By Jason Karnosky
For the second year in a row, the Admirals finished the American Hockey League regular season as the top team in the Central Division.
Their reward: a Central Division semifinals match-up with the Rockford IceHogs starting Thursday night at Panther Arena.
“We are very fortunate to be in a good position after the season, going into the postseason in first place,” Admirals forward Kieffer Bellows said. “In the playoffs all of that seeding goes away and it’s just one-on-one and may the best team win.”
Prior to the season, Milwaukee seemed like a solid choice to repeat as the division champions. However, the Admirals’ road back to a spot alongside the AHL’s elite was anything but smooth.
Milwaukee (40-21-5-6) used 42 different players during the regular season, including 29 players that dressed in at least 25 games. Only one skater, rookie defenseman Ryan Ufko, played in all 72 games wearing an Admirals sweater.
“This year’s division title was probably the most enjoyable one we’ve had, with all of the challenges and all of the roster movement,” said Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor, who has now coached Milwaukee to three division titles in six years. “There could have been all kinds of excuses in there, but none of them stuck to us.”
Milwaukee came roaring out of the gates, reeling off an eight-game winning streak after losing its opener. The Admirals faded a bit after that but reignited the flame with a terrific stretch of games in late January and early February.
Despite the quick start to 2025, Texas was still favored to claim the top spot in the Central with less than a month in the season. However, the Stars faded late as Milwaukee turned on the afterburners. Going 8-1-1 in its final 10 contests, the Admirals seized the chance to snag another division title.
“We all say first doesn’t matter, but finishing first is a lot better than second,” said Taylor, who’s team won its last five games to finish two points clear of Texas. “Coming down the stretch it didn’t look like we were going to have a chance to finish first. But the door opened, and the fellas decided to go and get it.”
Nine different players on the Admirals postseason roster dressed in at least one National Hockey League (NHL) game for the Nashville Predators this season. A few others started the season in Milwaukee, but did not return to the Admirals after their call ups.
“The Milwaukee players who came up, and the guys who stayed up here, they had an impact,” Predators general manager Barry Trotz said. “Now we’ve got some of those top players back in Milwaukee to help make them even stronger for the playoffs.”
Forward Fedor Svechkov was one of those players who split the season between Nashville and Milwaukee, but will be back in the Cream City for the Calder Cup playoffs. The 22-year-old Tolyatti, Russia native made the most of his latest promotion, earning 52 games with the Predators this season and contributing 17 points.
“This season was mostly about opportunity for me,” said Svechkov, who also played in 13 games as an Admiral. “At the beginning of the season I didn’t think I was going to play in that many games in the NHL. But it was a good opportunity and I got to play on the level of those players.”
Milwaukee was led in scoring by the oldest player in the AHL, 38-year-old Cal O’Reilly. The AHL’s 2024-25 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award winner for sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey, finished with a team-best 38 assists and 49 points.
“We’ve had a lot of moving parts this season, but everyone goes through it in the American League, and everyone faces change,” Admirals general manager Scott Nichol said. “The big part of managing that is to have good veterans like we have here in Milwaukee. Our captains and our leaders, guys like Kevin Gravel and Cal O’Reilly, they’ve done a lot to right the ship.”
The Admirals were a team that played without excuses all season, and much of that had to do with their one-two punch in goal. Matt Murray, who went 28-10-15, with a 2.07 goals against average (GAA), and a .932 save percentage (SP), plus tandem mate Magnus Chrona (12-11-5, 2.80 GAA, and a .903 SP) were the backbone that carried Milwaukee all year long. Taylor will likely go with Murray as his Game 1 starter, but Chrona seems likely to also see action.
The Admirals feature a solid, deep blue line that played a big part in their success. Ufko, Gravel, and Jake Livingstone were the fixtures, while Marc Del Gaizo and Spencer Stastney each played in numerous games for both Milwaukee and Nashville.
“This spring you are going to see (some of the) guys that were up here, guys like Svechkov, Stastney, Del Gaizo, and Bellows in Milwaukee for the playoffs,” Trotz said. “They are good players up here, and they should be impact players in Milwaukee.”
While Milwaukee’s offense was never going to be its strength this season, the Admirals found nice balance and chemistry across its lines. Veterans like O’Reilly, Bellows, and Jake Lucchini were at the heart of the squad, while Joakim Kemell and Ozzy Wiesblatt continued to grow into elite prospects.
“At times we were playing really well, and at other times we weren’t, but we still won,” Lucchini said. “That proves that we are a team that can win when we are at our best, but we can also find ways to win even when we’re not.”
Midseason additions like Anders Bjork, Grigori Denisenko, Jesse Ylonen, Ryder Rolston, and Ondrej Pavel complimented the group.
“[Scott Nichol] and management brought in good players to help us,” Livingstone said. “Some of the players were guys off the street, guys who didn’t have contracts anywhere else, but they were really good hockey players. The guys that came in, and the guys that were here all the way stepped up and played in more minutes.”
After dispatching Chicago in two games, upset-minded Rockford (31-33-6-2 during the regular season) will be ready to face Milwaukee. During the regular season, the Admirals dominated the IceHogs, posting a 7-1-0-2 record in their 10-game season series. The Admirals did not surrender a point in the five contests at Panther Arena.
Cole Guttman was Rockford’s leading scorer during the regular season, posting a 23-goal and 57-point campaign. He led the IceHogs with three points in the two-game sweep of the Wolves.
Former Admiral Zach Sanford will likely make his presence felt in the postseason for Rockford. The veteran, and Stanley Cup winner (2019 St. Louis Blues), had two assists against Chicago. IceHogs goaltender Drew Commesso allowed just one goal in the two games against the Wolves and will be the likely starter for Game 1 against Milwaukee.
“There are no secrets between us and Rockford, as we know each other’s games,” Bellows said. “We know the guys that they have, and they know the guys that we have. It is just going to come down to who plays better, and who is willing to go that extra mile.”
With it being a five-game series, the Admirals are hoping for a fast start against the IceHogs, in hopes of triggering a third straight deep postseason run.
“We want to win the Calder Cup, and to have those champagne eyes,” Taylor said. “Whether that is going to happen or not, we have no idea, but that is the focus for us. Success for our guys is laying it all on the line and playing our best hockey in the last games we play.”
Svechkov and his Milwaukee teammates will be ready and raring to go Thursday night.
“We hope our playoffs are going to be successful, even more successful than last year,” Svechkov said. “Success is when you win the Calder Cup, and so we’ve got to win the cup to be successful.”
