What NHL team should I cheer for if I’m from Kansas City?

If you’re a hockey fan who grew up in Kansas City, you may have a team already. Maybe your family is from St. Louis and made you grow up on the Blues. Maybe they’re from Montreal and are hardcore Habs people. Maybe your father moved from Boston to Kansas City to be with your mother and made you take your first baby picture in Bruins gear.

But maybe that’s not the case. Maybe you are just getting into hockey, but your family grew up in Kansas City and they are lukewarm on the NHL or sport altogether. Who do you cheer for? After all, it’s been decades since the Scouts left, and judging from recent reports, it looks like Kansas City is off the table as well when it comes to NHL expansion.

So, here’s a list of some NHL teams that you could follow that have some kind of connection to Kansas City and not make you feel like a total bandwagon hockey fan.

St. Louis Blues

Why cheering for the Blues makes sense

The Blues are the closest NHL team logistically to Kansas City (about three hours driving distance) and actually share the same state with part of the KC Metro area. So if you want to see hockey without having to spend the night in a hotel, the Blues are your best bet. The Blues have historically played a lot of exhibition games at the Sprint Center since the Sprint Center’s opening, so many people’s only experience seeing live NHL hockey in KC has involved the Blues. Furthermore, there are many St. Louis natives who have become KC transplants, thus bringing their fan allegiances with them. And to be honest, St. Louis’ fandom with the Blues is a lot less insufferable than their Cardinals fandom, so it’s a lot easier of a bandwagon to jump on. Add in an entertaining star player such as Vladimir Tarasenko, and a bit of an underdog history in comparison to their rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, and it’s easy to see why many KC locals have embraced the blue and yellow on the ice

Why cheering for the Blues doesn’t make sense

The regional rivalry between Kansas City and St. Louis goes beyond just sports. There’s deep-seeded dislike between people from both sides of Missouri. Kansas City people are seen as “cowtown” folks by St. Louisians (hence, the name of the blog), while citizens of the “Arch” city are seen by Kansas Citians as elitists and snobs without reason to do so (St. Louis isn’t nearly as big city population wise as neighboring Chicago, though St. Louis likes to think that they are just as relevant). So to think that KC residents will just jump on a St. Louis bandwagon would be like thinking somebody from Buffalo or Long Island would jump on a Rangers bandwagon because they are in the same state. St. Louis and Kansas City are too different in makeup, and it would feel like a betrayal to someone from Kansas City to be rooting for an Eastern Missouri team.

San Jose Sharks

Why cheering for the Sharks makes sense

The longtime minor league hockey club, the Kansas City Blades, were in existence from 1990 to 2001. The Blades were the primary affiliate of the Sharks from 1991–1996, producing Sharks goalies such as Wade Flaherty and Arturs Irbe (a personal favorite of mine growing up) in addition to other NHL players such as Claude Julien and Steve Kariya. The Blue Line hockey bar in the River Market is run primarily by Sharks fans, who align their bar with Shark and Blades memorabilia, mostly due to the Blades connection with the Sharks. Furthermore, the Sharks are a competitive team year in and year out, with established veterans like Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, and newly acquired star Erik Karlsson. If you want a team that is going to challenge for a playoff spot and maybe for the Stanley Cup, then the Sharks aren’t a bad team to start following.

Why cheering for the Sharks doesn’t make sense

Though the Blades were once a Sharks affiliate, that’s about where the connection between Kansas City and San Jose ends. San Jose is the heart of Silicon Valley, where sun and Google are the buzzwords of the day, a far cry from the buzzwords of Kansas City or the Midwest in general. Plus, the Sharks are on the West Coast and play in the Pacific Division, making a majority of their games late for those in the Central Time Zone. If you’re the kind of fan who has an early bedtime during the week, it may be a challenge to watch the Sharks live most games.

Calgary Flames

Why cheering for the Flames makes sense

The Flames are the parent club of the Kansas City Mavericks, who play in the ECHL. The Mavericks have actually had a resurgence in fan interest the past couple of seasons, as their strong crowds at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence are being used as a prime example that KC may be able to handle an American Hockey League team, which is the top minor league in the NHL. Thus, with more and more fans going to Mavs games, Kansas City hockey fans are becoming more invested in Mavs players and alums. And hence, they will be looking for those players on the tube whenever the Flames are on TV, knowing that they saw NHL players before they were “in the majors”. And this connection will definitely help grow the Flames fan base which is a win-win for both parties: the Flames get a loyal fan base in the Midwest; the city of Kansas City gets an “abroad” NHL team to root for.

Why cheering for the Flames doesn’t make sense

The Mavs are a second-division farm club which means that there still is a long journey for Mavs players to get to the NHL (they have to get through the AHL first). Thus, it usually will be years before Mavs fans will see their beloved fan favorites start skating in Calgary red and gold. I don’t know if Kansas City fans are willing to invest that much into a team just for the possibility of seeing players they once saw as juniors four-plus years ago. And much like San Jose, Calgary is in the Pacific and Western side of the state, making it a tough watch time-wise when they are on the tube. And lastly, the Flames’ agreement with the Mavs just happened last year, as they were affiliated with the New York Islanders previously. So the relationship between the Mavs and Flames is quite fresh and it is yet to be determined in terms of how Calgary will work with their lower affiliate (their AHL team is closer by in Stockton).

New Jersey Devils

Why cheering for the Devils makes sense

The Kansas City Scouts, Kansas City’s only NHL team ever, were actually the founding predecessor to the New Jersey Devils, as the Scouts were founded in 1974 and moved to Colorado in 1976 before finding their current home in Jersey in 1982. Furthermore, the Devils have had a great history as a club, as they have won three Stanley Cups and produced one of the greatest goaltenders ever in Martin Brodeur (though I’m sure Red Wings fans would beg to differ). And currently, the club is on the rise, as they have reigning MVP Taylor Hall, and made the playoffs last season after a five-year hiatus.

Why cheering for the Devils doesn’t make sense

The Scouts were only in existence for two seasons and were six years removed from when the club made its footing in Jersey. So, there wasn’t a lot of player crossover between the Scouts and Devils. Furthermore, in an era before the internet and on-demand tv, it’s highly unlikely that there was much fan crossover either. If people are Devils fans here in Kansas City, it’s either because they were bandwagon fans in the 90’s or they just really liked David Puddy from Seinfeld. Besides, there isn’t much that Missouri and New Jersey have in common…besides lousy, asshat, Republican governors of course.

Any other team than the Pittsburgh Penguins

Because fuck them…do I need any more reason, Kansas City? Don’t be a Penguins (or Sidney Crosby) fan for the love of God. Do the hockey world that favor at least.