Blackhawks Season Was Supposed to Open Tonight...

The Chicago Blackhawks were supposed to open their season tonight against the Minnesota Wild, but the season remains on hold due to the owners' lock-out of the players. The owners voted to lock out the players until a new collective bargaining agreement could be hammered out between the clubs and the players association. With many of the teams opperating in the red and 75% of team revenue going to the players' salaries, the owners want a new economic structure. Of course, the players don't want their gravy train to be cut off. The sides are far apart and it seems likely that the matter will wipe out the entire NHL season.

So hockey fans will have to turn elsewhere for their hockey fix. But lucky for Chicago, we've got a top tier minor league team in town, the Chicago Wolves. Playing in the AHL, the Wolves went 42-26 last season and made it to the Western Division finals. So watching the Wolves means watching a good hockey team for a change. Chicagoist thinks they'd probably beat Blackhawks if they were actually to play each other!

The Wolves season will start this week, with them opening their regular season on Friday in Milwaukee and playing their first home game at the AllState Arena in Rosemont on Saturday.