Toughest seat in the house They're called the black aces, but these Wolves players would prefer to discard their spots on the sidelines.(Sports)

Byline: Mike Spellman Daily Herald Sports Writer

To a professional hockey player, these words are a punch to the gut: "You're not on the playoff roster."

Across the American Hockey League, as winter morphed into spring, coaches and general mangers brought in players for 1-on-1 meetings to tell them they would be healthy scratches in the playoffs and would only see ice time if someone was injured.

Welcome to the world of the black aces.

Because teams can only dress 18 skaters and two goalies in the playoffs, there are players on each team who are out of luck - elite players who suddenly find themselves on the sidelines. Instead of donning the sweater and hitting the ice on game day, it's a suit and tie and a seat in the upper deck. …