Kansas City not entirely off radar for future NHL expansion

The NHL hasn't closed the book on returning to Kansas City.

Since opening its doors in 2007, the downtown Sprint Center, which seats more than 17,500 for hockey, has hosted five NHL exhibition games, and will do so again this preseason in a neutral-site contest between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues.

The Sprint Center is a rare new facility with no pro team as an anchor tenant, but the arena has been a proposed landing spot for a relocation, including the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007 and the New York Islanders in 2011.

Preseason contests, particularly those involving the cross-state Blues, allow the NHL to gauge hockey interest in Kansas City. But a team in the City of Fountains wouldn't be a first for the NHL. Kansas City was home to the expansion Scouts, who joined the league in 1974. The team lasted just two seasons before uprooting for Denver, then moving again in 1982 to become the New Jersey Devils.

While the Scouts are no longer, hockey interests in the city have continued to be served at the minor-pro level. For 11 seasons, the Blades skated in the International Hockey League, prior to the league dissolving in 2001, and most recently, the ECHL's Missouri Mavericks have carried local support.

"Kansas City has never been entirely off our radar screen," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Dave Caldwell of ESPN.com. "We have talked to potentially interested stakeholders in the past, and it's certainly a market that in the right circumstances (including a desire by our board to entertain further expansion) our league would fairly evaluate and consider.

"We have never studied whether the market demographics of Kansas City are likely to be suitable for an NHL franchise long-term because there has not yet been a need to do so."

Should the NHL eventually return to Kansas City, Mavericks owner and Kansas City Chiefs part-owner, Lamar Hunt Jr., has long been rumored as a potential franchise owner.

While Hunt did not submit a proposal as part of the NHL's most recent expansion process - he balked at the $500-million expansion fee, calling it "ridiculously big" in a July 2015 interview with The Kansas City Star - it does not mean the market is no longer a possibility for the NHL.

Before the NHL becomes a focus for Hunt, who still sees an NHL entry and an expansion bid as a challenge for the Kansas City market, the goal is to grow hockey interests at the grassroots level.

"Our analysis is that we really have to grow the youth programs here. We have to have more sheets of ice," said Hunt, who also serves on the executive board of the Kansas City Youth Hockey Association.

This season, the Mavericks, who drew more than 5,000 fans at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in nearby Independence, Mo., will rebrand as the Kansas City Mavericks in an effort to drive the local hockey market.

"When you think of hockey in the state of Missouri, you think of one spot on the other side of the state," Mavericks general manager Brent Thiessen told Caldwell. "It's putting Kansas City on the hockey map, if you will."

Further growth of the city's budding hockey interests could be the key to the NHL's return to Kansas City.

"In evaluating potential locations for NHL teams, we typically look at three things," Daly said. "One, whether the market has or is building a suitable arena facility; two, the demographics of the market and whether they suggest an ability to support an NHL franchise; and, three, whether there is qualified and interested ownership to own and operate the franchise.

"While the Sprint Center certainly checks off the first of those boxes, the other two issues remain a work in progress."

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Chris Neil: Bryan Murray was like a father to me

The hockey world continues to mourn the passing of former NHL general manager and coach Bryan Murray, who succumbed to a three-year battle with colon cancer at age 74 on Saturday.

Perhaps the most poignant tribute came from one of the toughest to play for the Ottawa Senators in recent years, gritty winger Chris Neil, who remains an unrestricted free agent following 1,026 games with the team.

"(Murray) was like a father to me with the bond we had," Neil told the Ottawa Sun's Ken Warren. "He gave me an opportunity to play. I have so much respect for the guy for what he has done in hockey and what he has done in getting people checked out for colon cancer."

Neil, known largely for his willingness to drop the gloves for his teammates, scored 28 goals over the two full seasons Murray served as Ottawa's head coach - a testament to his ability to get the most out of his players.

"He got the most out of every single guy in the locker room. Whether you played four minutes or 24 minutes, guys would skate through the wall for him. In today's game, that's hard to find. He was really good at reading people and relating with players."

Neil also credited Murray for being a fighter to the very end, and for leaving a lasting impact as a result.

"He fought for a long time," Neil said. "When he was first diagnosed, he wasn't given much time, but he surpassed all that. He knew what he had to do. He got the word out about colon cancer. He was open and honest about it and he is going to save some lives because of it. He was remarkable."

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Predators’ Mazanec signs 1-year KHL deal

Goaltender Marek Mazanec signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava of the KHL, the team announced Monday.

Mazanec is under contract with the Nashville Predators on a two-way deal for 2017-18 at a salary-cap hit of $650,000, according to Cap Friendly. This contract was agreed upon earlier this summer prior to a scheduled arbitration hearing.

The 26-year-old spent the majority of the past three seasons with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, and has been bumped down the Predators' depth chart by the emergence of Juuse Saros, who's expected to be Pekka Rinne's primary backup this season.

Drafted 179th overall in 2012, Mazanec made 31 appearances for Nashville, posting an 8-13-4 record with an .895 save percentage.

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Tocchet: ‘Beast’ Chychrun won’t miss entire season with knee injury

Rick Tocchet expects to deploy defenseman Jakob Chychrun at some point during his first season behind the Arizona Coyotes' bench.

The 19-year-old underwent surgery following a knee injury suffered during summer training, and is out indefinitely. Tocchet, however, foresees playing time for Chychrun in 2017-18.

"He's just a beast," Tocchet told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Friday, per NHL.com. "If this happened to somebody else, you might have a guy who's out for the year. I don't know the time frame (for his recovery), but it's not for the year. It's something that he's going to bounce back (from). He's an animal. It's almost like we've got to crank this kid down a little bit."

Chychrun was selected 16th overall by the Coyotes at the 2016 NHL Draft, and recorded seven goals and 13 assists while averaging 16:40 of ice time in 68 games last season.

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Haula hopes to build legacy with Golden Knights

There's no getting around it, the 2017-18 season will be one of many firsts for Erik Haula and his newly-created team.

The 26-year-old was plucked by the Vegas Golden Knights during the expansion draft from the Minnesota Wild and is now eager to get started with the league's first expansion franchise in 17 years.

"It's exciting," Haula said, according to NHL.com's Jessi Pierce. "I'll always love Minnesota but I'm looking forward to starting something new. It's great. (It's a) new team - everything is going to be new.

"You're starting to build your own legacy. Nothing has happened (in Vegas) before. Everything is new. It's a great opportunity for everybody, so you just start building from there. Everyone is new, so we've just got to kick it into gear as fast as possible and spend a lot of time with the guys on the team and get to know each other. I'm really excited for this opportunity in my career."

Haula played the first four years of his career with Minnesota after the Wild selected him in the seventh round in 2009. And because of that, Haula admits the transition to a new club will be difficult.

"(Minnesota) is home," Haula said. "It's hockey, and this will always be like a home to me. I love it here. The fans have been amazing. Definitely the weirdest part is going to be playing against them. It comes pretty quick. I'm sure I'll be super excited and a little nervous to return, but I'll always be back here. It was great to hear all the comments and everything I got from the fans."

Haula will have the opportunity give Wild fans his thanks in person when the Golden Knights make their first visit visit to Saint Paul on Nov. 30.

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Look: Penguins’ Murray lets dog eat out of Stanley Cup

When you win the Stanley Cup, you get to do whatever you want with it.

For Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Matt Murray, that includes letting your dog use it to dust off a wee snack.

Beckham, meet Stanley πŸ†

A post shared by Beckham Murray (@beckhamthenewf) on

Murray, who won his second championship in June, got his day with the Cup on Saturday and spent some quality time in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

No disrespect to Murray's furry companion, Beckham, but, we suggest that mug gets a solid cleaning before it gets passed on to an unsuspecting Penguins teammate.

- With h/t to NHL.com

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Blues, city of St. Louis facing lawsuit over arena upgrade

Improvements to the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues, have become the subject of a legal challenge.

A suit filed Friday claims planned publicly funded upgrades to the arena are not constitutional in the state of Missouri, and are in violation of article VI, which states: "In that it permanently grants substantial public money to a for-profit corporation for the purpose of assisting that corporation to make further profits for itself."

Both the Blues and the city of St. Louis have been named in the suit, which was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs, including city alderman Cara Spencer.

The arena upgrades, which began in late June, are backed by $64 million issued in bonds. However, a spokesperson for city comptroller Darlene Green claimed she has no intention of signing an agreement to fund the project.

"The comptroller has not approved the transaction to issue bonds for the renovation of Scottrade Center, as it would incur debt to the city's general fund for nonessential services and negatively impact the city's credit," spokesperson Tyson Pruitt told Mike Faulk of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The comptroller is exploring new methods to finance the arena renovation, according to Pruitt.

The Blues have played out of the Scottsdale Center since 1994, which stands as the NHL's fifth-oldest arena. The facility was built for $135 million, and while the city of St. Louis retains ownership of the building, it is operated by the Blues and leaseholder Kiel Center Partners.

Blues ownership, led by local businessman Tom Stillman, claims the suit is "frivolous," according to the Post-Dispatch, and that the city is obligated to sign the finance agreement.

"This lawsuit, spearheaded by one member of the Board of Aldermen in a clear attempt to counter the consensus of her fellow elected officials, is frivolous, disappointing and embarrassing to our city," Kiel Center Partners said in a statement. "It also has the potential to be extremely costly, not only to taxpayers, but to the regional and national reputation of St. Louis."

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Hawerchuk to join Jets Hall of Fame prior to game vs. Coyotes

The Winnipeg Jets will pay tribute to a local legend this season.

Prior to a Nov. 14 contest against the Arizona Coyotes, the Jets will induct former captain Dale Hawerchuk into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.

Hawerchuk becomes the fourth inductee after Anders Hedberg, Bobby Hull, and Ulf Nilsson were added last season. Hawerchuk spent nine seasons with the original Jets franchise, which relocated to Arizona in 1996 and became the Coyotes.

In March 2007, Hawerchuk was inducted into the Coyotes' Ring of Honor, joining Hull and former Jets forward Thomas Steen.

Drafted first overall in 1981, Hawerchuk quickly proved his worth, as he recorded 103 points in his debut season to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

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