As the 2010s come to a close, we’re taking advantage of this opportunity to reflect on all of the terrific players and teams the Chicago Wolves have put on the ice over the last 10 years. It’s also time to vote for the Wolves’ All-Decade Team.
During this decade, the Wolves have captured six division titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) and stormed all the way to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals.
We began the voting with goaltenders, centers and right wings, but now we head to the blue line. The Wolves have been blessed with a ton of terrific defensemen who are lefty shooters. After much deliberation, these are the ones we suggest are the best of the best. Here are the candidates for the honor of Wolves Left Defenseman of the Decade in alphabetical order:
WOLVES ALL-DECADE CANDIDATES
Every great team has at least one great leader. Chris Butler certainly fulfilled that role for the 2016-17 team that rolled up 101 points and claimed the Central Division crown. Butler served as the consummate leader while producing five goals and 21 assists in 72 games in 2016-17. Over the course of his Wolves tenure, he posted 10 goals and 45 assists in 132 regular-season games. Butler capped his 11-year professional career by helping the St. Louis Blues — his hometown team — claim the Stanley Cup.
Dunn made his professional debut with the Wolves at the age of 19 in 2016-17. He posted one goal and one assist in his first game and wound up leading the team’s blue liners with 13 goals and 32 assists in 72 games. Dunn made the leap to the St. Louis Blues the following season and, with the exception of a two-game stint with the Wolves in 2017-18, has been in the NHL ever since. He owns 22 goals and 47 assists in 189 regular-season games and helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup.
Similar to Vince Dunn, Nic Hague was an NHL second-round pick who made his Wolves debut at the age of 19 and fit in right away. After playing a handful of games to close out the 2017-18 season, Hague became a blue-line force in his official rookie year. He piled up 13 goals and 19 assists during the regular season last year, then added four goals and seven assists during the run to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals. Hague has spent nearly all of this season with the Vegas Golden Knights and posted six assists in 27 appearances.
The Wolves signed Brad Hunt out of Bemidji State in March 2012 — and the undrafted defenseman with the wicked slapshot and terrific attitude kept working his way up the ladder until he made his NHL debut in January 2014. Hunt had two tours with the Wolves and produced 14 goals with 53 assists in 102 games. Since his last Wolves game in Nov. 2016, Hunt has played for St. Louis, Nashville, Vegas and Minnesota. He owns six goals and eight assists for the Wild this season.
Voting takes place on our social media. Visit Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Stories to offer your vote! The balloting for right wings closes Saturday, Dec. 21, and we’ll start a new poll Sunday. Each position will have three days, then we’ll unveil the All-Decade team on New Year’s Eve!
