Black Days

By Tidalshark

And I have to wonder...why Wells?

Okay, okay. I know that Hatty asked about a potential Panther tie-in as the Bubba Gump outing, but I think she was thinking more along the lines of maybe getting Paul Laus to sign autographs on the concourse.

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Chris Wells in the first round, 24th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry draft.

The 6'6" center from Calgary, Alberta played four seasons of junior-major hockey with the Seattle Thunderbirds. He made his NHL debut in 1995, appearing in 54 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He started the 1996 season in the IHL with the Cleveland Lumberjacks, where I learned some interesting stories about his late night activities.

Actually, he wouldn't have even come to my notice, if former Panthers General Manager Bryan Murray hadn't, in his infinite wisdom, traded fan favorite Stu Barnes to the Penguins for him. I personally say that the tie streak that the Cats started their 1996 season with was an indicator of things to come, but most Cats fans equate the Wells-Barnes trade with the Panthers downfall.

The loss of Barnesy messed with the chemistry or something. And the Panthers, the sturdy little team that had captured lightning in a bottle and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals the year before, were suddenly on a losing streak.

Or if they weren't losing, they weren't winning either. His 47 Panthers appearances were not well received by the fans that felt he needed to spend some time down in the AHL. But the stayed and even appeared the Panthers abbreviated playoff appearance against the New York Rangers.

And he stayed, through the 1997-98 season -- the dark season -- the season of riots at the Miami Arena.

Wells was back the following season but after 20 Panther appearances made his way to the short lived AHL Beast of New Haven.

99 would mark his last NHL appearance and the beginning of the slide. He appeared in a mere 13 games for the Panthers, marking time otherwise with the AHL's Louisville Panthers and Hartford Wolf Pack. He appeared in 20 post-season games for the Wolf Pack, the year they won the Calder Cup.

The end of the turn of the century would see him in the AHL with the Utah Grizzlies for 43 games.

The following year found him playing the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers. It was possibly one of his more productive season, scoring 18 goals and recording 31 assists. Maybe he'd found his place in the world of hockey at last?

But last season saw him recording only six goals and nine assists while splitting time between Peoria of the ECHL and Khabaravsk Amur in Russia.

And now look...here he is back in Miami, trying out for the WHA2 Manatees.

And besides Wellsy � if you�re attending WHA2 training camp on a try out agreement, don�t you think it�s time to hang up the skates man? Isn�t there something else you could be doing for a living?

Maybe the Miami Arena holds some good memories for him. Who knows? But I don't think Wells - who wasn't well liked the first time around - is not the sort of Panthers tie-in that the fans were hoping for.

Then again, this is a team who decided to name their mascot Manny. The name the mascot contest asked for names for a tie in to the local scene. Manny ties in to the local scene all right. It was the name of the mascot for the ill-fated Miami Matadors.

Maybe it's just me, but the Manatees really seem to have a knack for picking up things with negative connotations to the Miami fans. A contract with Matador International for advertising, a mascot bearing the name of an ill-fated predecessor and now, a player that most fans would like to forget.

I don't think they're doing it intentionally. I just don't think they are doing their homework, is all.

Now of course, I'm sure I'll get jumped on again for posting negative thoughts to the web. I guess I'm only supposed to have an opinion about the moves that the team is making if it's a good opinion. Yes, that's right, just shut my mouth, put on my rosy-colored glass and go on believing everything is going to be okay.

There are no Manny monsters under the bed. Or in training camp either.

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