The Admirals are getting two solid players added to the lineup and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited.

Dave Scatchard is back. He was here for eight games in the 2007-2008 season and he seemed to be a great guy/teammate to have. I’ll never forget sitting in a meeting room in Houston made up for Thanksgiving dinner. I watched Scatchard regale the other guys on the team with humorous story after humorous story. The boys were all listening intently. It was great to see.

I found this story on the web. It gives you a wonderful glimpse at the kind of guy Dave is.

Dave had a very good training camp with the Vancouver Canucks but, unfortunately, didn’t make the team as a non-roster invitee. I’d love for Dave to make it back to the NHL and I’m proud to say he could be doing it with the Admirals as a springboard.

I’m really looking forward to Ben Eaves joining the Admirals lineup. He will definitely add a lot of smarts and skill.

When Eaves was a prep at powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary’s (Faribault, MN), he recorded 156 points (68 goals and 88 assists) in 71 games in 1998-99, leading his team to a 70-9-1 record and the Tier I Midget national championship. That season, his coach was current St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray.

Certainly, you know that Ben’s younger brother, Patrick, plays for the Red Wings and their father, Mike, is the head coach at the University of Wisconsin. Mike played more than 300 games in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Calgary Flames. Grandfather Cecil Eaves won an NCAA title at the University of Denver (1956-57) and is also credited with helping to start the hockey program at Ohio State. Cecil was the head coach at the University of Windsor (Ontario) and is a past director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA).

Moving on…

Former Admirals forward Patric Hornqvist, in an effort to improve his game, worked with a skating coach involved with the Finland Olympic Team this past offseason (according to The Tennessean). “Over a two-month period, he endured six grueling workouts that helped him improve everything from smoothness to maintaining control while jumping.” Hornqvist, who is really one of the nicest athletes I’ve been around, had a tremendous training camp in Nashville and hopes to have a big year for the Predators.

Remember to listen to the games. E-mail me during the broadcasts at radio@milwaukeeadmirals.com. You could win a pair of tickets to a future game if I read your question on the air or if you know who scored the first Admirals goal.

Until next time…Go Admirals!!!