“Welcome to the Edge”

The off season saw big news. The long time captain of the Kansas City Blades, Gary Emmons, announced his retirement on July 17. He accepted a position to stay with the team as director of player personnel. Four days after that, it was announced that there would be a search for a new head coach, as Don Jackson resigned from the team to accept a position with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Two weeks later, former Peoria Rivermen head coach Paul MacLean was introduced in a press conference as the new head coach of the Blades.

The Blades opened this season with Iain Fraser as the team’s new captain. Their first game was at the Palace of Auburn Hills to face the Detroit Vipers in a historic game for the league and all of hockey. Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe (“Mr. Hockey”) laced up the skates for one final professional game to go in the record books as having played in six different decades. The Blades won the game 5-4 in shootout. The game was Howe’s 2,421st pro game.

In December goaltender Jon Casey decided to hang up his skates to be closer to his family, as they were still living back in St. Louis. Veteran defenseman Claudio Scremin played in his 500th game as a Blade on December 17. 

On February 21, the Blades and their fans honored Gary Emmons when the team retired his number 15, raising a special banner to the rafters. That game ranks as the fourth largest crowd for a Blades game at Kemper Arena.

On March 18, the Blades clinched a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. The Blades faced the dreaded Utah Grizzlies in the first round, beating them three games to one. The Blades were eliminated in the second round by the Long Beach Ice Dogs, four games to three.

Jersey Number	Position	Player	Seasons with Team
10	LW	Bill Armstrong	1997-1998
91, 23	LW	David Beauregard	1997-1998
24, 42	D	Brent Bilodeau	1997-1999
12, 25	LW	David Bruce	1991-1992, 1993-1998
2	D	Jeff Buchanan	1997-1998
30	G	Jon Casey	1997-1998
16, 26	LW	Dave Chyzowski	1997-2000
34	C	Jason Cirone	1996-2000
9	RW	Mike Craig	1997-1998
19, 26, 22, 29	C	Dale Craigwell	1991-1994, 1996-1999
23, 10	RW	Brent Cullaton	1996-1998
28	D	Dan Delisle	1997-1998
24, 33	LW	Dean Ewen	1995-1998
11, 14	C/RW	Pat Ferschweiler	1994-2000
38	C/D	Iain Fraser	1997-1998
25	D	Jason Herter	1996-1998
25	D	Shawn Heins	1996-1998
3	D	Steve Jaques	1996-1998
29	RW	Darin Kimble	1996-1998
17	C	Matt Oates	1998
44	RW	John Purves	1996-1998
20, 25	C/LW	J.F. Quintin	1991-1998
31	G	Eldon “Pokey” Reddick	1997-1998
22	D	Normand Rochefort	1996-1998
1	G	Jeff Salajko	1997-1998
33	RW	Reggie Savage	1997-1998
21	D	Claudio Scremin	1990-1998
4	D	Jeff Serowik	1997-1998
3, 26	D	Trevor Sherban	1997-2000
7	D	Brian Stacey	1996-1998
23, 11	RW	Dean Sylvester	1995-1998