April 15, 2008
Here we go with the playoffs. This season, Milwaukee won 44 games and finished fourth in the West Division. All in all, it was a very good season for the Admirals. So much was unknown at the beginning of the year. Remember…We didn’t think Pekka Rinne would be the team’s goalie. With Nashville dealing Tomas Vokoun it was thought Rinne would join Chris Mason in Nashville. Well, Dan Ellis came in and knocked Pekka back to Milwaukee. What a season for the Admirals goalie. He tied the team mark for wins in a season (36) and was named to the All-Star game for the second time in his three year AHL career. It’s hard to say where this team would’ve been without him.
Who was going to score the goals? Rich Peverley and Cal O’Reilly were the top two goal scorers returning from last season. The Admirals had only two players (Peverley and Brandon Segal) score twenty goals last year. We thought Peverley would be back and forth to Nashville, so who was there to score? Well, Josh Langfeld was a nice addition. Antti Pihlstrom led the team with 27 in his first North American season. Matt Ellison nearly doubled his career high of 14 and finished with 26. Rookie Mike Santorelli scored 21 goals. Janne Niskala and Cody Franson scored quite a bit on the power play. John Vigilante’s total rose from last year. This season was the first since the 2004-05 season that Milwaukee had four 20-goal scorers. It’s also the first time, ironically, since that season (second all-time) that the team didn’t have a player score a hat trick in a game. I believe this season marks the first time that two players in their first North American pro season Pihlstrom and Santorelli) have scored 20 or more goals for Milwaukee.
How was a first year coach going to handle the group? The answer, as it turns out, incredibly well. Lane Lambert and Brad Lauer proved to be a very good duo behind the Admirals bench. I’ve said on many occasions that I don’t know anyone who hates losing more than Lambert. He has learned a lot this season about himself and the players he deals with on a daily basis. Lane has learned when to be tough and when to lay off and he communicates very well with the team.
We lost two Europeans that we thought would really help the team. Unfortunately Oliver Setzinger and Richard Stehlik had more bad moments than good in Milwaukee. With those two returning to Europe, time was opened for Mark Matheson and Bryan Schmidt on defense and Andreas Thuresson at forward. Thuresson, for a 20-year old, thinks the game like a veteran. Matheson adds a good offensive defenseman to the lineup and Schmidt does the same with, maybe, a little more ruggedness.
Alex Sulzer proved to be one of the more valuable players on the team. He’s a tremendous defenseman and it has hurt the team that he’s been out of the lineup with injury. I think I would take the duo of Niskala and Sulzer over the foreign duo from last season of Ville Koistinen and Mikko Lehtonen. I like Niskala’s increasing nastiness and I just like Sulzer’s overall game.
Alex Henry and Nolan Yonkman proved to be valuable on and, maybe more importantly, off the ice. Both are consummate professionals and both have enjoyed very good seasons.
All in all, there was a whole lotta good this year with the Admirals. The team won 26 games on home ice. Now the playoffs are coming with a meeting against the hated Chicago Wolves. Hopefully we’ll keep the good times going at the Bradley Center with a long run. I’ll see you at the B.C.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
April 9, 2008
How does one select a MVP? Coach of the year? Goalie of the year? Could a firm decision on any awards be more subjective?
There are some that are slam dunks. Last year, I don’t think anyone could dispute that Darren Haydar was the MVP. This year, despite good performances by many others on the team, Pekka Rinne is
More often than not, people choose for who they know and/or see on a regular basis. I do not vote for any league awards and I don’t think I should. I’ve seen TWO teams in the East. How can I tell you that Michael Leighton is the best goalie in the league when I haven’t seen him play this year? I say it’s Rinne. I could say Curtis McElhinney is. Karl Goehring is putting
My point with this diatribe: it’s SO easy to look at a stats sheet and deem someone worthy of being the best. I hope those who voted did their due diligence and looked a little deeper than page one of the AHL’s website.
This season’s version of the Admirals had, perhaps, the most unknowns of any team in the division.
Moving on…
On the suite level at the Bradley Center there are several poster size photos of performers that have played at the venue, or for a team at the venue. They could be musicians, athletes, coaches or any other type of entertainer. There is one picture of the great Al McGuire and, according to my count, three that feature Tom Crean. That seems wrong to begin with. I’m curious how long any of those three remain on display. My favorite, by the way (aside from the Admirals pictures) is one right next to the press box door that features Bucks guard Junior Bridgeman as he’s trying to dribble away from former Knicks guard Michael Ray Richardson.
Nearly everyone I know is picking
You know what’s a shame? Former Admirals goalie Goehring being left off
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
April 8, 2008
So we’re flying back from San Antonio Saturday morning after a 4-2 loss to the Rampage the previous night. The bus left for the airport at 4:45 a.m. and it was, obviously, a quiet group. The flight was scheduled to leave at 6:35 a.m.We get on the plane and everyone is seated. I’m in seat 14D, an aisle seat. The seat to my right is empty and Matt Ellison is seated at the window. Equipment manager Dave Randolph sits across the aisle from me. The two seats behind him are empty while the row behind me is comprised of a mother and two teenaged children, a boy on the aisle and a girl at the window with mom in the middle.
Once the plane door closes, Jason Guerriero steps up to claim one of the empty seats behind Dave. The mom behind me asks Jason, “Are you guys models?” This question horrifies the son who, in shock, says “MOM!!”. Jason, casually, answers the question, “I don’t know about these other guys, but, yes, I am.”. The mom says, “Hmmm” to which the son, starting to really become embarrassed, says “MOM!!!”.
Jason changes his answer: “I’m just kidding. We’re all underwear models.” Mom replies with “HMMMM.” Son replies with “MOM!!!!!!!”
Jason changes his answer, again: “No, we’re a hockey team from Milwaukee.” After a short pause he adds, “But I do some modeling on the side.” Mom says, “I believe it. You’re all so handsome.” The son, I think, is still probably walking around with a bright red face.
The flight we were on started in San Antonio, stopped in Chicago then went to Boston. When we deplaned and walked up the jetway, there at the top waiting to get on the plane to Boston was Hockey Hall-of-Famer Cam Neely. He and Lane Lambert chatted for a while.
Moving on…
I had the chance to meet goalie Mark Dekanich (pronounced DECK-a-nitch) Sunday at the Bradley Center. Dekanich just finished his four year college career at Colgate. He said he chose to go to school at Colgate because the school was the first to offer him a scholarship to play hockey. He seemed to be a quick wit, too, which I really like and I know fans will like, too. I asked what he will be graduating with in May and he replied, “Major in history and a minor in sociology and anthropology (I think those were the minors).” I asked what he does with a degree like that and he replied, succinctly, “Play hockey.” Dekanich, who has very, very long hair, says he’s growing it out because he’s starting to lose it and he’s afraid to get a haircut in fear that it won’t grow back. He just pulls the hair back inside his facemask, he doesn’t need to use a clip or a rubber band. He’s already received some ribbing about his hair from his future teammates in Milwaukee. Dekanich is expected to be one of the two Milwaukee goalies next season.
Cal O’Reilly’s assist total continues to climb. His total of 63 this season ranks him tenth on the Admirals single season list. With three more, he’ll move past Fred Berry (1981-82) and Shawn Evans’ (1992-93) total of 65 into eighth on the single season list. O’Reilly is also just 53 assists from tying Kevin Willison for tenth on the all-time assists list with 163. If Cal’s here next season, he should crack the top six on the all-time list with ease.
Pekka Rinne needs two wins to become the record holder for wins in a single season. Rinne is currently tied with Lindsay Middlebrook for second. Middlebrook recorded 35 in the 1985-86 season. Brian Finley holds the record with 36 in the 2004-05 season.
Three left with the Aeros…then it’s anyone’s guess where the team will be for the playoffs. Could be hosting, could be in Houston, San Antonio, Rockford, Chicago or Toronto. This time of year is very exciting. Bring your friends to the Bradley Center when you come for the playoffs. This Milwaukee team has been very, very good at home. The Admirals have won two out of every three games at home this season. Trust me, the guys love playing in front of the fans we have at the Bradley Center.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
March 28, 2008
A neat thing happened to a couple of Nashville’s picks in the 2007 Draft a week ago. Jon Blum, a Vancouver Giants defenseman, and Mark Santorelli, a forward for Chilliwack, took the face-off in a ceremonial puck drop with hockey legend Gordie Howe. According to TSN.com…The Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants celebrated his upcoming 80th birthday in a pre-game ceremony on Sunday. Howe is a minority owner of the Giants.
Former NHLers Bill Gadsby, Marcel Dionne, Pat Quinn, Jean Beliveau and Marty Howe, his eldest son, who played alongside him and brother Mark in the 1970s, participated in a pre-game ceremony. Wayne Gretzky's father Walter was also there. Instead of wearing Red Wings colors, Howe sported a Giants jersey bearing No. 9 and Mr. Hockey on the back. The defending national major junior champion Giants presented Howe with a replica Memorial Cup ring.
Blum, a Giants alternate captain, enjoyed a rare chance to take the opening ceremonial face-off as Howe dropped the puck, because Giants coach Don Hay elected to scratch captain Spencer Machacek.
"It was amazing standing up there with all the guys that made hockey and to shake their hands," said Blum, a 19-year-old native of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., who was a 2007 first-round draft choice of the Nashville Predators.
After Howe dropped the puck, the ex-NHLers and Gretzky placed their hands on Blum's stick for a photo that included Chilliwack captain Santorelli.
"I'll never use that one again," said Blum, "It's going to go up in a frame."
Howe's actual birthday is not until March 31, but the Giants wanted to honor him during the regular season.
Blum is a former (and future) teammate of Milwaukee’s Cody Franson and Santorelli is the younger brother (and future teammate) of Milwaukee’s Mike.
Moving on…
Captain Alex Henry should be playing in his 500th pro game in North America Sunday when Milwaukee hosts Houston. Henry also played 16 games in Germany during the NHL lockout in 2004-05.
New Admirals defenseman Gerard Miller is playing for his fifth team this season. He’s played a game with AHL Binghamton, two with AHL Hamilton, 32 with ECHL Cincinnati and six with ECHL Phoenix. Arpad Mihaly, who played 12 games with the Admirals last season, also played with five teams last year. In 2005-06, T.J. Kemp played for five teams, four in the AHL. Kemp played two games with Milwaukee.
According to Wikipedia, former Badgers and Admirals standout Steve Tuttle is an auditor in Seattle.
Cal O’Reilly’s assists total is the highest for Milwaukee since Tony Hrkac accumulated 61 in 1996-97. That means O’Reilly’s number of assists (59 as of 3/25/08) is the highest total in Milwaukee’s AHL history, besting Libor Pivko’s 58 in 2005-06. My guess is nobody will come close to Dale Yakiwchuk’s total of 100 helpers in the ’82-’83 season.
Hopefully the Admirals get healthy very soon. The playoffs are on the line and the race is tight. Milwaukee’s success in the last ten games (or lack thereof) could mean a seed of second, third or fourth in the West Division or fourth in the North Division. Of course, if Milwaukee doesn’t take care of business, the Admirals would be home for the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 season and only the fourth time in team history.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
March 11, 2008
Let me digress from the normal hockey banter for a moment.Do you remember Danny White? Diehard football fans will. Dallas Cowboys fans certainly will. White was the quarterback (and punter) that replaced Roger Staubach when Staubach retired from his Hall of Fame playing career. According to dannywhite.com:
“In 1976, White joined the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL. White's leadership skills as a quarterback were evident when he broke the Dallas Cowboys' single-season touchdown passing record (29 TDs) in his first year as a starter (1980). The Cowboys went to the playoffs five times, and won three NFC East titles with White taking the snaps. He ended his career as the team's most accurate passer, setting Cowboys' single-season records for completions (334) and touchdown passes (29). He still holds eight Cowboys' records. Tom Landry, the legendary former head coach of the Cowboys said, “Danny White was probably as fine a winner as we have had in football."”
White helped the team get to three straight championship games, but the Cowboys lost them all, despite being favored. Still, White put up impressive numbers and had a very, very good career in Dallas before he was replaced as the starter for good in 1988 by Steve Pelluer (yes, THE Steve Pelluer). Pelluer was then replaced by Troy Aikman.
I bring up Danny White because the Packers need to replace a beloved figure and a sure-fire hall-of-famer at quarterback: Brett Favre (oldy but a goodie). "I don't think anybody could have followed Roger (Staubach) and done as well as Danny," Coach Landry remarked. "Danny was a solid winner.”
If Aaron Rodgers can be “Danny White-like” this team will be very good the next few years. Now, the question is who will be Green Bay’s Troy Aikman? Hopefully Green Bay misses its Steve Pelluer.
Moving on…
It was a thrill for me to meet former Admirals tough guys Eric Fenton and Dave Mackey during the Grand Rapids game. Fenton told me a funny story. He was a right wing and was playing for Peoria. He’d often line up across from Milwaukee’ Mackey, a left wing. Fenton admits he did a LOT of chirping on the ice and that got under Mackey’s skin. Later, the Admirals acquired Fenton from Peoria and Coach Phil Wittliff put him on the same line as Mackey. Fenton says Mackey didn’t talk to him for a week because of their history together.
Mackey admits the story is true. He said the coldness between the two ended when Mackey scored a goal assisted by, you guessed it, Fenton.
At the end of my conversation with Mackey in the second intermission, my producer at WSSP, Matt Regashus, told me to tell Mackey that Mackey scored a goal against the Devils in the first game Matt went to in St. Louis.
Rich Peverley has 16 points in nine games since being re-assigned to Milwaukee by Nashville before he was recalled.
I just got off the phone with Houston play-by-play announcer Jason Shaver, a good friend of mine. Houston has been playing very well and is seemingly always tied with the Admirals in the standings. It looks like the last two and a half weeks will decide the playoffs. The teams meet five times between March 30th and April 13th.
One team that Admirals fans need to watch is Syracuse. The Crunch is hot because former Ads goalie Karl Goehring has been hot for them. All of a sudden, that crossover to the North doesn’t look as certain as it once did.
After the Hamilton game, Josh Langfeld's first game since Feb. 6, I asked, "Just like riding a bike, huh?" which he replied by saying, "Uphill."
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
March 8, 2008
A couple of notes on trade deadline moves:One of the more interesting trade deadline deals went down just before the deadline. Pittsburgh acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first round pick.
This has an effect on the AHL. Chicago is Atlanta’s AHL affiliate. With the Thrashers acquiring a couple right wings in Armstrong and Christensen, it’s probable that the current Wolves lineup will not change at all in regards to call-ups. That means Brett Sterling, Darren Haydar, Colin Stuart and the rest are probably in the AHL for the rest of the season. Chicago could also add Esposito, a first round pick last summer by the Penguins, to the playoff roster on an ATO contract. Esposito played on a line with Alexander Radulov when Quebec (QMJHL) won the Memorial Cup in 2006. He has averaged better than a point per game in his junior career. He just turned 19 six days ago.
Chicago is without Alexandre Giroux, as he was dealt by Atlanta to Washington for Joe Motzko. Motzko was averaging a point per game with Hershey this season. Motzko helped Anaheim win the Stanley Cup last season.
Another deal that went down makes San Antonio a bit stronger, maybe. Phoenix dealt goalie David LeNeveu and forwards Josh Gratton and Fredrik Sjostrom to the Rangers for Marcel Hossa and Al Montoya. Montoya, a goalie from the University of Michigan, was a first round pick of the Rangers but his path to the NHL has been blocked behind Henrik Lundqvist. Montoya should be the top goalie for the Rampage the rest of the way. LeNeveu hasn’t been able to translate his incredible college success to the pro ranks, yet.
Detroit’s acquisition of Brad Stuart will probably allow Grand Rapids to keep one of the defenseman that started the season with them before they were all recalled by Detroit due to injuries.
I can’t imagine any of the other deals affecting the Admirals opponents this season unless Chicago recalls players from Rockford to stay for good in the place of Tuomo Ruutu and Martin LaPointe.
Maybe the most interesting deal has Chris Simon moving from the Islanders to Minnesota for a 6th round pick. Simon just returned from some time off after he sought counseling for his anger issues. You may remember him stepping on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu in December. Simon returned last week to a mixture of cheers and boos on the Island. Minnesota, looking for a spark, and Simon, looking for a fresh start, may be a good mix.
Marcel Hossa, by the way, is the younger brother of Marian Hossa. I’m not sure when brothers have ever been traded on the same day.
Nashville got in the game late, sending a 7th round pick to Tampa Bay for Jan Hlavac. Hlavac scored 28 goals with the Rangers in 2000-01. He hasn’t been that proficient of late, but his acquisition should allow Nashville to keep Milwaukee’s roster intact, barring another injury.
The Preds also acquired Brandon Bochenski from Anaheim. Bochenski was an incredible goal scorer at the University of North Dakota and has been a tremendous player in the AHL. He’s spent the majority of the last two seasons in the NHL with the Ducks and Boston. If he somehow made it to Milwaukee, that would be a MAJOR get for the Admirals. I doubt that we’ll see him though. Again, his presence in Nashville allows the current Admirals team to remain intact. Nashville is Bochenski’s fifth organization since he turned pro in 2004 (Ottawa, Chicago, Boston and Anaheim).
The player many thought would be dealt, Kevin Klein, didn’t go anywhere. He told me that he was told he wouldn’t be dealt. Kevin’s in a tough spot. He hasn’t been playing much at all, but he also doesn’t want to move from the only pro organization he’s known.
Even with big names being traded, I don’t think anybody overpaid to get what they think they need. I think Ray Shero and Pittsburgh made the gutsiest move to acquire Marian Hossa for two pretty good players, a top prospect and a first round pick. Hossa is in the final year of a contract. One thing Shero’s done in Pittsburgh is create a buzz with the team. He’s made good deals the last two deadlines. The former Nashville Assistant G.M. is really doing some good work. If the goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, is strong, this team could go far.
Moving on…
Cal O’Reilly earned the player of the month in the AHL in February. Cal was magnificent in the absence of Rich Peverley.
Speaking of Peverley, he has 14 points in eight games since being re-assigned by the Predators. I know that Nashville brass was looking for Rich to come back and play very well, if not be a dominant player. He has been superb.
I really like how the lines have shuffled. Mike Santorelli looks very comfortable on the right wing. I think that frees him to have more of a goal-scorer mindset. I’ve always thought Jason Guerriero and Peverley played well together, too. That’s been a very productive line.
Antti Pihlstrom and Matt Ellison on the wings with O’Reilly has been a very good line, too. O’Reilly is one of the most creative players in the league, Ellison does the dirty work and Pihlstrom has the speed to catch homerun passes. Pihlstrom, like Santorelli, seems to have found a comfort zone with his new linemates.
Kelsey Wilson and John Laliberte give John Vigilante some space to be the creative player he can be. Vigilante has looked strong the last couple of games. I look forward to Josh Langfeld’s return and I would guess he’d be the right wing in place of Laliberte on this line.
February 12, 2008
When Barry Alvarez coached the University of Wisconsin football team, he never set a National Championship as the goal. He always set the team’s sights on the Big Ten Title. Alvarez reasoned that during the Big Ten season, the teams beat one another up so much that whoever is left standing could be in line for a shot at the National Title, if that team has a truly special season.The AHL’s West Division is looking more and more like the Big Ten every day. As of this writing, the team with the worst record in the division, Iowa, is just two games under .500. While many other teams in the rest of the league are hovering around .500, no division has a “doormat” that is anywhere close to the record the Stars have currently.
It’s looking to be a certainty that the crossover of a team from the West to the North for the playoffs will take place. Right now, Iowa is the only team that wouldn’t be among the top three in the North.
Points are very precious. At this time of year, it’s interesting to look at points lost as opposed to points won. That means, a loss is worth two points and an overtime loss or shootout loss is worth one. Last year, when the Admirals finished third in the division with a record of 41-25-4-10, the team lost 64 of a possible 160 points. This season, the Admirals have lost 48 points of a possible 104. Coach Lane Lambert acknowledges how important those overtime games were for the team last season. Hopefully, Milwaukee can, at the very least, get games into overtime and salvage a point. Again, points are precious. Straight up wins and losses, Milwaukee is 26-26. The Admirals are tied in points with Quad City, a team that is 24-28. However, eight of the Flames’ losses have occurred in overtime or shootout…point earned or, for the sake of this argument, only one point lost instead of two. Thus, a points percentage over .500.
Getting back to the Alvarez comment, it was pointed out by cynical media types (there are a couple) that teams in the Big Ten get too beat up to actually be in line for a Championship. Fighting for every point wears on a team mentally and after the sixth month of bringing an ‘A’ mentality, one gets tired at the end of the season. There may be some truth to that. It should also be pointed out that there are many who think the Red Wings haven’t won a title the last few years because they’ve breezed through the regular season. One of the great things about the media is the number of experts who contradict themselves on a daily basis.
Moving on…
If you like extra promotions, then this last weekend at the Bradley Center was for you. Friday night’s concert with Blake Shelton was terrific. He was a late add after Jason Aldean fell ill, but, with all due respect to Mr. Aldean, I think it was an upgrade. Shelton was awesome. He performed great covers of Conway Twitty’s “Tight Fittin’ Jeans, “Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams, Jr., Marc Broussard’s “Home” and the Kentucky Headhunters version of the Don Gibson classic “O, Lonesome Me”. All in all, it was a great show.
By the way, when Aldean cancelled shows due to illness, we got to see the great work of Mike Wojciechowski, the Admirals VP of Business Development. Mike was on the phones looking for a suitable replacement and really came up with a winner. He’s the best at what he does.
Then on Sunday, we had five legends of pro wrestling at the rink. Jerry “The King” Lawler, Scotty 2 Hotty, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and “Cowboy” Bob Orton were extremely generous with their time and signed for much of the game. I was thrilled to visit with “The King” about wrestling and about his infamous matches with Andy Kaufman. Lawler became the first person to strike another on a talk show when he hit Kaufman on the old “Late Night with David Letterman” about 25 years ago. That moment was ranked among the top 100 TV moments of all time by the Museum of Radio and Television. Scotty 2 Hotty (real name Scott Garland) was interested in the hockey. He’s from Portland, ME and knew about the AHL because of the Pirates. I told him we had just returned from Manchester and Providence and he even knew the names of a couple players. It was pretty neat. He lives in Orlando and is, apparently, a freak for Disney World. According to wikipedia, he owns a season pass to the park.
With his recent run of points, Cal O’Reilly now ranks tied for seventh in the AHL with 50 points. Cal is the youngest player in the top 48 scorers in the AHL, a little more than two months younger than Springfield’s Robbie Schremp. Portland’s Bobby Ryan, born in 1987, ranks 49th in the league in scoring.
New Admirals forward Oren Eizenman is in a band with several teammates with ECHL Fresno. “The Dockers” were gearing up for a world tour when Eizenman got the call from the Admirals. No worries, though, “The Dockers” is a band on the video game “Rock Band” on Xbox 360. Eizenman plays bass. Eizenman has dual citizenship between Canada and Israel. He usually summers in Israel. Hockey is starting to grow in popularity in Israel. Russians that immigrated to Israel brought the game with them. Eizenman and his brothers have also had a large hand in the popularity of the sport in Israel. Ken Robison of The Fresno Bee featured Oren in a story a few weeks ago. Here are some highlights:
“The Israelis won the Division II world title in Belgrade in 2005. Israelis favor soccer and basketball, and there is only one Olympic-sized rink. According to a survey by the International Ice Hockey Federation, Israel had just 380 registered players in 2005. Since the 1990s Israeli teams have competed in international competition. Enter the Eizenman brothers, who were born in hockey-loving Toronto. Their parents, Moshe and Ronit, emigrated from Israel to Toronto to attend college, then stayed. In 2005, at the age of 20, Oren joined older brothers Alon and Erez in leading Israel to that remarkable world title in Division II of the International Hockey Federation World Championships -- beating such countries as Spain, Serbia-Montenegro, Korea, Belgium and Iceland. The Eizenman brothers scored 15 of Israel's 21 goals in five games. Oren totaled 14 points (10 goals, four assists), was the tournament's leading scorer and named outstanding forward.”
Because of the win in Division II, Israel moved to Division I the next year, where it was crushed. But, the ice has been laid, so to speak, for hockey’s future in the Middle East.
Nolan Yonkman played his 300th professional game against Manitoba Friday night.
Alex Henry is 21 games away from playing in 500 as a pro in North America. If you add his time in Germany during the lockout, “Hank” needs 5 games to reach the 500 number as a pro.
Pekka Rinne now has six career assists after notching one in Milwaukee’s win over Peoria Sunday. As far as I can tell, Rich Sirois is the all-time scoring leader among Milwaukee goalies with 18 points (all assists). Mark LaForest scored nine points in his Admirals career. Chris Mason had a goal and five assists in his time with the Admirals. On October 15, 2001, with the Admirals on a delayed penalty, the Utah Grizzlies pulled their goaltender for an additional skater. Grizzly forward Jim Montgomery's errant pass went the length of the ice and into the vacated net. Mason, the last Milwaukee player to touch the puck, was given the goal. Unfortunately, Mason's Admirals lost, 5-3. On April 15, 2006, Mason was credited for a goal when Phoenix Coyotes forward Geoff Sanderson shot the puck into his own net. Mason became the ninth NHL goalie all-time to score a goal.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
February 4, 2008
I hope the Admirals parent club,
How great would it be to have Shane Willis with the Admirals right now? Willis, a point-per-game performer with
How about Dave Scatchard? He was a positive influence in the locker room before deciding to retire after a handful of games in
One of the great qualities that
If Rich Peverley comes back from
Still, it would be wonderful if there was a player out there that was available and could help the team. Moves might not be made for another couple weeks because the NHL standings are so tight. It’s not certain which teams are buyers or sellers yet. I would think
Moving on…
Here are some stats for you, after 46 games for
In the first 23 games,
In the next 23 games,
During a 1-7 stretch by the team beginning Dec. 23,
If you took out the 1-7 stretch around Christmas, the Admirals would be 10-3-1-1 with 49 goals scored (3.27 per game) and 36 allowed (2.4 per game) in that span.
In the seven games since Jason Guerriero has been in the lineup (coincidentally, also the amount of time Rich Peverley has been with parent club
Also, in the last seven games, 15 players have at least one point, led by Cal O’Reilly with 10 points. Andreas Thuresson and Janne Niskala both have seven points. Eleven different players have scored a goal; six have scored three or more. That’s pretty good balance.
Entering Feb. 2, the Admirals have ten players (counting Peverley) averaging at least ½ point per game. Add Thuresson to the mix and you can see the Admirals are, indeed, getting production from many players. Last season,
One final note comparing the last three seasons:
2005-06 Goals For 3.35 per game
Goals Against 2.93 per game
2006-07 Goals For 2.84
Goals Against 2.88
2007-08 Goals For 2.85 (through 46 games)
Goals Against 2.74 (through 46 games)
Some quick notes…
Klein has played effectively for the Predators when in the lineup this season, but because of the logjam of defensemen on the team, he's only seen action in 11 games.
Using him at forward could give him a better chance to get in the lineup.” My thoughts (getting back to trade talk)…I wonder if the Preds are trying to show his versatility as the team looks to make a deal for a top-6 forward before the trading deadline.
Last year, Claude Noel told me the reason Klein has looked good in the NHL is he keeps things simple. In the AHL, he had the tendency to hang onto the puck and, thus, lose any options he may have had a second or two before. He then would commit a turnover. He doesn’t do that much in the NHL.
Jordin Tootoo signed a two-year extension with
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
January 15, 2008
Let me preface what I’m about to write by stating that yes, I do work for the team.That being said, I have to admit that it’s really cool to have the type of entertainment at Admirals games that fans have been able to witness. Think of all the top acts you’ve been able to see by checking out a hockey game; no other team does this. It’s really quite amazing to think that major recording artists are playing before or after a Triple-A hockey game. I hope you all realize how fortunate you are to have an ownership group and front office committed to putting on a top-rate show.
The Goo Goo Dolls sounded great Saturday night. I especially liked the two songs sung by the bass player. It was also great to hear them close with one of the all-time great rock songs, Tom Petty’s “American Girl”. The song is more than 30 years old and still sounds fresh every time I hear it.
By the way, in my three years with the team, this was the second time a band covered American Girl. Sugarland, when performing a couple seasons ago, used part of the tune as an intro to the band’s hit “Gotta be Something More.”
Congratulations to Admirals forward Rich Peverley and goalie Pekka Rinne for being named AHL All-Stars. It’s Peverley’s first honor and Rinne’s second. I really thought Peverley belonged in the game last season. The last few games, since “Rich Peverley Bobblehead Night”, I’ve thought Rich has been terrific. He’s earned the recall to Nashville.
Former Admirals forward Simon Gamache has decided to head back to play in the Swiss League. Gamache told a newspaper in Toronto that he didn’t have any ill feelings toward the Marlies, he just didn’t want to play in the minor leagues anymore. He led the Swiss League in scoring last season.
Former Admirals forward Steve Johnson resigned his post as the head coach of the Lincoln Stars (USHL) this past spring. Johnson posted a record of 406-188-47 in eleven seasons in Lincoln. His teams won two Clark Cup championships and his ’96-’97 team was the first USHL expansion team to win the title. The leading goal scorer on that team: current Milwaukee forward Josh Langfeld. Langfeld had 35 goals in 38 games. He also added 23 assists and spent 100 minutes in the penalty box. Former Admirals forward Bryan Lundbohm was also on that team and tallied 12 goals and 33 assists in 52 games that season.
Johnson, who scored 18 goals in 69 games with the Ads in the late ‘80s, headed back home to Grand Forks, ND, to get involved in a business opportunity.
Former Admirals forward Kris Beech was claimed off waivers on Thursday by Vancouver from Columbus.
I’m not surprised about the news that Racine’s Craig Leipold bought the majority interest in the Minnesota Wild. It’s been rumored for some time and I even wrote about it a while ago. The former Nashville owner should find the community a little easier to deal with, but will no doubt have to continue to put a winning product on the ice and will probably have to up the ante a bit with some deep runs and maybe a Stanley Cup. Every Wild game has been a sellout since the team hit the ice. Hopefully, Leipold will enjoy that type of success throughout his ownership of the team.
I’m anxious to see Manchester Friday night. They’re a high scoring team and it should be a fun night.
Until next time...Go Admirals!!!
January 4, 2008
I hope, as hockey fans, you watched the outdoor game in Buffalo between the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. The game was tremendously fun to watch. Two great young teams playing in the elements, early enough to avoid the major Bowl games of the day. It was so great that the game ended in the shootout. The NHL thought the shootout would add much excitement and, on this day, it did the trick. The biggest star in the game scoring the winning goal against an American goalie that was featured in a commercial throughout the broadcast…it worked out.I give a ton of credit to NBC for the fine broadcast. I find it hard to believe that any “sideline” reporter works any better with the guys in the booth, or does a better overall job, than former Milwaukee goalie Darren Pang. The access given to him by the league to broadcast from between the benches, and get interviews and comments during the game, is phenomenal. Could you imagine, in this day and age, a reporter in the batters’ box during a baseball game? How about comments from a football coach after his team just committed a turnover?
I thought Mike Milbury was a very fine addition to the broadcast team. The guy knows hockey, he’s been part of some of the most historic moments in the game over the last 35 years.
Look, I know (so does every hockey fan) that the deal with the Versus Network isn’t working. As good as the crew working the games is, the network just isn’t in enough homes to make the NHL a player among the big three sports (four with NASCAR).
The outdoor game was the highest rated NHL broadcast in 11 years. The NHL better be hunkered down right now to figure out how to keep this vibe going.
Barry Melrose said the league should do a game like this each year. Would that water it down? Would it become less of an event? Perhaps it would. However, if the league kept kicking off the New Year with this game, but shifted it to other cities, it could be a regular destination for many viewers before they tune into the Rose Bowl. Imagine Soldier Field hosting a game between the Blackhawks and, say, Detroit. I think it’s necessary to showcase the top young talent (Toews and Kane) and the best teams (Wings). Let the TV audience for hockey grow along with the game’s bright young stars.
Do you know what stinks about ESPN? We constantly see highlights of guys dunking the ball. Many of them need to leap about a foot in the air…then they scream as if they’ve conquered their opponent. It’s rare to see the goals in the NHL (or anything from the NHL, for that matter) like Ilya Kovalchuk scored on Jan. 2 against Carolina. Kovalchuk went coast-to-coast, weaving through the Hurricanes’ defense, before scoring. Let’s get the games back on ESPN. Not only will they be featured in more homes, the network would pump it up a bit more. It seems unfair that ESPN, which inexplicably is the only game in town for sports news, can put the hammer down and control what information it wants to share, but they do.
Moving on…
I love when the Admirals play the Chicago Wolves because it allows me to visit with one of the all-time great gentlemen, Wolves broadcaster Billy Gardner. He told me last year during the playoffs that when Bill Wirtz no longer controlled the Blackhawks, Rocky Wirtz should take over. Gardner said Rocky, one of the sons of the late Chicago owner, really knew how to handle business and deal with people. He ran the family’s liquor distributorship. Well, it’s safe to say that Rocky, after being asked to take over, has been doing a wonderful job. The biggest difference under Rocky is, of course, the home games are now on TV. But there have been other changes. Admirals assistant Brad Lauer, who played for the ‘Hawks, told me the team is starting to get its alumni back together. Lauer also said the team is sending its players out to meet the fans, something they had never done. The goodwill gestures (or maybe just plain and simply the smart business gestures) have done wonders for the audience. There have been over 22,000 fans in the United Center the last few games. When we talk about what’s good for the NHL, one must make sure the “Original Six” teams are healthy. The league needs the Chicago audience, desperately. An exciting team that is finally showing that it “gets it” will certainly help the league if it wants to get back to being among the big four sports.
I heard an interview with former Minnesota North Stars G.M. Lou Nanne. He said the one team he would own in any sport, if he had the dough, is the ‘Hawks. He cited the size of the city and the “untapped potential” of TV revenue. The team has done a lot of things wrong the last several years, but it seems it’s getting it right. Kudos!
When Admirals forward Jason Guerriero made a recruiting visit to New Hampshire, his host was former Admirals star, and reigning AHL MVP, Darren Haydar.
Milwaukee forward James Sixsmith was coached through his youth by former NHL forward Craig Laughlin. Laughlin, whose son played on the team, too, is a broadcaster for the Washington Capitals.
Try to get your friends to stick around Saturday after the Goo Goo Dolls get off the stage. It should be a great game against the Wolves.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
December 19, 2007
For those of you that listen to the games on the internet, you know that during breaks you hear promos for the station (1250 WSSP) and not the commercials that are normally heard during the radio broadcast.I’ve been asked by WSSP Program Director Ryan Maguire to put together a few pieces about the Admirals. I decided to do several features. Those of you who don’t hear the games on the internet won’t know what those features are, so I’ll try to place one or more in upcoming blogs.
Here’s one about Milwaukee hockey history:
Pro hockey dates back 60 years in Milwaukee. In the 1948-49 season, a team known as the Milwaukee Clarks participated in the International Hockey League. That season, the team was led by player-head coach George Boothman.
Boothman spent nine games in the NHL during the 1942-43 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The next year he played 49 games with the Leafs, scoring 16 goals and adding 18 assists. The Calgary native led the Clarks to a 16-15-1 record in the team’s lone season in the IHL.
In 1949-50, the Clarks joined the Eastern Hockey League, but the team was gone at the end of the year.
The USHL, then a professional league, came to town in 1950-51 with a team known as the Milwaukee Sea Gulls. The team lasted one season, but boasted the league’s MVP in Hank Blade. Also on that team, for a total of 12 games, was 1985 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Bert Olmstead, who, after his time in Milwaukee, played a few games with the Blackhawks before being dealt to Montreal. Olmstead started his career with the Canadiens on a line with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard. He later starred on a line with “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and Jean Beliveau with the Habs before finishing his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was also the first coach of the California Golden Seals.
Moving on…
Congrats to Antti Pihlstrom for making his NHL debut Dec. 15 at Colorado. Pihlstrom started the game skating with Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont. He had a shot and was a -1 in a little over nine minutes of ice time.
Andreas Thuresson, in his first North American season, has his parents staying with him for two weeks over the Christmas holiday. Thuresson, from Sweden, will be showing his parents all around the area, including Chicago, while they’re here.
Hope the Holiday season is well for all!
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
December 12th, 2007
A funny thing happened in Toronto as we were getting to the airport to come back home.Background first: Milwaukee equipment manager Dave Randolph normally travels with the equipment on the team van to make sure the equipment is checked in properly before the team gets to the airport. He then goes to the ticket counter and usually has the airline’s employees prepared for the team when it arrives. Dave will contact Admirals coach Lane Lambert and let him know which door to enter and everything runs smoothly.
All of the equipment managers in the league help each other a great deal. Milwaukee will send one of our guys to Chicago to pick up equipment. If a guy needs to go to a doctor, it’s usually the equipment manager for the home team that takes him there. While leaving Toronto, the Admirals loaded the Toronto van with the equipment and the Marlies’ staff brought the equipment to the airport.
That meant that Randolph rode on the bus with the team. Everyone ran to Tim Horton’s before the bus left to get coffee or a doughnut. Finally, it was time to go.
As we pulled up to the airport, Dave’s phone rang. It was Lambert. He was wondering where Dave was. Dave said, “I’m right behind you.” We all enjoyed a pretty good chuckle over that.
Moving on…
Through 24 games this season, Milwaukee has scored 62 goals while allowing 61. That averages to 2.58 per game for and 2.54 against.
Last season, through the first 24 games, Milwaukee scored 68 goals (2.83 per game) and allowed 78 (3.25)
Last season, the Admirals finished with a .600 winning percentage. The team scored 227 goals on 80 games, an average of 2.84 per contest. Shockingly, the team allowed 230 goals, an average of 2.88 per game. It’s pretty amazing the team finished with the record it did while being outscored.
You can see what happened last year with the stats. While the offense stayed pretty much the same, the defense and, specifically, the goaltending, improved a great deal as the season progressed.
This season, it’s become apparent the offense needs to step it up. Milwaukee is tied with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for 23rd in the league (29 teams) in goals per game. Currently, 17 of the 29 teams are scoring less than three goals per game.
Seventeen teams are allowing less than three goals per game. Leading the way is Albany at 2.19. Albany has scored 2.69 per game, a positive margin of .5 goals per game…not huge, but enough to have a winning record. Milwaukee is tied for third, with Houston, allowing 2.54 per game.
It’s been clear the Admirals have more speed and, probably, skill than last year’s team. The players need to start burying the chances, though. Look at the standings in the West Division. Each team is above .500. Milwaukee needs every point it can get right now. Two years ago, you may remember Chicago put on a mad dash at the end in a bid for a playoff spot but fell short. Had Chicago recorded a few more early-season wins, the Wolves could’ve been the most dangerous team in the playoffs. Instead, it was home for the only time in its history. How do you get points? Score and stop the other team from scoring. The numbers show Milwaukee is, for the most part, doing well on the latter.
This team is exciting. The ability of these athletes is incredible. It’s time for the offensive numbers to match up with the potential. “Potential”, too often, can be a four-letter word.
I’ve said to several people that the four teams that make the playoffs from the West Division will be the four teams that have a parent club that has been the healthiest all season. I still believe that. However, it’s time to work on some separation in the standings and it’s time to start finishing chances.
That’s enough of me being stern.
Hopefully we’ll get some nice crowds for the inaugural RBC Dain Rauscher High School Hockey Showdown on December 27th and 28th at the Bradley Center. This is a great opportunity for hockey fans to support hockey in general. I think there’s so much more that we can do to trumpet the game. Support at any level of hockey is needed. All of the games to the RBC Dain Rauscher High School Hockey Showdown are free to attend. Hopefully we can see quite a few people spend all day at the Bradley Center. We all know it’s the best game going, let’s sell it to those who don’t know.
Cal O’Reilly’s next goal will be his 25th as a professional hockey player.
Rich Peverley appeared in his 250th pro game at Toronto on Dec. 9. The game was also Alex Henry’s 450th game as a pro in North America.
Pekka Rinne needs five more wins to tie Danny Lorenz for fifth in career victories as an Admiral. Rinne currently has 56 career victories with Milwaukee.
The Admirals just returned from Ontario. Hamilton has veteran Joel Bouchard as one of its defenseman. An interesting tidbit about Bouchard, he was selected in the sixth round of the 1992 draft by Calgary. Calgary acquired the pick from Hartford by sending current Nashville Assistant G.M. Paul Fenton to the Whalers. Bouchard has also been involved in a trade involving former Milwaukee defenseman Richard Lintner.
I’m looking for a big push heading into the Christmas break. I hope to see you at the Bradley Center.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
December 8, 2007
It didn’t make any headlines, but the Admirals and pro hockey lost a pretty decent player this past week when center Dave Scatchard announced his retirement.I know I’ve written a lot about Dave the last few entries, but it’s been well-deserved. On a team that’s not the most vocal of groups, Scatchard became a charismatic player that drew players to him.
Dave had been having quite a bit of soreness in his legs while he tried to make it back to the NHL. I’m guessing that was a large part of the reason he decided to hang up the skates. Nevertheless, in the short time he was in Milwaukee, he made quite an impression on those around him. Good luck, Dave!
Moving on…
I don’t know what its attraction is, but every single time curling is on TV, I watch it.
Congratulations to Hamilton’s radio broadcaster Derek Wills who recently broadcast his 500th consecutive regular season game in the AHL, the longest current streak in the league. FYI, as far as regular season games go, I have 179 straight as of Dec. 10. December 8, at Hamilton, was my 200th game broadcast, counting playoffs, with the Admirals.
I was very impressed in training camp with James Sixsmith. I’m even more impressed with him after having the chance to visit with him for a while on the Canadian trip to Hamilton and Toronto. Sixsmith grew up near Washington, D.C. and went on to have a great four year career at Holy Cross. He graduated with an economics degree from the prestigious school. I’m not sure how much we’ll see Sixsmith this season, but he is a fast, small player that can make things happen.
I hope you’ve all been listening to the great job Cliff Saunders has been doing as one of the hosts of the Center Ice Show. Check it out every Monday at 6 p.m. on 1250 WSSP.
The Dec. 4 edition of The Hockey News gave some love to goalies in the Nashville organization. The “AHL West” section had an article about Pekka Rinne. Dan Ellis was listed as the third most impressive “lesser-known rookie” in the NHL. Also, 2006 draft choice Mark Dekanich was highlighted in the “U.S. College” section. We should see Dekanich in Milwaukee next season.
Speaking of future Admirals, University of Wisconsin sophomore Blake Geoffrion, Nashville’s top selection in the 2006 draft (2nd round), was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 2. Geoffrion is averaging nearly a point a game and was named to the U.S. Under-20 National Team for the second straight year.
Former Admirals forward Bracken Kearns has 15 points in 15 games with ECHL Reading this season.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
December 3, 2007
One of the really neat things I’ve noticed over the last few weeks is how Dave Scatchard has fit in with the Admirals. Like everyone on the team, Scatchard wants to be in the NHL. The veteran of 635 NHL games is trying to work his way back, but he seems to have found a comfortable spot in Milwaukee…for now. Scatchard told me he has set no timetable with Nashville as to whether or not he’ll be called up by the Predators. He also told me he’s having fun playing hockey for the first time in a while. Thanksgiving night, Scatchard was telling stories and getting along really well with everyone. I’m fortunate that I get to see how guys relate to one another off the ice. Consider me a Dave Scatchard fan.We’re heading to Canada for the final time this weekend and I’m anxious to see if Toronto is the real deal. The Marlies are off to a great start under second year coach Greg Gilbert. Gilbert and Milwaukee assistant Brad Lauer played together for parts of five seasons with the New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks. Also, Marlies assistant Joe Paterson played a season with Milwaukee’s head coach, Lane Lambert, with the Detroit Red Wings in the ’83-’84 season.
As of this writing, Toronto features two former Admirals on its roster: Simon Gamache and Nathan Perrott.
The defending Calder Cup Champions, Hamilton, has many familiar faces but a few dazzling new ones. Rookie Sergei Kostitsyn has averaged a point a game over the first 19 in his pro career. Last season with London of the OHL, Kostitsyn had 40 goals and 91 assists in 59 games. That London team featured two of the top rookies in the NHL: Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner.
Two iconic characters have passed over the last couple weeks: Kevin DuBrow and Evel Knievel. I was surprised to find out that Knievel was a decent hockey player as a young man. From the story on his death on ESPN.com: “Outstanding in track and field, ski jumping and ice hockey at Butte High School, Knievel went on to win the Northern Rocky Mountain Ski Association Class A Men's ski jumping championship in 1957 and played with the Charlotte Clippers of the Eastern Hockey League in 1959. He also formed the Butte Bombers semi-professional hockey team, acting as owner, manager, coach and player.” Knievel even, according to The Independent, “managed to persuade the Czech Olympic team to play his Butte Bombers. The fixture ended with Knievel leaving the stadium with the takings from the game and the US Olympic Committee had to make good the Communist visitors' losses.”
Kevin DuBrow was the lead singer for Quiet Riot. When I was working in LaCrosse about ten years ago, Quiet Riot was coming through town with a few other ‘80s bands to play a concert at a theater that could seat about 1100 fans. DuBrow and a couple band members were coming to our studio that morning to promote the show. They had been in Grand Forks the night before. The morning host and I started goofing on what kind of onstage banter DuBrow would get into. Jim, the host, started talking as DuBrow about “how much I love LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The women here are so much hotter than the ones in Grand Forks.” Our conversation went on for a few more minutes like that. About 30 minutes later, DuBrow, drummer Frankie Banali and bassist Rudy Sarzo showed up at our studio. DuBrow had done morning radio for several years in Las Vegas and it turns out he had listened to us. He laughed as he came in and said he was going to say something like what we had suggested. He was a great guest and seemed like a really cool guy. I saw Quiet Riot play two songs a few years ago at Summerfest and they sounded fantastic. Whether you dig the music they performed or not, there was no denying the band sounded great.
How about this for a rumor? According to Charley Walters in Sunday’s St. Paul Pioneer Press, “The NHL's approval of a sale of the Nashville Predators by owner Craig Leipold could free the Racine, Wis., businessman to pursue a purchase of the [Minnesota] Wild. It wouldn't be surprising if the Wild were sold by next July.” Leipold claims he lost more than $60 million the past five years in Nashville. The Wild, which entered the NHL as an expansion franchise for $80 million 10 years ago, could fetch $250 million if sold.”
Hopefully the U.S. dollar has gone up in value for this trip to Canada.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
November 15, 2007
While appearing on the Center Ice Show Monday night, Stephanie asked me if I thought the West was the better conference. I said yes, but it wasn’t really that great an answer.
I went off what I knew.
It was an interesting question because we never see the East. Last season,
This year, the Admirals will face
I decided I should try and take an objective look.
First, the overall winning percentages per conference (as of 11-15-07):
West: .553 (if you subtract
East: .556
Second, goals per game scored per conference (as of 11-15-07):
West: 209 goals in 644 total games = 3.08
East: 187 goals in 508 total games = 2.72
I thought I would use callups as a category, however, that seems to be more an injury issue in the NHL as opposed to a talent question in the AHL. Also,
There really haven’t been enough teams playing one another in conference vs. conference games to use that as a gauge. It’s been, primarily, the
So, which is the better conference? I hate to do this, but it seems as if we’ll have to wait until June to find out. Just enjoy the competition and keep rooting for the Admirals!
Moving on…
I’m excited to see veteran Dave Scatchard in the lineup for
Scatchard had his 2006-07 season cut short in late January by hit from Pittsburgh's Sergei Gonchar that sent him face-first into the boards, giving him a concussion and knocking out his teeth. Post-concussion symptoms persisted long after. But Scatchard claims that after a while, they were only related to the poorly aligned false teeth for which he was fitted.
Scatchard told the New York Daily News in October he has been completely healthy for three months - ever since a jaw specialist diagnosed and fixed his bite problem. But that didn't stop Phoenix GM Don Maloney from buying out the remaining two years and $4.2 million left on the four-year, $8.4 million deal he signed with Boston before being dealt to Phoenix for former University of Wisconsin defenseman David Tanabe.
Former Milwaukee Admirals goalie Bob Mason is in his sixth season as the goaltending coach for the Minnesota Wild.
I saw something neat in
Some of you know that many of the Admirals players play Socom on the PSP. It’s a war game and a wireless connection can let them all play at once against each other. While waiting for the flight from
By the way, for those of you who don’t know, the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American. At least it was the weekend we spent in
Two more games until the Thanksgiving trip to
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
November 6th, 2007
I was at home Monday night when my wife yelled to me that my phone was ringing. I picked it up, saw it was my good friend Troy Ward, and greeted him. He said, in a Stallone-like voice, “I’m coming to get you.”I think that line is from what is probably the best movie about arm wrestling with a Sammy Hagar theme song, “Over the Top”.
I’ve written many times about my admiration for Troy, who used to broadcast games with Kyle Schultz and me. Troy is enjoying his first season in the AHL as an assistant with the Houston Aeros.
I’m anxious to see the Admirals bounce back Thursday at the Bradley Center against the Aeros. Houston, under new head coach Kevin Constantine, won’t give a poor effort in the game and Benoit Pouliot is back from parent club Minnesota.
Every team looks for the all-elusive “60 minute game”. It’d be great to see the Admirals start the busiest weekend of the season with a full 60.
Moving on…
It’s been a competitive league early this year. Only five teams have winning percentages under .450 as of Monday night.
I had the chance to briefly chat with former Admirals Greg Classen and Scott May last week. Both are currently playing for Manitoba. Classen got back after the second round of the German League playoffs in April, then waited until July 1 to sign with Vancouver. I’ll never forget the success the line of Classen, Darren Haydar and Simon Gamache had during the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs.
May was one of my favorites on that year’s team. He scored a big goal at Hamilton in a game that season. He and I would talk often about which teams were good in college hockey. May played four years at Ohio State.
Former Admirals defenseman Shea Weber is hoping to be back in the lineup for the Predators in about ten days according to Paul McCann of the Predators Radio Network.
The Globe and Mail reports that Peter Forsberg, who finished last season with Nashville, is close to calling it a career. Forsberg is apparently still bothered by the ankle and foot problems that have been plaguing him in recent years.
New Admirals forward Travis Fuller scored 15 goals and 47 points in 43 games with the Mississauga Ice Dogs of the OHL last season. The Ice Dogs, now in Niagara, have Don Cherry’s dog as the team’s logo.
Good to see Rich Peverley is on his way back to Milwaukee. One of the tough things about the AHL is you want to see the best players stick around and play for your team, but you also want them to make it to the NHL. While we all know it can’t be both ways, we do get impatient. David Poile, Paul Fenton, Mike Santos, Ray Shero, Mitch Korn and Barry Trotz have all told me they feel the purpose of the AHL affiliate is to: 1a) develop talent for the NHL, and 1b) win. All of the afore-mentioned gentlemen place equal importance on the two. Hopefully the Ads can get back to the winning this weekend.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
October 17, 2007
The Admirals parent club, Nashville, is celebrating its tenth season in the NHL. The first years were lean ones, but things have progressed very well and this season should be another exciting campaign. The Predators have been affiliated with the Admirals since the team’s inception.I thought it would be interesting to look back at those ten years and make an all-time team for Nashville. I’d appreciate your thoughts, too. I figure I’ll make a Nashville team and a team comprised of Milwaukee prospects that played and meant a lot to the Predators.
All-time Predators:
Goalie: Tomas Vokoun
Defense: Kimmo Timonen
Defense: Marek Zidlicky
Left Wing: Paul Kariya (first big-name free agent in franchise history)
Center: Cliff Ronning (barely ahead of Greg Johnson and David Legwand)
Right Wing: Steve Sullivan (acquisition signaled Nashville’s first serious attempt at a playoff run)
All-time Milwaukee to Nashville:
Goalie: Chris Mason (ahead of Vokoun because he played more in Milwaukee)
Defense: Ryan Suter
Defense: Dan Hamhuis (ahead of Weber because he played 2 full seasons in Mil.)
Left Wing: Vernon Fiddler
Center: Jerred Smithson
Right Wing: Jordin Tootoo (chosen because he was here longer than Radulov)
Feel free to e-mail me your picks (aaron@milwaukeeadmirals.com). I’ll compile and put in a future blog.
The nice thing about a tenth anniversary is there are fewer players to choose from than a team celebrating its 50th.
Moving on…
I’m ecstatic that former Admirals star Darren Haydar scored his first NHL goal Saturday with the Atlanta Thrashers. It seems everybody’s a critic when it comes to Darren. People focus on what he doesn’t have (size, blazing speed). What he does have is more important. He’s experienced, has great vision and is smart. On most nights in the AHL he’s the smartest guy on the ice. He may not be responsible for a ton of wins at the NHL level, but he will be responsible for ZERO losses. I hope he stays in Atlanta.
Simon Gamache scored his first goal as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs a few days ago, too. I heard a great story about Gamache. During the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs against Rochester, Gamache was heard telling the Rochester bench that the Americans were embarrassing themselves and they should try harder. Pretty good trash talk.
I really like the way the team has come together since the first game at Peoria. Lane Lambert and Brad Lauer were able to work with the guys on communication and positioning. They’ll continue to focus on those two aspects in preparation for the weekend games against Iowa.
Hopefully fans saw Antti Pihlstrom’s first AHL goal. It happened on a play that we were told Pihlstrom could make. He hit the Chicago defenseman hard in a corner to jar the puck loose to Matt Ellison. Pihlstrom went to the front of the net while Ellison got the puck to Rich Peverley who made a quick feed to Pihlstrom for the goal. LOVED IT! A few entries ago I mentioned that nearly every player on the Admirals was telling me how impressive Pihlstrom was at Nashville’s training camp.
Pekka Rinne has been fantastic. Nashville goalie coach Mitch Korn told me he is very excited with what he’s seen so far from the goalie. Pekka has shown through the first three games that he’s one of the best puck-handling goalies in the league.
I also had the chance to speak with Nashville’s Director of Hockey Operations, Mike Santos, over the weekend. He told me he believes the players coming from Europe are better-prepared to play the North American “north-south” game than they have been in the past. That’s because the current generation is growing up with the hope of playing in the NHL. Past generations didn’t have that hope for a variety of reasons (family, political, etc.). For the most part, the Europeans in the Admirals lineup this year seem more inclined to play the “north-south” game required on the narrower ice sheet.
Friday is “Camera Night”. Hope to see everyone there against the Iowa Stars. The Admirals haven’t beaten Iowa since game seven of the 2006 West Division Quarterfinals. Time to end that streak.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
October 8, 2007
I’m very happy that Alex Henry has been selected as the new captain of the Milwaukee Admirals. Henry, who served as a captain for the Minnesota Wild in October 2005, is a guy that all of the players look up to. Many players told me last season they would go to him seeking advice about what to do on the ice, and off. Henry knows how to live the proper lifestyle to stay successful in his profession, and the others realize that.Henry absolutely destroyed Peoria tough guy Hans Benson in the fight they had in the first game of the season. There were questions after Milwaukee lost T.J. Reynolds as to who was going to supply the muscle this season. Henry is certainly one of those players. I think people get misled by statistics a little. If you look at Henry’s PIM (penalties in minutes) his season-high is 143. That’s not typical for a guy known as a fighter. You usually see at least 200 minutes, certainly more (the afore-mentioned Benson had 205 in just 33 games with ECHL Alaska last season).
Hockey fans may remember Clark Gillies, the Hall of Fame forward that was a mainstay on the great Islanders teams in the late 70s through the 80s. Nearly every year, Gillies would win the players vote as the league’s best fighter. Guess what…Gillies season high in penalty minutes as a pro was 99. People knew not to mess with him. I think the same is true for Henry. We’re lucky to have a leader like Alex in Milwaukee.
Moving on…
Many teams kick a soccer ball around to warm up before a game. The ball the Admirals have started the year with was given to them by the Milwaukee Wave, the indoor soccer team that has an office next to the Admirals.
With Shea Weber out in Nashville, Ville Koistinen is in the lineup and is paired with former Admirals captain Greg Zanon. Coach Barry Trotz said he paired those two because of Zanon’s ability to communicate very well on the ice.
How about this? Former Admirals and University of Wisconsin defenseman Ryan Suter, a Madison, WI native, has been named one of Music City’s 25 Most Beautiful People by Nashville Lifestyles magazine.
I look forward to seeing a big crowd Friday at the Bradley Center.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
October 4, 2007
This bit with the city of Nashville and the potential new owners is getting a little scary. It seems the city of Nashville and the Nashville group, looking to buy the team from Craig Leipold, can’t get together on lease amendments to make the team financially healthy.I grew up in Minnesota and it was horrible when the North Stars left for Dallas. I still can’t believe the North Stars left. I have a hard time referring to the team in Dallas as the “Stars”. I usually just say Dallas, if I speak of them.
I remember when Winnipeg was going through a similar situation a little more than ten years ago. That team eventually moved to Phoenix, but was close to coming to Minnesota.
Fans in those communities are lucky. Minnesota had an IHL team for a couple years, which eventually moved to Winnipeg. Now, Winnipeg can satiate its hunger for hockey with a good team. Same in Minnesota, where there are several college teams and the Wild.
Nashville, however, wouldn’t be as fortunate; I don’t believe. The city, at least on the ice, has a good thing going with a very talented team.
A consulting group, consulting the case, says the city of Nashville would lose a little over three million dollars a year if the Preds left and a similar tenant wasn’t found for the Sommet Center.
I’m not a fan of taxpayers paying for stadiums. However, it has been happening for a long time and I’m afraid it’s not going to change. Now the political leaders in the city of Nashville need to figure out, very soon, what the lesser evil is. Here’s to hoping they choose to keep the team in Nashville.
Moving on…
If there was one enviable quality of the 2006-07 Milwaukee Admirals, it was grit. The team was a hard-nosed group that, while they collectively lacked scoring ability, made up for those shortcomings by playing hard most nights. I’m anxious to see if the 2007-08 Admirals, who look to have more talent on paper and in practice, can match the grittiness. If so, it’ll be a GREAT year in Milwaukee.
A FYI: I asked defenseman Richard Stehlik how he pronounces his name. He said it like this: steh-huh-LEEK. Three syllables instead of two.
Admirals forward Jason Guerriero vacationed in Maui this summer.
Former Admirals watch: Chris Durno has been in camp with the San Antonio Rampage while Karl Goehring just signed a PTO with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to play for former Ads assistant Todd Richards.
It was great to see so many fans at the Admirals practice and garage sale Tuesday night. While standing in the walkway from the locker room to the bench, I heard one of the best conversations ever between a couple of kindergarten-aged boys. It went like this :
First kid (hollering across the opening to the other): “Hey, hockey’s back and Pekka Rinne’s here.”
Second kid: “So is Rich (Peverley).”
First kid: “I am, too.”
Second kid: “No! Rich Peverley.”
First kid: “I’m rich.”
Second kid: “No!! Rich PEVERLEY!!”
First kid: “Ohhhhh.”
I can’t wait to hear that enthusiasm all year long. The first home game is on the 12th. See you there.
Until next time…Go Admirals!!!
October 1, 2007
Each year, the AHL honors one player from each of its teams, and subsequently one of those men as sort of a “grand champion”, as the winner of the Yanick Dupre award. Dupre was a forward with the Philadelphia Flyers organization that died of leukemia in 1997. He was known for his commitment to the community, character and determination. Last season, Bracken Kearns was the Admirals’ winner.I have a decent idea who a front-runner could be this season: Harvard graduate Ryan Maki. Maki spent this past summer in Boston where he played in a league that featured several pro players (all levels, including NHL defenseman Tom Poti). He also spent time with his girlfriend and went to the beach.
But, Maki did so much more than “hang out”. He told me he and some friends wanted to do something charitable this summer as a way of giving back to the community they lived in and loved. The group decided to spend nine weeks this summer putting on hockey clinics for under-privileged kids in the Boston area. The equipment and ice were donated. Harvard professors helped Maki and the others with paperwork and Maki and some buddies were the coaches. The sessions were split into three weeks, so three groups got the chance to play. Maki, who graduated with an economics degree, says he’s looking to continue the camp for a long time.
Moving on…
I had the chance to speak with Jean-Michel Daoust at the last exhibition game. Daoust has been a big scorer in the UHL and ECHL the last couple of years. He’s headed back to Cincinnati, where he scored 32 goals last season. The small forward said he would’ve liked to play more exhibition games but he, and others that are in town for tryouts, understands that the guys under contract need to play. He was happy that he was able to show his wares to another set of eyes. Last September, Daoust was in camp with Hamilton. The more people that see the ECHL players, the better chance they have of moving up for a bit.
I was very impressed by the line of Rich Peverley, Antti Pihlstrom and Andreas Thuresson against Chicago. I also liked the trio of Kelsey Wilson, Cal O’Reilly and John Vigilante. I’m quite excited for the season.
I’m a bit surprised that Pekka Rinne is back in Milwaukee after Dan Ellis won the right to open the season as Chris Mason’s backup in Nashville. Credit the Predators coaching staff, however, with going with the best choice right now. It could’ve been easy to take Rinne because he was drafted by the team and they knew him well. Ellis played very well and earned the spot. Rinne will be in the NHL some day, let’s just be thankful he’s in Milwaukee for now. Pekka had a busy summer, too. He went home to Finland and attended the wedding of Ville Koistinen. He also attended the wedding of former Admirals defenseman Mikko Lehtonen.
Former Milwaukee goalie Scott Reid is the number-one goalie for the Rocky Mountain Rage, a CHL team based in Broomfield , CO. One of my favorites, Scott ranks 14th all-time in CHL wins (90) and tied for sixth with 10 shutouts.
Darren Haydar was at the last exhibition game on Saturday night at the Kern Center. The former Admirals star and reigning AHL MVP cleared waivers and is gearing up for his second season with the Chicago Wolves.
Reigning Eddie Shore winner and former Admirals defenseman