Over the years I’ve heard folks say KC should have an NHL team. While I’d support an NHL team the best I could, I can’t see why anyone would think Kansas City could support one…now.

There are people who believe that because KC was home to the NHL Scouts from 1974-76 the city should automatically be considered for a franchise. They obviously don’t realize the disaster the two-year run of the team that’d eventually become the New Jersey Devils (after moving twice) was. Anyone interested in the story should check out the book Icing on the Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City’s NHL Scouts by Troy Treasure. Treasure’s book demonstrates how KC’s first foray into the NHL was a disaster at the box office and on the ice. It is a great read for hockey fans, but an even better read for KC sports fans.

Between the two seasons, the Scouts average attendance was less than 8,000. Looking at average attendance for NHL teams that doesn’t come close to the lowest average of 12,442 the Islanders had during the pre-pandemic 2018-19 season. [ESPN.com] It does slightly come above the Senators 2021-22 current average of 7,551, but that attendance figure is skewed because of pandemic restrictions the province of Ontario had in place for part of the season. (Ottawa played games without fans, or with reduced capacity) So for those using the “KC had an NHL team” argument, I would say KC would still need to prove it could support a team. And, those two years in the 70s didn’t do it.

Another argument against KC getting a franchise now would be the NHL appears to be done with expansion. The league is at a nice round number of 32 teams, and now each division and conference have an equal number of teams.

Your next question for me is what about relocation, right? Commissioner Bettman seems determined to not have any more teams relocate. So much so that it isn’t a problem the Coyotes don’t have an NHL quality facility to play in for the foreseeable future. He has said the league will exhaust every possibility before they would consider relocation. One would assume that would be the case before the league would consider moving any franchise if that is how they feel about the often troubled, many times joked about Coyotes.

Now, even if things were to change with expansion or relocation, there are factors that just don’t make the NHL in KC sit right with me currently. One of those is ticket prices. The most recent single game ticket prices I could find for NHL teams was from 2015-16, when there were 30 teams. 18 teams had an average ticket price of just under $100. Now, think about trying to fill T-Mobile Center 41 days and/or nights a year with prices comparable to that. While you’re thinking about that, also remember the KC Mavericks are currently not packing Cable Dahmer Arena the way they used to, and their highest single game ticket price is a little over half of that NHL price. (Hockeydb.com has Mavericks average attendance for 2021-22 season at 2,862, as of March 19, 2022)

I realize comparing the Mavericks ECHL numbers with NHL numbers is like comparing apples to oranges, but I’m not trying to compare the numbers. I am trying to show how the current appetite for hockey seems to be in Kansas City.

Now, for numbers that can reasonably be compared, let’s look at attendance figures I’ve been able to find for NHL exhibition games held at Sprint Center (now T-Mobile Center). First off, T-Mobile Center has a 17,000+ capacity for hockey games. The first game in 2008 between the Kings and Blues had 11,603. The second in 2009 between the Islanders and Kings had 9,792. The third game in 2011 was the first sell-out with 17,779 to see the Penguins and Kings (that includes 235 standing room only tickets). In 2016, the fifth game between the Washington Capitals and Blues drew 12,500. I wasn’t able to find figures for the Stars and Blues in 2014 or the Wild and Blues in 2017. So, two of those four games I could find numbers for cracked that bottom 2018-19 Islanders bottom attendance number of 12,442. So, those attendance numbers that KC put up were good, they certainly aren’t anything that would I think would be super-impressive to the NHL or any potential owners.

Speaking of potential owners, I haven’t heard of any potential owners or ownership teams for an NHL expansion franchise in Kansas City.

So, while Kansas City has the building for the team, I just don’t see the interest an NHL team would need to be successful…for now.

And the most important thing that I want everyone to take away from all I have written, isn’t the numbers or the fact I can’t see the NHL working in KC. The most important thing I want you to take away is the word “now”. The reason I say that is I’m optimistic about the future for the NHL and Kansas City, and I have ideas about what those who share my optimism and a passion for hockey in KC could do to help maybe make an NHL team in KC part of the city’s sports future. In my next blog, I will talk about some of the things that would need to be done to improve KC in the eyes of the NHL and any potential owner. I also talk about why I think the next new NHL city (whether it’s Quebec, Houston, or KC) will be taking on a team from another city.