St. Louis Blues: Chicago Wolves Demise Will Delight Some Fans

As human beings, we usually strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard. When it comes to sports, sometimes we can’t help but be a little less than we’d like in our perfect selves.

The St. Louis Blues found themselves in an extremely uncomfortable situation heading into the 2016-17 season. They lost their AHL affiliate in the Chicago Wolves and did not have time or an available team to switch to.

When we are all in our right minds, we can understand the business side of the equation. I even agreed with the decision at the time. I did not like it, but understood it.

The Wolves have long been an independent team, even when affiliated with an NHL squad. They did not react well when the Blues started telling them how to operate.

So, the relationship soured. These things happen. Just in my lifetime, the Blues will have had six AHL affiliates after they align with the San Antonio Rampage.

However, as fans, we are not always in our right minds. Sometimes, we take a little pleasure (a lot for some people) in the demise of those we feel have wronged us.

Normally, I don’t do these things. Those that have read this space long enough know that I try to keep things even keel and attempt to be as unbiased as a fan can be. However, upon looking at the AHL standings, I could not help but smirk.

The Chicago Wolves are currently in last place in the league. That’s right, dead last in the entire AHL.

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Now, you can’t have a full-on smile since there are several Blues prospects still with the Wolves. These are guys we like such as Ivan Barbashev, Wade Megan and Jake Walman.

Still, after all the talk of the wonders Las Vegas would do for the Wolves, you have to take some satisfaction in this. Heading into the first weekend of December, the Wolves have only managed five wins out of 19 games.

That’s a winning percentage of a paltry .368. They’ve only scored 51 goals and allowed 63. As much as we lament the Blues goaltending prospect predicament, this makes me grateful they are not with Chicago right now.

Again, normally who would care. It’s not our team and other than being Chicago, why would anyone care what happens to an AHL team not affiliated with us.

It was the rhetoric upon leaving that makes us a little spiteful though. It was nowhere near the level of vitriol spouted by Stan Kroenke, but there were some harsh words.

It was not spelled out, but the Wolves plainly did not like any of their time with the Blues. The funny part about it was, and is, they were the most successful when they finally gave the Blues a large measure of control.

They stunk before that and they stink now.

Then there was the slightly nauseating kissing of George McPhee’s rear. The man has an eye for talent, but he’s won nothing.

He’s clearly assembled a good team and staff in Vegas, but his teams in Washington and New York were good but never great. Where is this championship squad the Wolves seemed ready to showcase under the Vegas umbrella?

You can argue that they are getting used to the system and still have Blues players and blah, blah, blah. The reality is they suck.

They made their bed and now they are sleeping in it.

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Maybe they’ll win a championship under Las Vegas. It’s sure as heck not happening this season, barring some unheard of turnaround.

Again, in the grand scheme of things, this doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect the Blues much, other than their players being on a bad team, which has happened before. It doesn’t affect any of us either.

There is still that little piece of us that takes a tiny bit of enjoyment from this though. Maybe it’ll be gone tomorrow, but for now we can all point and snicker for a moment.

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