A two year stint. A drop of sand on the beach that is the history of the National Hockey League. Still, the Kansas Scouts were in the NHL for two whole seasons. They might not have much of a story but there is a story there. Without the Scouts, there ultimately would be no Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils franchise.
Kansas City entered an expansion franchise for the 1974-75 NHL season. They were joined by the Washington Capitals to bring the total number of teams in the league to 18. Despite the Capitals continuing on and still playing a prominent role in the NHL today, it was the Scouts that got off to somewhat early success.
KC finished the 1974-75 season 20 points ahead of their expansion siblings. They still finished 17th out of 18 but it was something to build on, right? Well, no. Despite a promising start to 1975-76, it was all downhill for the number 2 franchise in the state of Missouri.
Kansas City Scouts Hockey Card Video
The following video is a collection of O-Pee-Chee and Topps hockey cards featuring players from the Scouts. Because Topps lagged with rebranding the team the Colorado Rockies for their 1976-77 set, there are cards from three different seasons. For a closer look at these cards, see the gallery toward the end of this article.
Kansas City Scouts 1974-75 NHL Season
At their first kick at the NHL can, the Scouts didn’t actually do all that bad. It was an unbalanced league to begin with and the two expansion teams were given very little to start with. Kansas City finished with 41 points on 15 wins and eleven ties (54 losses) over 80 games.
The Scouts ended up fifth and last in the Smythe Division, 12 points behind the fourth place Minnesota North Stars. As mentioned, they did end the campaign a lofty 20 points ahead of Washington.
The team’s first win came on November 3, 1974 against the Capitals. It was a 5-4 win at Washington. Their home opener was a day before, a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. 14,748 caught that game at Kemper Arena. The numbers would consistently drop from there.
13 of the team’s losses were shutouts. The worst defeat of the season, and the history of the team, was a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers at the Spectrum. It was one of two times Philly shutout KC during the season. The Atlanta Flames and Los Angeles Kings also blanked the team twice.
In a team tradition, the Scouts beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on January 23, 1975 at the Boston Garden. Over the two years, KC beat Boston twice, both times at the Garden. There were also two ties against the much more powerful Bruins.
Of their 15 wins in that first season, three came against the Capitals. They also took two wins each from the Minnesota North Stars and California Golden Seals. The didn’t beat the almighty Montreal Canadiens but did score six goals against the Habs in a 7-6 loss. The team would never score more than six goals in a single game.
Kansas City Scouts 1975-76 NHL Season
In the end, the Scouts finished 1975-76 with a dismal 36 points on just 12 wins and 12 ties (56 losses). But, it started out promising. Kansas City won three and tied one over their first six games of the season. On October 23, 1975, they again handed Boston a 3-2 loss.
Despite the quick start, the team’s home opener drew just 6,850. In that first game, they held the up and coming New York Islanders to a 1-1 tie.
After 80 games, they were again in the basement of the Smythe Division, eleven points behind the North Stars. They finished ahead of the Capitals again but, this time by only a four point margin.
Along with the annual win over the Bruins, the Scouts also handed the Montreal Canadiens a 6-5 loss at home on December 3, 1975. It was one of just eleven losses for the Habs in 1975-76. However, the Flyers still had their number with another 10-0 shutout.
The team was shutout just five times in their second year and they scored six goals in four different games. The Scouts beat the Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and California Seals twice each, accounting for half the team’s wins.
On February 7, 1976, Kansas City beat the Capitals for what would be the final victory in team history. After that game, the team went 0-21-6 to end the year. The final game ever played by the Scouts was a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Random Facts About The Scouts
- The team never recorded a shutout.
- All but four of the 49 players to play a game for the Scouts were from Canada. The other four were from the U.S.
- Most goals in a season – 27 – Guy Charron in 1975-76
- Most assists in a season – 44 – Guy Charron in 1975-76
- Most points in a season – 71 – Guy Charron in 1975-76
- Most penalty minutes in a season – 209 – Steve Durbano in 1975-76
- Most career games – 156 – Gary Croteau
- Most career goals – 47 – Wilf Paiement
- Most career assists – 73 – Guy Charron
- Most career points – 113 – Guy Charron
- Most career PIM – 222 – Wilf Paiement
10 players appeared in 100+ games with the Scouts:
- Gary Croteau – 156
- Randy Rota – 151
- Robin Burns – 149
- Dave Hudson – 144
- Wilf Paiement – 135
- Dennis Patterson – 135
- Guy Charron – 129
- Ed Gilbert – 121
- Jim McElmury – 116
- Simon Nolet – 113
Icing On The Plains: The Rough Ride Of Kansas City’s NHL Scouts
Somebody cared. Somebody remembered. Icing On The Plains: The Rough Ride Of Kansas City’s NHL Scouts is a well-written and entertaining book by Troy Treasure. After a detailed but easy to read history of pro sports in Kansas City, Treasure gives a comprehensive account of the life of an NHL franchise in Western Missouri.
This is a must read for any NHL hockey fan. It really sheds light on the turbulent 1970’s in the National Hockey League. Trying to build a franchise during a not so prosperous economic era while the NHL gave zero help, or even concern, toward seeing their expansion teams succeed.
