This is the story of Kansas City's attempt to integrate major-league hockey into its sports marketplace, only to see it fall through thin ice. Troy Treasure, an award-winning sports reporter, tells the riveting story of the Kansas City Scouts, who began playing in the National Hockey League in 1974. Perhaps the franchise's owners should have guessed it would be a struggle from the beginning: After finally getting an arena, its original name--the Mo-Hawks--was rejected because the Chicago Blackhawks thought it too closely resembled their moniker.But while the franchise underperformed on the ice and at the box office, there was also triumphs and plenty of laughs mixed in with the tears. During their two years on the ice, the Scouts featured the biggest on-ice badass in the NHL, a combustible coach, and one of hockey's all-time funny men.Filled with player interviews and painstakingly researched, this book pays tribute to the history of professional hockey in Kansas City, the city's other pro sports teams, and athletics at large. Troy researches like a historian and thinks like a hockey beat reporter. The result is a comprehensive and wonderfully-written account of the life and death of the Kansas City Scouts. Throughout, Troy has resurrected hockey names and history that provides the reader with hours of entertainment ... and education. This definitely belongs in any hockey fan's library. Cynthia Lambert, former Detroit Red Wings beat writer for the Detroit News and author of Power Play: My Life Inside the Red Wings Locker Room Received it and enjoyed it. Gord Stellick, co-host of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio's NHL Morning Skate and former general manager, Toronto Maple Leafs. The 1970's were an exciting time of growth for Kansas City and for the National Hockey League. Unfortunately the Kansas City Scouts couldn't overcome the many hurdles they faced, denying a great sports town the chance to truly embrace the best hockey league in the world.Troy Treasure has done a phenomenal job taking us back to that time and detailing what went wrong. If you're interested in the history of Kansas City or the evolution of the National Hockey League, Icing On The Plains belongs on your bookshelf! Steve Stewart, Kansas City Royals radio broadcaster Johnson County, Kansas voters rejected the idea of paying for Kansas City's new arena. Kansas City Scouts general counsel G. Robert Fisher: "(George) McGovern lost to (Richard) Nixon worse than our vote, but not by much. We didn't get the tax," Fisher said. "The league said, 'What are you going to do about an arena? You went from a leader to a maybe.' Our group said, 'No, we can partner up and move downtown.'" Troy Treasure is a longtime newspaper sports writer and radio broadcaster. Treasure has received awards from media and press associations in Mississippi, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri.