We had a lot of big news last week. A lot.

The road to Nashville will continue to go through Milwaukee. We announced a new affiliation agreement with Nashville which will keep a great relationship going for the next two seasons and possibly three. We’ve worked really hard to make this a top-notch destination for free agents as well as Nashville’s top prospects. You have helped us in this endeavor through your support of our guys when they are in town. As you may know, the Admirals and Nashville represent the third longest affiliation relationship in the NHL/AHL. This doesn’t happen without developing a strong working relationship as well as a personal one with those who we are working with on the hockey side.

We had a trade affect our team late last week. Blake Geoffrion was traded along with Robert Slaney and a draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Hal Gill and a potential draft pick. Gill is going to help Nashville with his size and experience in the playoffs. It’s always hard to lose players during the season but Nashville has to give up something of quality in able to get other pieces of quality in return. It’s always important to remember what the ultimate goal is which is for both Nashville and Milwaukee to be successful. We want them to win the Stanley Cup because it would be not only a tremendous accomplishment but also a tribute to the development that their players had in Milwaukee. Of course, we want to win too. We want the Calder Cup back here in Milwaukee! Nashville has given us outstanding hockey teams during our relationship and we expect that to continue in the future.

We wish Blake and Robert the best as they move to the next phases of their career. Blake has had an interesting career so far. First, he gets drafted by his hometown team in Nashville. Then, he wins the Hobey Baker Award at Wisconsin and comes to play in Milwaukee, less than an hour away from where he had his college success. Then, he gets called up and makes his NHL debut back in his hometown. Now, he gets traded to Montreal where his family’s hockey legacy is legendary. That is quite a wild ride for a guy who is all of 24 years old.

Now, we’re back home for five of the next six games. This is a crucial time for a couple of reasons. The NHL trading deadline is February 27th. We’ll be a very interested party to see if Nashville makes any other deals and how they affect us. Also, we have to be successful on the ice in order to stay in the Western Conference playoff hunt. It’s a new format this year with the top eight teams in each conference making the playoffs so we have to push hard to get in. We’ll need your help so come out and join us. Lots of big things ahead and we want you to be a part of them.

Finally, we recently began our 2012-13 season ticket campaign and it’s off to a fantastic start. Many of you have already paid in full for next season! That’s awesome and appreciated. We started the campaign early to give all of our season ticket holders, both current and future, the longest amount of time to pay for their tickets. We’re excited to grow our season ticket holder family. Be sure to call us to talk about not only the phenomenal locations that are available but the great perks that come with your status as a Milwaukee Admirals season ticket holder.

See you at the Bradley Center and Go Admirals!