Kansas City Blades
| Kansas City Blades | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Kansas City, Missouri |
| League | IHL (1990 to 2001) |
| Operated | 1990-2001 |
| Home arena | Kemper Arena |
| Colors | Red and White |
| Owner(s) | Russ and Diane Parker (1990-1996) The DeVos Family (1996-2001) |
| Head coach |
Doug Soetaert (1990-1991) Kevin Constantine (1991-1993) Jim Wiley (1993-1996) Vasily Tikhonov (1996) Don Jackson (1996-1997) Paul MacLean (1997-2000) Stan Smyl (2000-2001) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1974-1986 | Toledo Goaldiggers |
| 1990-2001 | Kansas City Blades |
| Championships | |
| Turner Cups | 1 1991-1992 |
The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the IHL folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena.
Russ and Diane Parker bought the dormant Toledo Goaldiggers franchise and moved it to Kansas City in 1990. Russ Parker conducted a contest to name the team and fans chose the name "Jazz"; however, because the NBA's Utah Jazz were already using that name, Parker decided to use the second most popular name, "Blades." George Brett was one of a number of local residents that had submitted the name "Blades" during the naming contest. Coincidentally, that was also the name of the IHL franchise that preceded the Goaldiggers in Toledo.
For the 1990-91 season, the Blades were an independent team. From 1991-1996, they were the primary affiliate of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks and Blades ended their association in the summer of 1996, leaving the Blades as an independent team again. This coincided with the sale of the team to the DeVos family, which also owned stakes in the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Orlando Solar Bears. One of the changes was an overhaul of the team logos and uniforms that was unveiled on July 9, 1998. The new logo was created by Sean Michael Edwards Design (SME) of New York City. For their final season, the Blades became the primary affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. The affiliation agreement was for two seasons, but the Blades, and the entire IHL, ceased operations one year into the partnership.
The Blades' best season was in 1991–92, when they won the Turner Cup in only their second season, under the coaching of Kevin Constantine. The Blades advanced to the Turner Cup finals again in 1995, only to lose in four straight games to the Denver Grizzlies.
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