Kansas City Scouts
| Company type | Professional ice hockey franchise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports (ice hockey) |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Fate | Relocated to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Rockies |
| Headquarters | Kansas City , United States |
Area served | Kansas City metropolitan area |
Key people | Edwin G. Thompson (managing general partner), William Morris (investor), Stan Glazer (investor) |
| Products | Ice hockey team |
The Kansas City Scouts were an NHL professional ice hockey franchise that competed from 1974 until 1976. In the 1976 campaign, the team moved to Denver, adopting the name Colorado Rockies. Subsequently, in 1982, the franchise relocated once more to New Jersey, where it became known as the New Jersey Devils.
History
The NHL's initial significant expansion phase concluded in 1974 with the introduction of new teams in Kansas City, Missouri and Washington, D.C.. On June 8, 1972, Kansas City Hockey Associates—led by managing general partner Edwin G. Thompson and comprising 22 investors—secured the franchise. Notable stakeholders included Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor William Morris and Stan Glazer.
Kemper Arena was constructed to serve as the Scouts' home rink, a facility they shared with the NBA’s Kansas City Kings. The Scouts were placed in the Smythe Division of the Campbell Conference, joining fellow Missouri-based NHL team, the St. Louis Blues.
Originally, the franchise intended to be called the "Kansas City Mohawks," a name blending Missouri's postal abbreviation (MO) with Kansas's "Jayhawkers" moniker. However, this was abandoned following objections from the Chicago Black Hawks. Instead, a naming contest resulted in selecting "Scouts," inspired by The Scout statue overlooking Kansas City's downtown—a symbol also incorporated into the team's logo designed by Gary Sartain of Hallmark Cards.
The Scouts played their inaugural game on October 9, 1974, suffering a 6–2 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens. Captain Simon Nolet recorded the first goal in franchise history. Due to delays in completing Kemper Arena, the team commenced its first eight matches on the road and finished their debut season with a disappointing 15–54–11 record.
During the 1975–76 season, the Scouts initially showed promise and hovered near playoff contention midseason. Unfortunately, a prolonged losing streak ensued after December 28, 1975, culminating in a franchise-low record of 12–56–12 and just 36 points overall.
Following their regular season finale, Kansas City participated in four exhibition games against the Washington Capitals in Japan; they secured a victory in their final outing on April 18, 1976, winning 4–2.
Throughout their brief existence, Kansas City employed three head coaches: Bep Guidolin, interim coach Sid Abel, and Eddie Bush. The team was captained by Simon Nolet and later Guy Charron. Notably, Steve Durbano led all NHL players in penalty minutes during the 1975–76 season. The Scouts never qualified for postseason play and managed only 27 wins over 160 games.
The concurrent rise of the rival World Hockey Association diluted player talent across leagues. Coupled with poor on-ice results and low fan turnout, financial concerns emerged within the NHLPA regarding sustainable payroll commitments.
Relocation to Denver
The Scouts faced numerous challenges including elevated player salaries, insufficient capitalization from ownership, economic difficulties in the Midwest region, subpar performance levels, and weak attendance figures—averaging merely 8,218 spectators per game in Kemper Arena’s 17,000-seat capacity. This attendance was significantly below the league average of approximately 13,000 fans per contest. Plagued by mounting debt, the ownership consortium of 37 partners initiated a season-ticket campaign but succeeded in selling only an additional 2,000 seats. Concluding that continued operation was untenable, they sought to sell the franchise. In contrast to Kansas City's ownership struggles, Washington Capitals owner Abe Pollin possessed both financial strength and patience to withstand early expansion hardships.
A Denver-based consortium led by oil executive Jack A. Vickers acquired the team after the NHL imposed expansion and territorial fees exceeding one million dollars for sales outside designated markets. On July 26, 1976—after just two seasons in Kansas City—the franchise relocated and rebranded as the Colorado Rockies. The club competed in Denver for six NHL seasons before moving to East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it became known as the New Jersey Devils beginning with the 1982–83 season.
Bill McKenzie was the last former Scouts player active on the Rockies roster; he played his final game on April 4, 1980. Wilf Paiement—the franchise’s inaugural draft selection—retired from professional hockey in 1988. Both the Scouts and California Golden Seals (later Cleveland Barons) were among the first NHL franchises to relocate since the mid-1930s.
Legacy
Following the Scouts' exit, Kansas City saw a resurgence of minor league hockey through teams such as the Kansas City Blades, who competed in the International Hockey League from 1990 to 2001. Presently, the Kansas City Mavericks represent the region in the ECHL and are based in nearby Independence, Missouri.
The New Jersey Devils tend to minimize their connection to the Scouts and Rockies eras; their official media guide and website exclude any mention of captains, coaches, or general managers from before the franchise's move to New Jersey. Nonetheless, within the Prudential Center, a mural displays the former home arenas of these predecessor teams alongside the Devils’ initial venue at Brendan Byrne Arena.
During the 2022–23 NHL season, the Devils unveiled a Scouts-inspired "Reverse Retro" jersey that incorporated red, yellow, and blue trim reminiscent of Kansas City's original uniforms, though it replaced the Scouts emblem with that of the Devils. This season also commemorated the Devils' 40th anniversary, marking a shift from earlier milestone observances that focused exclusively on their New Jersey history by recognizing the franchise's entire lineage dating back prior to 1982.
Season-by-season record
The Scouts concluded their tenure with a regular season record of 27 wins, 110 losses, and 23 ties, failing to secure a playoff berth.
Team captains
- Simon Nolet, 1974–1976
- Guy Charron, 1976
Head coaches
- Bep Guidolin, 1974–1976
- Sid Abel, 1976
- Eddie Bush, 1976
General managers
- Sid Abel, 1974–1976
- Baz Bastien, 1976
First-round draft picks
- 1974: Wilf Paiement (2nd overall)
- 1975: Barry Dean (2nd overall)
- 1976: Paul Gardner (11th overall)
Broadcasters
Dick Carlson was the radio play-by-play voice for the Scouts during the 1974–75 season on WDAF (AM), with broadcasts simulcast on KBMA-TV beginning in 1975–76. After the team relocated, Carlson shifted his career toward Major League Baseball commentary for the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds until his passing in 2004 at age 60.
In the 1974–75 season, Gene Osborn handled television play-by-play duties exclusively on KBMA, accompanied by analyst Bill Grigsby. KBMA operated as an independent station with cable reach extending throughout the Midwest, including markets like Des Moines, Iowa and Wichita, Kansas.