Relocated NAHL team suspends operations for 2020-21 season
SHAWNEE, Kan. — A second team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) is opting to sit out the 2020-21 season. This comes from a joint press release Wednesday from the NAHL and the Kansas City Scouts.
A statement from league commissioner and president Mark Frankenfield attributes the suspension to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the team had previously relocated from Topeka, Kan. in mid-May. The former Topeka Pilots were ready to begin hockey action this season at their new home in Shawnee.
Relocation and COVID-19 restrictive to Kansas City’s NAHL operations
“The Scouts had recently transitioned to a new area,” states Frankenfield. “[And] it became clear that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were going to restrict their operations.”
Scouts owner and governor Lamar Hunt Jr., who purchased the team in April 2018 as part of Loretto Sports Ventures, expressed similar sentiments.
Hunt recognized that this year has become one of transition for their franchise with new branding and local restrictions relating to the pandemic.
Citing those reasons, Hunt states, “The Scouts have decided to step back and begin preparations to launch the brand for the 2021-22 season.”
“It is important for us to continue to be able to adapt and keep the dialogue open with our teams to address their concerns,” Frankenfield additionally notes.
The former Pilots team did earn a spot in the Robertson Cup Playoffs when the 2019-20 season was put to a halt due to the pandemic. The team had a 33-14-5 record at that point. The team saw 17 players make commitments to NCAA schools, including eight commitments to Division I schools.
Scouts preparing for NAHL return in 2021
While the Scouts are not playing this season, they have set a return date for the next season in 2021.
Frankfield states, “We support the Kansas City Scouts decision and look forward to their return in 2021-22 in the Kansas City area.”
Although joining Corpus Christi on the NAHL inactive list, Scouts presence not going anywhere
The Scouts will be joining the Corpus Christi IceRays on the inactive list for the upcoming season. This, however, does not eliminate their presence in the community.
“The Scouts organization will continue to be fully present in the hockey community,” Hunt states. “[We will] look for opportunities to engage in camps, clinics, and skills training for players of all ages and thus begin to build that brand awareness.”
Hunt continues to state that all on-ice activities will be within full compliance with local, state, and Federal guidelines.
“The Scouts sincerely appreciate the support of the NAHL, its member teams, and fellow owners,” Hunt adds. Hunt also references the support of the hockey community in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
In the meantime, a dispersal draft will be held soon for players on the team’s Protected List for the season. The list includes veteran players, tenders and draft picks.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
