The Milwaukee Admirals returned to practice at the MSOE Kern Center after a scheduled off-day. What happened during the practice was rather standard but who participated made the day feel special. All of the brand new faces added recently were in attendance in today’s practice and there was also the return of Bobby Butler from his time with Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. The process of re-engineering the team comes with 21 games remaining in the Admirals schedule. The Admirals are in sixth place of the Central Division standings.

Zolnierczyk-Smith-Butler
Richard-Gaudet-Gaudreau
Bollig-Pettersson-Zengerle
Kirkland-McNeill-Moy
(Trenin-Mingoia)

Allard-Dougherty
Lyytinen-Granberg
Carrier-Ramage

Lindbäck
(Grosenick)

This was our first look at the new look Admirals with the additions of Brandon Bollig, Tyler Gaudet, Troy Grosenick, and John Ramage. I must admit, with so many new additions and actually having a near fifth line featuring, practice today did have a Training Camp feel to it – but for all the right reasons. There was a real great energy given off from everyone and it looked like all the new pieces found places to fit that can maximize their game and others as well. That as the Admirals fourth line feels incredible. And Yakov Trenin is actually now on the outside looking in for playing time.

That top line being reunited, now that Butler is back, is a great sight. Those three gelled so well and were often the best forward line when grouped. Gaudet’s arrival is such that now Mark Zengerle is pushed down a line and in as a right winger alongside Emil Pettersson. I was quite surprised by just how -big- Gaudet is on the ice. Both himself and Bollig are going to be the types of players you’ll likely see clogging up the front of the net with their size.

Speaking of the net. Grosenick was really impressive to watch in today’s practice. His lateral quickness and work on angles was really good. He even made a few stops, glove save and blocker-side, on rush drills that were outrageous. From the sounds of things he will get a start for the Admirals in one of the first two games of this weekend’s three-in-three. Based on performance it will then be determined if he or Anders Lindbäck get the net on Sunday. A once open and shut case for “who is starting in net tonight” just became an actual competition.

Another “speaking of which” comes with what happens to Jake Paterson? Well, that is a question that was answered shortly after a practice that he wasn’t involved in. Paterson has been assigned by the Admirals to the Allen Americans of the ECHL.

After practice wrapped up at the MSOE Kern Center everything raced back to the team’s locker room at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Today we caught up with all of the newest Admirals. All of them sounded really excited to join this group.

How do you think the Milwaukee Admirals will perform with all of the recent alterations? Will the new additions hit the ground running or will the Admirals struggle briefly as the team adjusts to these changes? How do you project the Admirals to succeed or not succeed in this weekend’s three-in-three?

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