Before the third game of the season, a 5-2 win at Peoria, Milwaukee head coach Lane Lambert told me he thought there would be a lot of traffic between Milwaukee and Nashville in the form of recalls. Already, the Predators have called up three Admirals mainstays due to injury or fine play. I’m glad Cal O’Reilly was recalled. He’s been magnificent in his time in Milwaukee. At the time of his recall, O’Reilly led the AHL with seven assists in just three games. Had he played an entire season, his pace in the AHL would’ve given him a total of 187 assists. Of course, had George Bell maintained his homer pace in 1987, he would’ve hit 648 dingers for the Blue Jays.

Cody Franson will get his first chance in the NHL. He had his best game of the season in the 5-2 win at Peoria. I’m happy for Cody.

I’m most excited that a lot of players we’ve come to know are getting a look. I have to admit, when I watched the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals, I was struck at the number of players that I’d seen in Grand Rapids. I was hoping Nashville, which is reputed to draft well, would start to promote more of the kids. I’m glad to see it’s happening. Now, I hope the team starts to score some goals and win.

One of the casualties of the recalls is Mike Santorelli. Mike joined the team in Abbotsford and was very pleasant. He seemed glad to see everyone but, at the same time, he’s extremely focused on getting back. I look for Mike to be a dominant AHL player and return to Nashville in a short amount of time.

Moving on…

I’ve posted some pictures of the rink in Abbotsford on my Facebook page.

Admirals defenseman Alex Sulzer didn’t get the chance to participate in the German Olympic practices because of his shoulder injury. However, Sulzer, a member of the 2006 German Olympic team, was told by the coach (former NHL defenseman Uwe Krupp) he would be on the team if he’s healthy.

I had the chance to visit with the parents of Calgary prospect Keith Aulie. They were in Abbotsford to watch their son and were pleased when I told them Chet Pickard was on the team. Apparently, the fathers became friends when the players were members of Team Canada at World Juniors.

Remember to e-mail me at radio@milwaukeeadmirals.com to win free tickets. All you need to do is ask me a question and/or tell me who scored the first goal. If I choose you, you win.

Until next time…Go Admirals!!!