Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins exhibition in Kansas City gauge for franchise –NHL News Update
Kansas City, Missouri, has been under consideration by most major sports leagues whether or not a franchise would do well in the city which lacks sports. The National Hockey League (NHL) is set to measure the favourability of a hockey team in the city when
Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins play their exhibition match at the Sprint Center on September 27.
The Sprint Center, which is the city’s biggest stadium, was built in October of 2007 with the help of NHL, which at that time gave the impression it would be solely used for a hockey team, but since its construction, there have been only three exhibition
matchups by various teams, all of which were also measurements of fan response.
According to Michael Roth, spokesman for the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which operates the rink for the city, Kansas city is prime land for the NHL.
“The NHL was involved in the development of the Sprint Center and made it clear it’s a very viable place as the home for an NHL team”, said Roth “Kansas City has embraced hockey and the Sprint Center puts on a good show. We continue to look for the right
opportunity (to further pursue a team)”.
The problem that remains is actually in the list of other cities awaiting a franchise, which would create an unfair environment if Kansas would be given a team first. Quebec City along with Southern Ontario would have to be jumped over. Both have waited
a long time for a franchise and were expecting good news when Atlanta Thrashers were announcing relocation, but instead, Winnipeg was the luck city.
Luc Robitaille, president of business operations for Los Angeles Kings, has his views on why Kansas might not be getting a franchise any time soon, and logically, they seem correct.
“You have to have some kind of local buyer”, said Robitaille. “I don’t know to what level were the talks in Kansas City, but there were some rumblings from time to time. But you have to have a buyer. What happened with Winnipeg is they had this buyer who
was willing to do whatever it took for that”.
Until a local buyer does not emerge, Kansas City is not expected to have an NHL franchise, which could mean the city remains deprived of a sports club for an uncertain timeframe.
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