Despite the Predators narrowly missing the playoffs, the NHL Playoffs will still present plenty of Admirals Alumni in the quest for the Stanley Cup. This year’s postseason will feature 18 different players that spent time in Milwaukee, spreading across 10 of the 16 qualifying teams.
Beginning in the Atlantic Division, Steven Santini of the Tampa Bay Lightning appeared 54 times for the Milwaukee Admirals back in 2019-20. Their likely opponent in the first round, the Montreal Canadiens, sports a former teammate of Santini in Alexandre Carrier. The Canadian defenseman began his pro hockey career with the Admirals in 2016 and tallied an impressive 141 points in his four years with Milwaukee.
Appearing for the best team in the Eastern half of the bracket, Mark Jankowski will be playing in his second consecutive playoffs for the Carolina Hurricanes. Jankowski lit up the AHL in the 40 games he played with the Admirals in 2023-24, scoring 47 points. Both the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins roster two Admiral Alumni each. In Boston, the left-winger pair of Viktor Arvidsson and Tanner Jeannot will look to make an impact on the offensive end for the Bruins. For the Penguins, the centerman Thomas Novak posted a noticeable point per game pace in two of his seasons with the Admirals, from 2021-2023. A more recent addition, Samuel Girard only has 20 appearances with Pittsburgh under his belt yet is looking to get his name on the cup for the second time in his career.
On the Western half of the bracket, the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, the Colorado Avalanche, just recently added an Admiral Alum to their roster in Nick Blankenburg. The defenseman has just 11 games played with the Avalanche but has already tallied a pair of points with the playoffs around the corner. Colin Blackwell will appear for another one of the cup favorites with the Dallas Stars. Back in the 2019-20 season, the centerman posted 23 points in 26 outings for the Admirals. Their likely opponents, the Minnesota Wild feature a pair of players who all spent time in Milwaukee. Michael McCarron alongside Yakov Trenin will look to bring the first Stanley Cup ever back to the State of Hockey. Each of these attackers showed their offensive prowess in their time with the Admirals, scoring double-digit goals in their short campaigns.
Both top two seeds in the Pacific feature multiple Admiral Alumni with the Edmonton Oilers rostering three and the Vegas Golden Knights sporting a pair. In Edmonton, the Ads are represented by Mattias Ekholm, Connor Ingram, and Spencer Stastney all chasing their first championship. Down in Sin City, it is the pair of Cole Smith and Colton Sissons that look to head up the offense for the Golden Knights as they chase their franchises’ second Stanley Cup. Finally, the LA Kings will unfortunately be without the services of Kevin Fiala, who impressed during his time in Milwaukee, and continues to on a world stage. The Swiss forward was sadly injured in the 2026 Olympic Games, but will still have his name etched on the cup, should the Kings make a run.
Eastern Conference
Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Santini
Montreal Canadiens – Alexandre Carrier
Boston Bruins – Tanner Jeannot, Viktor Arvidsson
Carolina Hurricanes – Mark Jankowski
Pittsburgh Penguins – Thomas Novak, Samuel Girard
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche – Nick Blankenburg
Dallas Stars – Colin Blackwell
Minnesota Wild – Yakov Trenin, Michael McCarron
Edmonton Oilers – Mattias Ekholm, Connor Ingram, Spencer Stastney
Vegas Golden Knights – Cole Smith, Colton Sissons
LA Kings – Kevin Fiala
