ liabilities, approximately $7 million, as the purchase price.” –Steve Marantz, 3/30 </span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Star</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br />• “Denver must be considered the strongest out-of-town contender. The Denver interest is headed by Carl Scheer, president and general manager of the Denver Nuggets basketball team…The likelihood of the Scouts leaving Kansas City increased dramatically when Scheer entered the picture.” –Steve Marantz, 3/30 </span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Star<br /><br /></span> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">• The below columns ran on March 31</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">st</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> following the last Scouts home game the night before. Thompson says the previous report that the Kings had made an offer to assume the Scouts debt was incorrect, and that the Scouts had made an offer to the Kings to sell for $5.5 million but hadn’t heard back. He also says, “What’s happened to us is very simple. Salaries have gone up 180 percent (since first applying for a team in 1971), and instead of averaging 9,000 or 10,000 persons a game we’re averaging 6,000 a game.”<br /></span><br /> <br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_SgJoFXx-QOjHST72KqBTnEm1MccziFLpsX7cS60-jFwQFRSwQXBgmv6hbw9k6nKdwki35UDNY5sDirf-TeHF4PJu1ePg3hvK74CPzSXMSu_Qq7IW6RACYh3CuUxKf_WDKkxVEUJHg4/s1600-h/3-31-76.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_SgJoFXx-QOjHST72KqBTnEm1MccziFLpsX7cS60-jFwQFRSwQXBgmv6hbw9k6nKdwki35UDNY5sDirf-TeHF4PJu1ePg3hvK74CPzSXMSu_Qq7IW6RACYh3CuUxKf_WDKkxVEUJHg4/s320/3-31-76.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450931935035920002" /></a>Aaron Stilleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14781380711982256236noreply@blogger.com0