Kansas City's professional hockey history dates back to 1927. The city's first team was the Pla-Mors of the American Hockey Association, they played their first home game on January 28, 1928. The Pla-Mors won that game against the Winnipeg Maroons with 4,000 fans in attendance.
The Pla-Mors name changed to the Greyhounds for a few years. Then, the team was sold and the name was changed to the Americans. After World War II, the Pla-Mors name resurfaced.
The United States Hockey League (which the second incarnation of the Pla-Mors belonged to) suspended operations in 1951, so Kansas City was left without a team until 1967, when the St. Louis Blues Central Hockey League affiliate came to the American Royal Arena to play. The team was under .500 for four of its five years, but Kansas City was becoming the center of the CHL. The league moved their offices from Fort Worth to Kansas City. The city was becoming a hot bed of hockey, with an amateur hockey association forming for people 19 years and older. Youth leagues were also popping up around town.
Since 1974 Kansas City's professional hockey teams have called Kemper Arena home, starting with the NHL's Kansas City Scouts. The Scouts resided there for two years until the franchise moved to Denver, and became the Rockies and then later the New Jersey Devils.
After the Scouts moved, the CHL Blues came back. In the 1976-77 season, they won the CHL title. The Blues moved their affiliate to Salt Lake City, and the KC Blues dissolved.
The Detroit Red Wings stepped in next, placing their CHL affiliate in Kansas City. The team played in Kansas City from 1977-79. But on April 14, 1979, hockey was gone from Kansas City, as the Red Wings moved their affiliate to Glen Falls, New York.
After an eleven-year absence, professional hockey was welcomed back to town. On March 16, 1990, the Kansas City city council voted 11-0 to approve the newest hockey franchise in Kansas City. Russell and Diane Parker brought the suspended franchise of the Toledo Goaldiggers to Kansas City. They became known as the Kansas City Blades. They are Kansas City's longest running professional hockey franchise, having played eleven years prior to folding on June 4, 2001.
Finally, after nearly three years of campaigning, complaining, and speculating, hockey came back to Kansas City. A local owner came forward to bring KC a United Hockey League team. On July 8, 2004 Chillicothe resident Stephen Franke announced that he was bringing hockey back. A name the team contest was held. The top three choices were: Twisters, Outlaws, and Express. Gail Rowland of Overland Park was the lucky winner of tickets for life by submitting the winning name of Outlaws.
The Outlaws hired Darryl Williams as head coach, and thus began the Kansas City Outlaws. They played their first game at Kemper October 15, 2004. The team folded at the end of the season, after a 28-45-7 record.
| Last updated June 25, 2005 |  |