KSHB-TV Reports Three Dates Being Held For Preseason Game, McGannon Interview

According to KSHB-TV, 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.

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 here.

The Pitch Calls Out McGannon

So the enthusiasm I displayed in my last post about Paul McGannon’s claim that there are 100 Kansas Citians just waiting to buy an NHL team is a little embarrassing. I didn’t really take it at face value—I think it just made me hope that there could be some rich dudes in KC at least discussing or considering such a thing.

Pitch reporter David Martin picked up on McGannon’s claim, and asked the pertinent question: “Who the hell is McGannon talking about?” He asked McGannon, and McGannon was happy to talk about the Kings-Islanders game coming up. From Martin’s piece:

But what about the company founders and CEOs who seemed (in McGannon’s telling to an out-of-town newspaper) to be chomping at the bit to capture an NHL franchise?

“I don’t know if they’re chomping at the bit,” McGannon says. “They’re waiting for further information on what opportunity would be available at the appropriate time, which we’ve been told is not now.”

There is a lot of passion for the NHL in the civic community, McGannon adds. “But they don’t want to reveal themselves.”

Curious that these enthusiastic hockey supporters want to stay anonymous. Seems if someone was actually interested in helping to bring a team here, they’d be front and center waving money around, don’t you think? Or submitting a bid on the Coyotes?

It’s hard to know what to make of Paul McGannon. I don’t doubt that his heart is in the right place, and that he truly is passionate about bringing a team here. But it seems one of his strategies is to say anything and everything to get attention for KC, truth be damned. My guess is that he’s highly optimistic and a dreamer. And there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that—it might be just what will be necessary if we’re ever to gain an NHL franchise.

100 Kansas Citians Willing To Buy Into NHL?

It recently came out that the Columbus Blue Jackets have lost $80 million over the last seven years, and premature speculation about relocation immediately started up. It's really a non-story at this point, but buried in an article in a Columbus weekly is a bit of a bomb-shell from NHL21 honcho Paul McGannon: “(NHL21 membership includes) 100 civic leaders who, if asked, would participate if local ownership (of an NHL franchise) was requested.” Wha?! That's huge news if there are really 100 Kansas Citians willing to form an ownership consortium.