It’s an interesting feeling every year when the season comes to an end. Sometimes you can see it coming and sometimes you can’t. This one I didn’t see coming. When you think about how we played during the season as well as the vast majority of the playoffs, it seems crazy to think that it ended before the Calder Cup Finals. But that’s why you have to win four games in each series to advance and not just outplay the other team for five of the seven games. Kudos to the Houston Aeros for surviving two seven game series and winning both game sevens on the road. I wonder if they will have anything left in the tank up in Manitoba.

I would have loved to see the matchup between the Admirals and the Moose. We were the two best teams during the regular season and seemed built for a really fun conference final. Unfortunately we will have to watch and wonder what might have and could have been.

I know that there were a lot of disappointed fans, staff members, players, coaches after it all ended. I was disappointed too but then I had everything put into perspective for me. Earlier in the day I attended a luncheon for Gilda’s Club of Southeastern Wisconsin that included a fashion show featuring cancer survivors and their friends who showed them so much love and support during their battle. The keynote speaker at the lunch was my friend, Carl Mueller. Carl lost his wife to cancer recently and his perspective was so true and so sincere and it really had an impact on me.

Then, later in the evening, right after the game, I ran into another friend who told me how she had earlier in the day witnessed a child who had just undergone radiation treatments in a battle against cancer. I cannot fathom that feeling. It makes me want to hug my daughter every day and do anything that I can to keep her safe and healthy.

Finally, even later in the evening, I got a call from my brother with encouraging words that only he could share to make me feel better about our outcome. He also shared with me that his best friend from high school who has battled cancer over the past several years had just been released from the hospital with a new liver and a clean bill of health.

It was an amazing set of stories that all came out on the same day and made me realize that while what we do here is important, it’s all about giving people entertainment to release the stresses of daily life. Maybe take their mind off their troubles and have a good time watching our product.

I hope that you all had fun watching Admirals hockey this year. It was a blast to bring it to you. Thanks to our players and coaches for making it fun and thanks to the best staff of people that I have ever had the privilege to work with. It will be October before you know it!

Go Admirals!