I remember growing up in the 90s when the Wolves would routinely outdraw the Blackhawks as far as crowds. It was just a much better fan experience, and at least then, they weren’t affiliated with an NHL team, so they didn’t risk losing their good players to the NHL like a lot of the other teams.

I’m a season ticket holder for the wolves. I was at that game and they are so fun. The pregame and fans are so good

Another great video, SAC sports adventures! Love seeing the content you provide!

I have been to several Wolves games (20+ years ago) and going to those games was always a great time, like another poster said many of the people in Chicago hated Bill Wirtz but liked hockey so they were pretty popular for a minor league team in a big pro market. On the other hand I had a family member in the Depaul band so I have been to many of their games. Depaul was/is the doormat of the Big East, the arena is far away from campus and was always dead (the student section had no joke normally had like 10-20 people), and the only reason people would go was to see the opposing team. I was always amazed how they never got kicked out of the Big East, maybe they just liked the idea of having a team in the Chicago market in their conference, they are like Vanderbilt being in SEC football.

Completely agree that the sightlines in the lower bowl are terrible due to the slope not being steep enough.

That was definitely one of the craziest gameday experiences I've ever had! The pyro show alone was wild, I was sure they were going to catch something on fire. UNHINGED. That mascot is gonna haunt my dreams for a long time...

Was there in '96 before any renovations, the seats were extremely narrow and this hard laminate like a school desk/seat, place had a weird bubble gum smell and I think its always smoky in there due to the pyrotechnics, it was back then too, it is said the seats are at such a shallow angle due to building height restrictions in its placement by the airport, but the place is absolutely a testament to the popularity of pro hockey in Chicagoland that they and the Blackhawks can get big crowds.

Allstate Arena has great seats. My favorite spot for years was section 215. I went there during the glory years between 1998 and 2009. The place was loud and rocking during those years.its a working class looking arena. it has no skyboxes. But it's my second home. The place can get really loud even with a small crowd. I think it's the loudest hockey arena in the Midwest. I still love the Wolves and Allstate Arena

I get to a handful of Wolves games over the course of a season. The stadium is relatively close to me, so when I’m not photographing the Steel in Geneva, I roll over to the Wolves. The Pyro heat can definitely be felt off the ice! I’ve sat in one of the first few rows once, and it felt toasty. My last game, I was a credentialed photographer, and so I was on the ice at the penalty boxes during the Pyro show and I definitely felt the heat. You’re right, the pyro guy definitely goes nuts with it and I always wonder if the roof will catch fire. From a photographer’s perspective, I was credentialed in this arena before for both the Wolves and Harlem Globetrotters. At the Globetrotters, I just sat on the court in a traditional floor photographer manner. But for the Wolves, there is literally only two places to shoot from. One is at the Zamboni Gate and the other is up in the press box. The lighting is fairly inconsistent for hockey as there are some nice and bright spots and other kinda dark spots on the ice. A few fun facts, the visiting team’s dressing room is the same dressing room that bands use for concerts. The Wolves have their own Locker Room but they need to go past all the visitors gear bags and trunks before they get to the Zamboni driveway to reach the ice. Also, there is no dump pit for ice shavings, so the Zambonis actually leave the building and dump their shavings in a corner of the parking lot. People who park by the Target take a big risk because that strip mall will tow cars. However, Uber and Lyft sometimes drop fans off at the Target lot because the designated drop off point backs up and has a kinda weird way for the drivers to exit to the north through a alley behind the Target. Also, some fans go to the Culver’s in the Target lot before a game because that location offers a game day discount. The discount is supposed to apply to Wolves Booster club members, but in reality Culver’s pretty much gives a discount to anyone who’s attending a game.

Possibly my least favorite AHL arena I've been to (maybe it's my Admirals bias). Haven't been there in years, but twice since the renovations. It was even worse before that. The sight lines are the biggest problem. There's just not enough slope. I remember those upper level corner sections being the best seats. I don't think the pre-game presentation has changed much since the beginning in 1994... same song, same fireworks. I know there's a newer, better arena up the interstate a bit, but it's smaller and even farther out from Chicago. I wonder if the Wolfies have ever considered a move there.

Skates is NOT scary!! He's cute and absolutely fun to be around. You obviously have a poor taste in the grey wolf itself. Been a huge fan of the Chicago Wolves since 2016, and I don't take kindly to them being made fun of.

You finally did it!! And I agree with everything you said!

Looks like it would be a good time for the fans even without great sightlines. BTW are you still an Admirals season ticket holder?

i think we were on the camera with those blue and black trumpets!

My school actually had a field trip to there to watch a Wolves game(it was something the Wolves did with a lot of other schools nearby).Probably one of the best field trips I went on(although we had to leave early to get back to school on time).

You need to make a trip the Bmo in Rockford to see the Icehogs

The roof is made of wood so you can’t hear the planes landing at o’hare

0:42 so happy they moved to wintrust😂

I wish the nhl had fireworks

Any updates on the Phantoms video?

Looks very outdated