Lamar Hunt Close to Bringing USHL to Overland Park

About a year ago, the Kansas City Star's Sam Mellinger wrote some tripe about hockey in Kansas City to cover their yearly quota.  And that's fine, because it's not like they write this same article all the time.  "Kansas City loves hockey" but "Kansas City can't support an NHL team" and it doesn't matter anyway because "the Sprint Center is one of the busiest arenas in the world."  There is some #original #content.  You're lucky I didn't put that behind a pay wall, and act like blogs aren't dying the same slow death as online newspapers.

Anyway, here's another annual hockey article, which is different this year because Vahe Gregorian wrote it.  You will note this is important because we are led to believe he gets paid more than Sam Mellinger or Yael T. Abouhalkah.  The title of this blog post actually should read "KC Star Copy/Pastes last year's article," but there is some newsworthy stuff in here.  But, if this article is too much for you to handle, I made a word cloud of it (above).  You can rest assured it hits all of the high points.

Kansas City Still Not Viable for NHL Expansion, But Still Not for Dumb Reasons

Kansas City is too small for hockey? Is that a fat joke?

GUYS!  

THE KANSAS CITY STAR WROTE A STORY ABOUT HOCKEY!!!

I know, it sounds crazy.  But it's true, right there, on Sam Mellinger's blog.  And the story was only released about a week and a half after Gary Bettman's press conference announcing a new round of NHL expansion.  We're making progress here, folks.  Hockey town Kansas City, here we come!

Of course, there are problems with the logic in the article, so your resident "indignant" Kansas City hockey blog snaps into action!  But we will get to that in a moment.

Counterpoint: Kansas City Definitely Getting an NHL Expansion Team! (Spoiler: Nope)

Aw man, another team in New York?!

Yesterday, Gary Bettman announced the terms for possible NHL expansion.  A topic he denied
many
many
many
many
many
many
many
many
times in the past nine months.

Bettman: accept formal applications, go thru vetting process, determine whether there is interest in committing to expansion.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2015

Bettman said it doesn't mean they will expand but will listen hard to expressions of interest.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2015

Early July applications, one month more or less window to see what comes in. Exec committee will review the applicants.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2015

If there's expansion, Bettman said the fee will start with a 5. Therefore, $500M+ for a franchise if expansion proceeds.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2015

Daly said earliest possible date an expansion team could play is 2017-18 season.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2015

The application process runs July 6th through August 10th, so if you have $500 million just laying around, you could be an NHL team owner!  Put the team in whatever city you want, it doesn't really matter!  Butte, Montana?  Sure!

Of course, this gets the wheels turning for cities like Las Vegas, Seattle, and Quebec City to actually stop waiting around for the Coyotes to inevitably relocate, and have a nice team of their own minus the baggage.  This, to a lesser extent, works as a PR move for the league, detracting people from the Coyotes circus and other franchises with struggling finances and attendance like the Panthers and Hurricanes.  Do not get it confused, though.  The health of all member organizations is certainly not a pre-requisite for expansion.  MLB's Minnesota Twins and Florida Marlins knew that all too well shortly after new franchises in Tampa and Phoenix popped up.  The stability of the league is not Gary Bettman's wish, or strength, as is well documented, so that's not what is at issue.  Expansion is a money grab, and a way for Bettman and the NHL to offset or recoup the losses of the struggling franchises.  It offers nothing in return from the NHL, except you get to put one of its teams in your city.  And you might get to host the draft and an All-Star game eventually.  WHEEEEE!

NHL Accepting Expansion Applications, Kansas City Absent from Discussion

The day is finally here!

Today, Gary Bettman announced the NHL will be accepting applications for expansion franchises from interested markets and ownership groups. I thought I wouldn't see this day for a long time, mostly because Gary Bettman pretty much said this day wasn't coming any time soon.

No matter - this is exciting news! Kansas City can finally get one more crack at having an NHL team! The Sprint Center can finally have that permanent sports tenant we were promised!

Oh, AEG isn't interested in pursuing a professional sports team for the Sprint Center?

... And Kansas City isn't even in the discussion?

Psh... Fine. That expansion fee is stupid huge, anyway.

Welp, maybe when the Phoenix Arizona Coyotes inevitably have no home to play in we will have another cha- HAHAHA YEAH RIGHT.

No NHL for Seattle, No NHL for Kansas City but All the Lies You Can Handle!

A few weeks ago, reports said the NHL was seriously looking into Seattle as a viable option for a new NHL franchise.

How serious were they?!

So serious, it seems, that commissioner/overlord Gary Bettman and Bill Daly brought a possible future owner along with them.

So serious, the NHL wanted Seattle to go ahead with the construction of the arena under the auspices of an NHL franchise being the main tenant.

So serious, umm, the Florida Panther fired a bunch of employees (oh, wait, that's a different story.  More on this later).

A List of Team Names to Prepare for the NHL's Expansion

It was reported by TSN's Bob McKenzie that the NHL might be willing – and getting closer – to taking a chance on putting an expansion franchise in Las Vegas.  How fun.  This, of course, arouses the since dormant talk about placing another team in Seattle or Quebec City – two cities that will have NHL ready arenas in the next few years – in order to bring the number of NHL teams to the nice even number of 32.  But, as the report also suggests, the NHL may not be content with 32 teams.  This includes placing a franchise in any of those cities, plus a second franchise in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Saskatoon, Prince Edward Island, etc.

Well, we here at LCOB have read the report and we know what this means: It's a forgone conclusion that Kansas City will be getting an NHL expansion franchise within the next year.  It's the only logical conclusion.

Seeing as this is a 100% guarantee, as these expansion stories have been in the past and will continue to be in the future, we have come up with a list of the top 5 possible team names and jersey designs for the next great Kansas City sports franchise.  Follow the jump to enjoy (and dream!!!)…

The Sprint Center an "Unintentional Experiment," and No New Expansion

The Kansas City model?

Here are a few links to check out from over the past few days:

Sacramento Bee: Mayor Kevin Johnson still wants Sacramento railyard complex

KC Star: NBA, NHL commissioners rule out expansion

Newsday: NHL head Bettman: Islanders need new home

First thing's first.  An interesting article from the Sacramento Bee of the arena situation in that city.  If you don't know what is going on there by now, basically the Sacramento Kings are run a problematic ownership group that doesn't seem to want to sell the team, but they don't do much for the success of the franchise (the Maloofs -- I urge you to check out the "Maloofs' Key Issues" bullet points just to the right of the article).  So, Sacramento mayor, Kevin Johnson, is taking matters into his own hand to build a new arena for the city, team or no team.  How will they get this done?  By following the "Kansas City model."