“Kevin Klein was not always the biggest guy physically but very strong, a tremendous skater, and overall a great player,” said former Admirals coach Claude Noel. “There was an adjustment period for Kevin the first couple of months in the AHL, but once he made those changes you could really see the growth spurt in him and the success that he was going to have. He had a steep learning curve and it really moved him up quickly, and he’s turned himself into a very solid NHL player.”

Klein played with the Admirals from 2004-08. He amassed the third most games played by a defenseman, 220 games, in the Ads’ AHL era. In his first tour of duty with the Admiralsin the lock-out season of 2004-05, Klein showcased his potential to be a solid two-way defenseman by contributing 65 games played and recording 16 points (4 goals and 12 assists). He also displayed an outstanding disciplinary record by taking only 22 penalty minutes.

This paved the foundation for his breakout 2005-06 season. In 76 games played he led all defensemen with 42 points (10 goals and 32 assists) which caught the eye of the Predators, leading to his first NHL call-up. He would finish the season being a main factor in an Admirals team that reached the Calder Cup Finals, producing 10 points (3 goals and 7 assists) in 21 playoff games.

The following two seasons would see Klein spending much time between Nashville and Milwaukee. The 2006-07 campaign saw him play 70 games for the Admirals and scoring 20 points (5 goals and 15 assists). He received a brief call up to the Predators that season, and, on 26 January, 2007, scored his first NHL goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. His 2007-08 season would be limited to just 22 games, between the AHL and NHL, due to injury. He would return the following season to play 63 games for the Predators.

Currently, Klein is an NHL standout who just signed a five-year contract to remain with the Predators. Considering Ryan Suter’s free agent move to the Minnesota Wild, the door is open for Klein to step into a top-line defensive role for the Predators. In 2011-12 season for the Predators, Klein posted career highs in points (21) and goals (4), and is showing he is more than capable of becoming a force to be reckoned with at the NHL level.