The news has remained fairly slow to this point. That being said, there are two talking points that I would love to bring up.
~The Expiration Date of the BMO Harris Bradley Center~
As I’m certain all of you know by now, the Milwaukee Bucks are under new ownership and the NBA would very much like to see a brand new arena that is up to snuff with their league standards. This is a talking point that I have wanted to discuss for awhile but keep waiting for more details to come out eventually. So far though it has been fairly slow. It seems as if it’s a matter of time before an actual proposition comes out as to (1) where this new arena will be build (2) when it will be expected to be operational (3) and what impact it has on the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
I’ve heard plenty of rumblings in regard to the location for this new arena. Could it be placed near Miller Park? Lakefront? The Grand Avenue Mall location? …no seriously, tear down Grand Avenue Mall and put it there.
It’s a fascinating topic. One with major implications on far more than just the professional sports teams that are looking to inhabit it. I’m really curious to hear your takes on this issue. Where should this new arena be? What would be an ideal location for this venue in Milwaukee?
~Milwaukee Admirals Goaltending Battle~
When the Milwaukee Admirals signed Rob Madore a couple weeks back – I was through the roof. This was a goaltender who had a stunning playoff run within our system in Cincinnati of the ECHL (though, not under contract to us). He didn’t allow the likes of Magnus Hellberg playing alongside him at that level to throw him off. If anything – he flourished in the competition for the net. And that is precisely what you need system-wide. Competition.
I still very much see the goaltending cycle as follows: Marek Mazanec as the Admirals first choice, Hellberg as back-up, and Madore as the lead man for the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.
What I will say about that lineup though is that it does have parallels to last season with Scott Darling waiting in the wings at the ECHL level. Darling was supposed to be at that level, worked hard, and made the most out of an opportunity through all the injuries at the goaltending position. Pekka Rinne, knock on wood, should see a whole lot more of the ice this season in Nashville. But you never know if Hellberg has a repeat of last season with injuries or if Mazanec gets dinged up along the way. Depth is great. Quality within that depth is even better. And that is precisely what Madore will be to the Admirals this season.
How do you see the Milwaukee Admirals goaltending panning out this season? If Rob Madore continues his playoff form – could he push one of the two properties of Nashville in net down to the ECHL?
Admirals Roundtable 
As far as where the bucks new arena goes I frankly don’t give a crap. Chances are neither will most Ads fans. The bucks have expressed their feelings on having to share a hockey arena with a hockey team. With the new owners and outside money funding most of it they will have a large say in what goes into building the new bucks arena. Sadly hockey capabilities are A) expensive and B) an inconvenience to a basketball team.
Also with the skyrocketing of ticket prices that comes with moving to a brand new building (trust me they’re gonna skyrocket) is something that the Admirals need to take in consideration, don’t out price your fan base just for a fancy arena. This leaves us ( Admirals, fans) with a few options.
Option 1 Go with the Bucks
while it may not be our choice to be welcomed along but if we are, it will be a state of the art sports arena, bright and lively and assuming similar to The UC in Chicago. Big, fancy and new also means you paying more $$$$.
Option 2 Stay at the BC
The house the Petits built to score an NHL team just to have it go to Florida. The old BC is still a great facility despite what people say this building isn’t that old nor inoperable. County Stadium needed to be torn down the BC does not it still is a solid facility and could still serve so if the NBA and Bucks weren’t so driven by you need new new new! But I digress the Admirals could hold down the ship and continue to play at the BC but there’s some hurdles to clear. A) cost to operate is going to be difficult to do as the lone tenant assuming the Eagles leave too. Well the Mustangs will kick in what they do to help out. But it may be too much for the ads to handle again tickets will go up in price, and big promo night like concert nights may go away too. B) NBA and AHL play the same season in fall-spring so we would be in direct competition with the Bucks for people’s entertainment dollar. Hard to compete when they have a new arena and all the glitz and glamour of that.
Option 3 A short move.
pack up the bags and pucks and walk it over to the US Cellular Arena! Hey Wave how ya doin’ can we just squeeze In here with ya? Hope the answer is yes! The Cell offers a few things and already installed ice system, the front office is just next door and the price of operation will be lowe than going it alone at the BC. It also offer a more inclosed feel for an AHL game where the horn will be loud even if we only have 3K on a weekday game, I feel it will be similar to Rockford in that sense. I feel prices would not be raised to much if at all.
Final thoughts- whatever happens when the time comes I hope the Admirals decide to at least entertain the US Cellular Arena option I know it’s not going to have all the extras the new bucks arena will have but when comes down to it who cares when all you’re concerned about is whether the puck was played with a high stick or not! Go Ads!!
The new arena for the Bucks should be north of the BMOBC on the open county land along McKinley Ave. It would be nice if the Admirals moved there. If it doesn’t happen, going back to the Cell sounds great! Grand Avenue is a non-starter. It would take several months to demolish part of it, clear the debris and do site preparation. Do they have enough parking over there? The open land is easier to build on. You can put up another garage or 2, hotel and / or restaurants, if needed.
Hellberg needs to play well or he is history for Nashville. Maz passed him by last season. Madore may do the same thing this year.
Random question– Any idea why haven’t signed Ellis yet?
Kyle: My guess is it is all a matter of working out a better contract, years vs. money. They tendered him an offer as an RFA. To the best of my knowledge there haven’t been any qualifying offers sent at him… looking at you Philadelphia.