Rosemont, Illinois
🏒 Chicago Wolves

Built as the Rosemont Horizon way back in 1980, the hockey barn that sits across Interstate 90 from O’Hare International is now known as Allstate Arena and serves as the home of the minor league Chicago Wolves. The venue seats almost 17,000 when the ice sheet is down, though it can hold many more in other formats. Although it was originally designed for indoor soccer and college basketball, it’s been the Wolves who have carried the torch for much of the building’s history.

Being close to 50 years old, the arena finds itself somewhat dated, with bland carpeting and cramped concourses. The entire seating bowl is also set at a very shallow incline, creating long treks for fans and creating some distant sightlines. The architecture of the arena’s shell, however, is one-of-a-kind, dominated by an awesome wooden roof that was conceived in such a way as to absorb noise from jet airliners taking off and landing directly above the venue.

On the ice and above it, the Wolves have compiled one of the most insane pyrotechnic shows in hockey, blasting off tons of indoor fireworks and shooting flames high into the air during the pregame intro sequence. Every goal is also celebrated with fireworks, accompanying the earsplitting fire engine-esque goal horn. In spite of the excitement this all brings, poor ventilation unfortunately means the resulting smoke often lingers and shrouds the crowd for a period or more before dissipating.

The venue does a great job of representing the local Chicagoland cuisine, though, offering up classics like Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago dogs. A few alcoholic outposts are also of note, including Vizzy Hard Seltzer and The Corner Bar, which serves loads of signature cocktails.

In the record books, the Wolves have inscribed more than almost any other AHL team since the turn of the millennium. They joined the league in 2001 after jumping ship from the International Hockey League, where they had played since their formation in 1994 and where they won three conference titles and two Turner Cups. In their more than quarter-century run in the AHL, they’ve secured one regular season trophy, 10 division titles, 6 conference championships and 3 Calder Cups.

The Wolves have endured and succeeded despite their many affiliation changes. They began as a partner of the Atlanta Thrashers, then linking with the Canucks and Blues before settling with the Vegas Golden Knights during that team’s inaugural season. In 2020, the team signed an agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes, their current parent club. Oddly enough, they’ve never been affiliated with the Blackhawks, who play less than 20 miles away. But the constant shuffle hasn’t seemed to interrupt the team’s winning formula and, even with its ever-growing age, Allstate Arena will be there to see what the next chapter has in store for the Chicago Wolves.