Hockey? (Kansas City, St. Louis, Center: live in, design, arena) - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

STLCardsBlues1989 · 12-19-2007, 01:24 AM

Would you support an NHL team in the Kansas City area? Just wondering.

MoNative34 · 12-19-2007, 10:58 AM

I would, but the area as a whole would not. It has been tried before with the KC Scouts back in the 70's.

streetcreed · 12-21-2007, 03:51 AM

I live in Columbus and we got our NHL team with the expansion that occured in the late 90s. Many would have said Columbus would not be the most likely NHL friendly city before the team was planted here. However, Columbus has really embraced the NHL and is now kind of a hockey city even with the Blue Jackets having a very poor record.

Why do you guys feel Kansas City would not support an NHL team?

MoNative34 · 12-21-2007, 08:46 AM

Like I said, the area just won't support it. They didn't support the KC Scouts and they didn't support the minor league teams. The Pittsburg Pengiuns came for a look see at the new arena downtown and the public reaction was minimal. I'm not saying I like that fact, but it just is.

STLCardsBlues1989 · 12-21-2007, 09:26 AM

Kansas City might support hockey. It'd be a good rivalry for the Blues anyway.

Is it a matter of size? Because St. Louis supports the Blues pretty well, and I think KC's about the same size.

goat314 · 12-21-2007, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989

Kansas City might support hockey. It'd be a good rivalry for the Blues anyway.

Is it a matter of size? Because St. Louis supports the Blues pretty well, and I think KC's about the same size.

St. Louis is larger than Kansas City by about a million people and has a tradition of hockey for some time now.

northbound74 · 12-22-2007, 02:35 PM

I think KC would support a team. I know lots of people that would like to see us get a hockey team. The key would be to get a franchise with a recent winning tradition, that's looking to relocate. The last I heard, there was still a chance that the Nashville Predators might move.
When the Penguins were looking at the Sprint Center, there was a lot of favorable public reaction to the news. Where I work, everyone was talking about it, and they're not that familiar with hockey. It was exciting.

I think an expansion team that struggles to get momentum winning-wise, will have a harder time getting support because this isn't a natural hockey area.
You have to remember that soccer isn't the biggest thing around here, but the Wizards have been around for quite some time and they're planning on building a new stadium.

Kansas City is a bigger and different town than it was in the 70's, and the NHL is a different league than it was back then. I wouldn't judge future success on the Scouts.
I think the NHL is set up more favorably to handle small markets than it used to be and KC is a sports-crazy town. Look at Major League Baseball. If there ever was a sport designed to cater to the really big markets, the MLB is it... yet even the Royals draw well here, especially for a dismal team perpetually in last place (that'll change soon).

KC is a blue-collar town, and hockey seems like a hard-working, blue collar sport. It would be appreciated here.

STLCardsBlues1989 · 12-22-2007, 03:01 PM

St. Louis had a hockey team in the 40's that failed, but the Blues succeeded, so you can't necessarily judge KC by the Scouts. The Predators signed a new deal, so they'll probably be in Nashville for 3 more years or so. Las Vegas is expected to get a team, though.

Not entirely related, Collinsville, IL is trying to get an MLS team.