The Milwaukee Admirals consecutive playoff appearances streak will stop at twelve after the Toronto Marlies defeated the Iowa Wild by the final score of 5-2 tonight. It is the first time since the Admirals inaugural season in the American Hockey League that they will not be in the playoffs.

It has been a wild season of ups and downs for the 2014-15 Admirals. They’ve been on top of the Western Conference and the Midwest Division at different points this season. The team set a franchise record for their best ever start to a season with a six-game winning streak out the gate. December saw a rough patch but then in January the Admirals were riding on a serious high note that saw them set a franchise record nine-game winning streak before everything started to trend downward in February until this exact moment in time. There will not be playoff hockey in Milwaukee for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

While this is by every means a downer I would like to point everyone’s attention to the 2015-16 season. The learning process of this past campaign should pay huge dividends moving forward. While some faces involved with the team could be moving on there will be more than enough returning faces that should return with massive chips on their shoulders. I always like to personalize situations like this by my own experiences. I am in no way the person that I am today without the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons that I’ve learned from them. There has been plenty of mistakes made this season from veteran and young players alike. All are learning. And all should turn up for the better thanks to the trials and tribulations that this season has provided.

Friday night will be the last home game of the season. Saturday night in Rosemont will be the last game of the season. The pressure and crippling feel of the playoffs slipping through everyone’s fingers will be gone and the team will have something entirely new to play for: respect. The Admirals will be facing the team that has just eliminated them from playoff contention this season on Friday. I would anticipate that being a statement game from the Admirals right back at the Marlies. In addition, the Admirals saw their end of the season head-to-head with the Chicago Wolves as a playoff series to see who would get in. That has already been decided as well, but the Amtrak Rivalry remains and there will need to be one last hurrah from a group looking to leave 2014-15 on a positive note.

Monday will see Admirals Roundtable “Season in Review” content starting up. That makes me sad. What doesn’t make me sad is how truly remarkable the relationship of the Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals has been and the success that it has provided the Admirals over these twelve straight playoff seasons. So many teams have come and gone. So many NHL teams have changed AHL affiliations. Yet it has been the same ol’ same ol’ here in Milwaukee. One season without playoff hockey hasn’t made this year a failure. What would make this past season a failure would be if it is brushed aside and the hardships are forgotten. The success of the past shouldn’t be taken for granted and, just as importantly, nor should the failures. Because it is the ability to overcome failures that can truly define both individuals and an organization.

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Milwaukee Admirals defenseman and team captain Joe Piskula is heading back to the team after being reassigned by the Nashville Predators following a one-game stint on an emergency call up.

Piskula played in the Predators regular season finale which was a 4-1 loss on the road at the hands of Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars. Piskula logged 16:27 of ice time over 19 shifts in the game, was a -1, and also took a delay of game penalty.

The return of the Admirals captain should shuffle things up on defense. The team brought up Garrett Noonan from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after their season came to an end this past weekend. There’s certainly plenty of bodies available to choose from for the Admirals final two games of the regular season this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see who gets a game and who sits.

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There might not be too much chatter on Admirals Roundtable as far as the Eastern Conference is concerned but for anyone who has followed the AHL this season it would be impossible to not hear of the incredible season being put together by goaltender Matt Murray of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Today, Murray was awarded the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s most outstanding rookie for the 2014-15 season.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that goaltender Matt Murray of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins has been voted the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie for the 2014-15 season.

The award is voted on by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 30 member cities.

A third-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2012, Murray has spent much of his rookie season rewriting the AHL’s record book. The 20-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ont., is 25-9-3 in 39 appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while leading the league with a 1.51 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage and 12 shutouts, more than any other rookie goaltender in AHL history. From Feb. 8 to Mar. 8, Murray held Penguins opponents off the scoreboard for 304 minutes and 11 seconds, the longest shutout streak by a goaltender in the AHL’s 79-year history. Murray has been named CCM/AHL Player of the Week and CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month twice each, and last week earned AHL All-Rookie Team and AHL All-Star First Team honors.

This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1947, honors the late Dudley (Red) Garrett, a promising young player who lost his life during World War II while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. Garrett split his only pro season, 1942-43, between the AHL’s Providence Reds and the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Previous winners of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award include Terry Sawchuk (1949), Wally Hergesheimer (1951), Jimmy Anderson (1955), Bill Sweeney (1958), Roger Crozier (1964), Gerry Desjardins (1968), Rick Middleton (1974), Darryl Sutter (1980), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Steve Thomas (1985), Ron Hextall (1986), Brett Hull (1987), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Darcy Tucker (1996), Daniel Briere (1998), Rene Bourque (2005), Teddy Purcell (2008), Nathan Gerbe (2009), Tyler Ennis (2010), Luke Adam (2011), Cory Conacher (2012), Tyler Toffoli (2013) and Curtis McKenzie (2014).

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends Sunday, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.

The winner of the 2014-15 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award (outstanding coach) will be announced Wednesday.

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This morning I made the trek into practice at the MSOE Kern Center. I’m currently in the process of a feature story on European players and their transition on and off the ice. Main purpose for going in today was to finish up with interviews but, while I’m there, I thought I would take a look at practice as well.

Arvidsson-Sissons-Aberg
Clune-Pendenza-Watson
Grant-Van Guilder-Robinson
Liambas-Gaudreau-Budish

Bitetto-Ford
Oligny-Aronson
Alm-Noonan (Diaby)

Those were the line combinations this morning. There was some flipping around here and there. Austin Watson and Joe Pendenza alternated between center and right wing. Garrett Noonan and Jonathan Diaby alternated on a line pairing with Johan Alm.

A lot of practice today seemed focused on fast paced puck retrieval and defensive zone exits. There were lots of drills pinpointing that aspect of the game with forechecking pressure. If you think of the current run the Admirals have been on that area of their game has either been sloppy or sluggish. Can’t say I’m surprised to see the transition of defense to offense getting tested the way it was. Admirals have needed to speed that aspect of their game for awhile.

Some of the highlights from practice included: a spin-o-rama backhander from Diaby that beat Magnus Hellberg glove side, blown tire by Alm during dump and chase drills that had him sliding on his butt from the faceoff circle to the end boards (most couldn’t help but laugh at it), and Viktor Arvidsson nearly stickhandling clean through everyone on five-on-five drills to score.

I’m not sure when this feature story will drop but I can say that it will include a pleasant surprise of Miikka Salomäki being involved. I was able to catch up with the Finn after practice today and talk with him about his recovery from surgery performed to his right shoulder.

Salomäki on how he’s been and how he was injured:

Basically sounds like it was a check gone wrong that caused a dislocated shoulder. He made a return to game action after it first happened and played in two games before getting re-injured. The option was surgery or attempt to let it heal on its own, get back in game action, and risk potential re-injury. The smart option was taken after the latter was put to the test the first time around. He should be completely 100% come training camps in Nashville for the 2015-16 season.

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The Milwaukee Admirals consecutive run of twelve straight seasons of playoff hockey could end tonight with a Toronto Marlies victory over the Iowa Wild. The maximum number of points that the Admirals can produce in their final two games of the season would slot them at 83 points. The Marlies already own the first tiebreaker of regulation and overtime wins over the Admirals. A win tonight would give the Marlies 83 points and would successfully eliminate the Admirals from the 2015 Calder Cup playoff picture.

The Chicago Wolves recently locked themselves into the playoffs with a 1-0 shutout over the Wild. That leaves the eighth seed as the last remaining playoff spot for the Western Conference. The Marlies magic number to lock that spot up for themselves is 4 points but they only need the 2 points tonight to eliminate the Admirals.

The AHL tiebreak format goes as follows via AHL:

Between two teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points in season series between teams
c) goal differential
d) goals scored in season series between teams
e) intra-conference points percentage

Among three or more teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points percentage in combined season series
c) goal differential
d) goal differential in combined season series
e) intra-conference points percentage

The Marlies with a win tonight would have 83 points on the season. Regardless of how the Marlies win it they already own the first tiebreaker over the Admirals with 35 regulation or overtime wins on the season. Even if the Admirals win out in regulation or overtime this season they would have 83 points with 33 regulation or overtime wins.

Should the Marlies win, both the Hamilton Bulldogs and Lake Erie Monsters would still be alive. Those two teams would need to then win out with the Marlies losing their last three games of the season in order to advance on points alone. The eighth seed is completely up to the Marlies to secure. They could well eliminate the Admirals tonight and then clinch their playoff spot at the Admirals expense in Milwaukee on Friday.

Of note, the Marlies are being charged up recently by some bloke named Brendan Leipsic. He won this past week’s CCM/AHL Player of the Week honors by recording 7 points (5 goals, 2 assists) in 3 games. That includes a hat trick scored against the Adirondack Flames last Tuesday.

Will tonight be the final nail in the Admirals coffin? Is there any hope that the Admirals can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat to make it in? Is it ironic how the Admirals need to rely on Iowa to win when the only real team they’ve done well against this entire season are the Admirals?

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The latest AHL award for the 2014-15 season has been announced. This year’s Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, for the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey, has been bestowed to Grand Rapids Griffins team captain Jeff Hoggan.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jeff Hoggan of the Grand Rapids Griffins has been named the 2014-15 winner of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award as the AHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey.

The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities.

The senior member of the Grand Rapids roster and in his third season as team captain, Hoggan has not missed a game in 2014-15, skating in all 73 contests to date while contributing 14 goals, 15 assists and a plus-22 rating. The 37-year-old native of Hope, B.C., is renowned for his work ethic, competitiveness and preparation, as well as for the culture he has helped to develop and the leadership he has provided in the Griffins’ locker room, mentoring more than a dozen players who have since graduated to the Detroit Red Wings.

In his 13th professional season despite being undrafted out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Hoggan has skated in 620 American Hockey League games with Grand Rapids, San Antonio, Providence, Worcester and Houston, and 107 more in the National Hockey League with St. Louis, Boston and Phoenix. A two-time Calder Cup champion, Hoggan has reached double digits in goals in eight of his nine full AHL seasons while surpassing 60 minutes in penalties just twice.

This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1978, honors the late Fred T. Hunt, a long-time contributor to the league who won three Calder Cup championships as a player and three more as a general manager during a career spent primarily with the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Previous winners of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award include Ross Yates (1983), Glenn Merkosky (1987, ’91), Bruce Boudreau (1988), Murray Eaves (’89, ’90), John Anderson (1992), Tim Tookey (1993), Ken Gernander (1996, 2004), Randy Cunneyworth (2000), Mike Keane (2007), Ajay Baines (2009), Bryan Helmer (2011), Chris Minard (2012), Brandon Davidson (2013) and Jake Dowell (2014).

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends Sunday, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.

The winner of the 2014-15 Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award (outstanding rookie) will be announced Tuesday.

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The Milwaukee Admirals roster has reshuffled this afternoon. The Nashville Predators have recalled Kevin Fiala. The Admirals have recalled Garrett Noonan from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. And, lastly, the Admirals have released forward Gary Steffes from his PTO contract.

Press Release via Milwaukee Admirals:

Milwaukee, WI–Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that the club has recalled 2014 first-round selection Kevin Fiala from Milwaukee.

In addition, the Admirals have recalled defenseman Garrett Noonan from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and released forward Gary Steffes from the PTO.
Fiala became the fourth 18-year-old in Predators history when he made his NHL debut in a 3-2 victory over Montreal on March 24, logging 11:25 and putting three shots on goal. He has amassed 20 points (11g-9a) in 33 AHL games since making his North American professional debut with the Admirals on Jan. 21.

The native of St. Gallen, Switzerland started the 2014-15 season with HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League, posting 14 points (5g-9a) in 20 games – tied for the fourth-most goals and assists, and sixth-most points among SHL junior players – before being assigned to Nashville’s AHL affiliate on Jan. 15. Fiala also represented Switzerland at the 2015 World Junior Championship, being named one of the nation’s three best players for the tournament while tying for fifth among all skaters in goals (4g-1a-5pts, 6gp).

Noonan posted four goals and five assists and a +5 rating in 38 games with the Admirals during his first professional season and added 10 points (1g-9a) in 23 games with Cincinnati.

Steffes tallied four goals, including two on the power-play, in nine games with Milwaukee. He returns to the Allen Americans of the ECHL for their post-season run after leading the league with 44 goals in 63 games.

The Admirals are off until Friday when they play host to Toronto in the final home game of the regular season.

The only move here the surprises me is that Gary Steffes was released. He wasn’t with the Admirals that long but was solid and proved that his ECHL eye for the goal translates to the AHL level. He operated on the Admirals top two forward lines, played wing and center, was able to work special teams, and was consistent from the word go. I’d be surprised if Steffes isn’t a full-time AHL player come next season.

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One season ago, the Cincinnati Cyclones motored into the 2014 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals as a five seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished on the wrong side of a six-game series against the Alaska Aces with goaltender Rob Madore claiming the MVP of the playoffs and, by doing so, became the first player from the losing team of the Kelly Cup Finals to win the award in the ECHL’s 26-year history.

The 2014-15 season will not have such a story to tell. The Cyclones regular season ended last night and ended in the team’s third consecutive defeat. There will be no playoff hockey for Cincinnati this season. The team went 31-30-2-9 (73 points) on the season and missed out to the fourth placed Wheeling Nailers in the North Division for a playoff spot.

Cincinnati lost its last three games of the season and, while that took place, the Nailers won three-straight games to take a lead of a single point. The Cyclones needed a win last night with a Nailers loss today to get in. It didn’t happen. As such, the Cyclones 2014-15 campaign will end far short of the year prior.

Madore’s season didn’t start as stellar as his playoff run was but he ended the year on a good note when he started getting in games on a more frequent basis. He played in 46 games, had a record of 16-19-2-8, 2.64 goals against average, 0.905 save percentage, and 4 shutouts.

Josh Shalla‘s season probably would have been more successful had he not had injury woes here and there, especially late in the season. Shalla produced 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 59 games with a plus/minus rating of -10 and 24 penalty minutes. If you chose not to factor in Jack Combs and Jack Downing, both of whom joined Cincinnati in mid-March from other teams, Shalla still led the Cyclones in scoring this season despite an injury bug.

The other mainstay for the Cyclones within or system was defenseman Jaynen Rissling. The Edmonton native did get a brief look with the Milwaukee Admirals this season in which he played 5 games in February but the bulk of his time was spent in the ECHL this season. He also had some injury issues and ended up only logging 37 games while posting 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) with a plus/minus of -4 and 76 penalty minutes.

It’s perhaps been awhile since you’ve heard the name Garrett Noonan and he is the sort of player that some might have expected more from in his first pro season. Truthfully, I think the decision to have him play in Cincinnati rather than be healthy scratched and play infrequently in Milwaukee is the best choice for anyone in developmental leagues. You need to play to learn, right? Noonan spent the better majority of this season as an Admiral. He has played 38 games in the AHL while scoring 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists), plus/minus of +5, and 15 penalty minutes. The ECHL total for Noonan went 23 games, 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists), plus/minus -2, and 22 penalty minutes.

Cincinnati also played host to many other Admirals this season. Zach Budish, Frédérick Gaudreau, Joe Pendenza, Mikko Vainonen, Patrick Cehlin, and Jonathan Diaby all spent time in the ECHL this season before coming back to the Admirals (or being loaned to European outfits – Vainonen and Cehlin).

For the Cincinnati readership, what were some of the biggest factors this season that contributed to the team missing out on this year’s playoffs? Of the talents that have breezed through this season who have been some of the more exciting ones that could crack the AHL next season?

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The AHL announced the recipient of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award this evening. Kyle Hagel of the Charlotte Checkers won the distinction as the 2014-15 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Kyle Hagel of the Charlotte Checkers has been selected as the winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as the 2014-15 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year.

This award has been presented annually since 1998 to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. The Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner is selected by the AHL and representatives from IOA and American Specialty from among 30 individual team Man of the Year honorees.

A five-time recipient of his team’s Yanick Dupré Award nomination, representing five different AHL cities, Hagel has been the face of the Checkers’ efforts in the Charlotte community this season. He has spent countless hours at school and community appearances delivering toys to patients at a children’s hospital, leading school assemblies to promote healthy living and the importance of hard work, bringing lessons of hockey to both physical education and science classes, and much more. Hagel also implemented the successful “Stick to Reading” program that he created in his previous AHL cities, contacting administrators at a local middle school, laying the groundwork for the program and encouraging his teammates to participate.

Hagel captained the Checkers’ efforts during “Movember” to raise funds for men’s health causes, and also remained involved in two endeavors he helped develop earlier in his career: Shnarped, a popular mobile app that directly connects hockey players with fans; and Hockey Players for Kids, a non-profit organization made up of hockey players dedicated to improving the communities they live in.

The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupré, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. A second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, Dupré played four seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and was an AHL All-Star in 1995.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends on Apr. 19, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway.

The winner of the 2014-15 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Monday.

Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.

Milwaukee Admirals defenseman and team captain Joe Piskula has been called up to the Nashville Predators under emergency conditions.

Press Release via Milwaukee Admirals:

Milwaukee, WI– Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the team has recalled Admirals Captain Joe Piskula from Milwaukee (AHL) under emergency conditions.

Piskula played a pair of games for the Predators in 2013-14, and has suited up for 12 NHL games with Nashville, Calgary and Los Angeles since 2006-07 (0g-0a-0pts, 8 PIMs). The Antigo, Wisconsin native has 17 points (1g-16a) in 65 games for the Admirals in 2014-15 to go along with a +22 rating, tied for the ninth-highest mark in the league. Acquired from the Flames organization on Feb. 28, 2013, Piskula has appeared in 530 AHL games over the past eight seasons, amassing 114 points (13g-101a) and 419 penalty minutes.

The 6-3, 208-pound blueliner signed with the Kings after three seasons at the University of Wisconsin from 2004-07 where he compiled 22 points (3g-19a) and 80 penalty minutes in 112 games and helped Wisconsin win the 2006 NCAA Championship.

The Admirals are off until next Friday when they play host to Toronto in the final home game of the regular season.

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