The Kansas City metropolitan area boasts a rich tradition of professional hockey teams, and the Kansas City Outlaws were a part of this history, playing for a single season in the United Hockey League (UHL) in 2004-05.
Early Hockey in Kansas City
Prior to the Outlaws, the area had an organization in the American Hockey Association (AHA) from 1927 to 1942, known at various times as the Kansas City Pla-Mors, Greyhounds, and Americans. After WWII, the organization returned in the AHA's successor, the United States Hockey League (USHL), as the Kansas City Pla-Mors, Kansas City Mohawks, and Royals from 1945 to 1951. In 1967, the Kansas City Blues joined the Central Hockey League (CHL) from 1967 to 1972, but ceased operations when the Kansas City Scouts of the National Hockey League was awarded as an expansion team in the newly built Kemper Arena.
The Outlaws' Season
The Outlaws began their lone season by winning back-to-back home games against cross-state rival Missouri River Otters on October 15 and October 16, 2004, and earning a 5-1 record in the first two weeks. Rob Schweyer was named the team's first captain, but when he left the team following an injury, player/assistant coach Jason Ruff received the captain designation. Ruff went on to lead the Outlaws in scoring.
Star players for the Outlaws included Ruff, goaltender Maxime Gingras, winger Joe Seroski, defenseman Matthieu Descoteaux, winger Jimmy Callahan and center Mark Lee. The team played their final game, an 8-1 win over the Komets on April 10, 2005.
Challenges and Demise
The team struggled to attract fans as the reported attendance was "around 2,800" per game according to team officials. Following the finale, it was reported three days later that a local printing company, Superior Color Graphics LLC, had filed a lawsuit for non-payment against the team. The lawsuit was reported to be in totaling $45,777.56. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
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San Angelo Outlaws
The San Angelo Outlaws were a minor league hockey outfit that briefly enjoyed hot-ticket status in this West Texas community of 90,000 during the late 1990’s. The Outlaws entered the upstart Western Professional Hockey League as an expansion franchise for the league’s second season in 1997-98. The WPHL, which topped out at 19 clubs during the 1998-99 season, was primarily a Texas-Louisiana loop, though Arkansas, Mississippi and New Mexico each hosted one team.
During the team’s first two seasons, the Outlaws claimed average attendance of over 4,000 per game in the 5,200-seat San Angelo Coliseum. The team truly peaked during its second campaign. Head Coach Shaun Clouston’s squad won three playoff rounds to reach the WPHL’s President’s Cup championship series. The Outlaws lost in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Shreveport Mudbugs. At the box office San Angelo pulled in a franchise-record 4,113 fans per game that winter.
Players
No members of the San Angelo Outlaws ever advanced to the National Hockey League. Three players had very brief NHL experience before arriving in San Angelo. This fraternity included former Boston Bruins first round draft pick Shayne Stevenson (Outlaws ’98-’99) and goaltender Chad Erickson (Outlaws ’98-’99) and Patrick Labrecque (Outlaws ’99-’00). Jean Blouin (Outlaws ’97-’01) was the club’s all-time scoring leader, averaging nearly one goal per game (148 goals in 156 appearances) over three seasons.
Decline
In Year Three, following the Outlaws’ 1999 championship series run, crowds plunged 30% and continued to shrink every year thereafter. Following the 2000-01 season, the WPHL ceased to exist as it merged with the Central Hockey League (CHL). The Outlaws skated one final season under the CHL banner during the winter of 2001-02, missing the playoffs with a last place finish in their division. During the summer of 2002 the franchise changed hands and was re-branded as the San Angelo Saints ahead of the 2002-03 season.
Attendance
In their final season under the Outlaws name during the winter of 2001-02, San Angelo rated last place in the 16-team Central Hockey League for attendance.
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| Season | League | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | WPHL | Over 4,000 |
| 1998-99 | WPHL | 4,113 |
| 2001-02 | CHL | Last place in 16-team league |
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