As mentioned in the hitting department, this season in saves from the Milwaukee Admirals goaltending wasn’t all that flashy or eye-popping. If there were ever a category where that is probably a good thing is is here. The Admirals goaltending this season was reliable, made good reads, and above all did a tremendous job staying square to shooters. While there were some odd-man rushes and breakaway saves made throughout the 2016-17 campaign – most were finished between the pipes with great composed positioning in net more than with desperation.
I’ve scanned plenty of saves from this season and kept coming back to three stops made between both Marek Mazanec and Jonas Gunnarsson. On 2/3/17 against the Rockford IceHogs, Mazanec made a brilliant snapping glove save against Brandon Mashinter on a break from the slot. On 12/10/16 against the Chicago Wolves, Gunnarsson made multiple saves on a rush play during a Wolves power-play opportunity – one while sprawling on his wallet.
Yet, the one that stands out to me the most -even if the game didn’t turn out too well- came during the regular season finale on 4/15/17 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Your Best Save of the 2016-17 Season belongs to Jonas Gunnarsson sliding post-to-post to deny Tyler Bertuzzi on the back-door on a five-on-three power-play bid for the Griffins.
When it comes to hits and saves delivered this season: there weren’t too many jaw-droppers. That’s not to say that there weren’t good plays put on display but, as a highlight reel is concerned, things were rather simple. There just wasn’t a big field from which to pick from. But, that said, the Best Hit of the 2016-17 Season is one that packs a punch. And the man responsible is Mike Liambas.
This Liambas hit came during the Milwaukee Admirals contest on 11/23/16 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Evgeny Svechnikov was caught playing defense and swooping out of his own defensive corner when he picked his head up and was quite literally run over by a bus.
This season the AHL promoted a brand new rule against fighting majors. There was a cap against players that had them being suspended once they hit 10 fighting majors on the season and the penalty would increase along the way.
Rule 46 (“Fighting”)/Rule 23 (“Game Misconducts”)
• Players who enter into a fight prior to, at, or immediately following the drop of the puck for a faceoff will be assessed an automatic game misconduct in addition to other penalties assessed.
• During the regular season, any player who incurs his 10th fighting major shall be suspended automatically for one (1) game. For each subsequent fighting major up to 13, the player shall also be suspended automatically for one (1) game.
• During the regular season, any player who incurs his 14th fighting major shall be suspended automatically for two (2) games. For each subsequent fighting major, the player shall also be suspended automatically for two (2) games.
• In any instance where the opposing player was assessed an instigator penalty, the fighting major shall not count towards the player’s total for this rule.
Did it work in limiting fighting majors? Well, looking at the Milwaukee Admirals alone, I’d say so. In the Dean Evason Era of the team fighting majors have gone: 44 in 2012-13, 62 in 2013-14, 66 in 2014-15, 53 in 2015-16, and 40 in 2016-17. It’s certainly fallen down. And, for those wondering about it, the Admirals did not have anyone punished under the new AHL ruling. Mike Liambas sat on 9 fighting majors for the final 10 games of the season and that is a dramatic drop on his career record.
So, what then of this season in Admirals hockey fights? I don’t recall many barn-burners, slobber-knockers, or walk-off KO’s along the way. That lends itself to me deciding the winner based around the one that stands out the best. And there was a fight this season that had me laughing all the way through it taking place. The Best Fight of the 2016-17 Season belongs to Anthony Richard vs. Matt Lorito.
The Admirals and Griffins rivalry is rather well documented at this point – as is the Griffins methods of getting under the Admirals’ skin. The Griffins are a team that talk, talk, talk some more, and keep on talking while never actually walking the walk. Even in this instance it looked to be that case. Lorito decided to challenge the one person on the ice for the Admirals he deemed least willing to actually fight if he challenged him. Richard not only accepted but proceeded to throttle him and win instantly. The Admirals bench erupted and that gave Richard his first pro Gordie Howe hat trick.
What was your favorite fight this season? Do you feel the AHL’s fighting major policy benefited or hurt the way games were played this season? Should that policy return as it was this past season or be changed?
The Milwaukee Admirals provided many great moments throughout the 2016-17 season. When thinking of what the “Best Game” was there are fortunately many to pick from. Do you go with the time the Admirals clobbered the Texas Stars 9-1 on the road? Do you think a little on the evil side and take the 6-3 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins? Or, is there something off the cuff that managed to pile all kinds of great sequences together?
To me, despite the options, there is really only one winner. The Best Game of the 2016-17 Season was the Admirals’ second ever School Day Game which ended in a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Wolves at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
That game had it all but, above all, an unmatched atmosphere that was loud from start to finish. It is always noisy with those school crowds coming in but all the kiddos quickly get to grips with how hockey is played and set the backdrop on the most entertaining game of the season.
The Admirals went up 2-0 but then allowed three straight goals to the Wolves. The Admirals would equalize, concede, and equalize again en route to overtime. That set the stage for Alex Carrier to score one of the best goals of the season to cap off overtime in style.
What was your favorite game that the Milwaukee Admirals played this season? Write your answer down below and be sure to comment why that was your favorite game of the season.
The Nashville Predators have announced that forward Emil Pettersson has signed a two-year entry level contract with the organization. Pettersson was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Predators and will be making the leap from Sweden to North America in the 2017-18 season.
Nashville, TN – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile today announced that the club has signed forward Emil Pettersson (eh-MIHL PEH-tuhr-suhn) to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Pettersson, 23 (1/14/94), finished ninth in the Swedish Hockey League in points (15g-23a-38pts) while splitting the 2016-17 season between Skelleftea and Vaxjo. The 6-foot-2, 164-pound center has spent the past four seasons in Sweden’s senior leagues, first in the second division with Timra, then at the elite level with Modo, Skelleftea and Vaxjo.
Nashville’s seventh choice, 155th overall (sixth round), in the 2013 Entry Draft, Pettersson is expected to play the 2017-18 season with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals.
That last sentence is an exciting one given how Swedish forwards have done in the pipeline in recent years with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. Pettersson has spent the last two seasons at the top flight of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the likes of MODO Hockey, Skellefteå AIK, and Växjö Lakers HC. He moved mid-season from Skellefteå to Växjö and managed to really surge offensively. In total, his 2016-17 season with both clubs saw him amass 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 51 games. He also produced 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) in 6 playoff games with Växjö.
Kevin Henderson Approved! The Nashville Predators minor-pro affiliates are now the Admirals and the Admirals. (Photo Credit: John Malkowski)
For the first time in organizational history the Nashville Predators’ minor pro affiliations will be changing. While the Milwaukee Admirals were announced to a new five-year agreement as the Predators AHL affiliate the same will not be said of the Cincinnati Cyclones as the ECHL affiliate.
The Norfolk Admirals have just announced via Facebook Live that they will be the new ECHL affiliate to the Predators (NHL) and Admirals (AHL) moving forward. As of yet there has been no concrete details as to the terms of the ECHL affiliation agreement between Nashville and Norfolk but it will mean for all Admirals at all times outside of Nashville.
Once an official statement becomes available with details on behalf of either the Nashville Predators or Norfolk Admirals I will provide an update to this story with the press release. Keep your eyes peeled for that as well as updates on social media regarding the new ECHL affiliation change.
NORFOLK, VA. – The Norfolk Admirals announced today that the club has reached an affiliation agreement with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League, beginning with the 2017-18 season.
“After a thorough process, the Nashville Predators are the perfect fit for the city of Norfolk and the Admirals. Their proven history of community outreach, innovative marketing, player development and winning is everything Admirals fans demand of us,” Admirals President Michael Santos stated.
Predators Director of Hockey Operations Brian Poile represented the new parent club at the event and said, “As an organization, we’re a big believer in the direction the Admirals are headed. We love having committed relationships with our affiliates for a variety of reasons, not limited to only player development.”
The Milwaukee Admirals will continue to serve as the American Hockey League affiliate for the Predators, the bridge between Nashville and Norfolk.
Since their inception in 1998, 35 Predators have been ECHL alumnus, including players such as Tomas Vokoun, Vern Fiddler and Anthony Bitetto.
This announcement comes as the first of three major organizational changes this summer for the Admirals. A new logo and jerseys will be revealed prior to the season.
The Admirals will kick off their 2017-18 campaign in October, with the home opener coming on Friday the 27th against the South Carolina Stingrays.
Season memberships are on sale now and start as low $500 for 36 games at Norfolk Scope Arena. Memberships can be purchased by contacting the Admirals at 757-640-1212 or on norfolkadmirals.com.
The Nashville Predators have recalled Cody Bass from the Milwaukee Admirals. This move comes a day after the “Black Aces” made their way up from Milwaukee to help bolster the Predators run in the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This season started off so well for Bass as he made the Predators roster to begin the 2016-17 season. Things then went downhill and all came to a serious injury at the end of the 2016 portion of the Admirals calendar. He injured his hamstring on 12/28/16 and required surgery. That would sideline him for the rest of the Admirals regular season as well as the playoffs. He missed the final 50 games that the Admirals played.
What is encouraging though for Bass was he started to really practice hard at the end of the season. If the Admirals playoff run lasted longer there was a chance that he could have factored in with a deep run. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. But his leadership qualities off the ice continued on as he stayed around the team at season’s end to assist where he could. Bass will still be with the organization in 2017-18 and should be fully fit when the season begins.
Of the names going up to help bolster the Predators depth for their playoff push there are five players who have logged a game or more with the Predators in the NHL this season. You’d have to look at names such as Dougherty and Murphy as players who have yet to participate with the Predators as of yet.
This end-season recall for the group that played in the AHL at the end of the season helps to both give a look up at the NHL level as well as to provide depth on-ice during practice sessions and more for the Predators. For a player specifically like Dougherty, who has yet to get a recall until this moment, it offers a glimpse at the end goal being worked so hard for. It wouldn’t be clear if any would suit up for a game -but- the options now exist for the Predators thanks to revamped depth.
I try, but there are far better photographers that capture the countless moments around a Milwaukee Admirals hockey season. This post is for them. (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
I am always a massive fan of the photography that comes during the course of a hockey season. The 2016-17 season provided plenty of great moments worth capturing including the Milwaukee Admirals return to the MECCA – now known as the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Whether it be the goals being scored, hits being dished out, celebrations, fights, or even just the artistic elements of showcasing a player and the scale of the fans surrounding them at rinkside – this was a great year.
Before directly hopping into this year in Admirals photography it wouldn’t be right to share a boat load of photos without providing immidiate credit to those who did such a phenomenal job.
The Admirals this season had: Scott Paulus, Jeff Hanisch, Stephanie Moebius, Sara Stathas, and Darren Hauck. Plus, on the fan side of things, we were always fortunate enough to get photos from Jamie Wahl.
On the road there were other great photographers such as: Mark Newman (Grand Rapids), Todd Reicher (Rockford), Greg Hamil (Rockford), Shane Abbitt (Iowa), Ted Sandeen (Iowa), John Saraya (Cleveland), Ross Dettman (Chicago), Darren Abate (San Antonio), Andy Nietupski (Texas), Jacob Kupferman (Charlotte), Jonathan Kozub (Manitoba), and Randy Cleves (Grand Rapids).
Welcome to the month of May, everyone. It is sad knowing that the Milwaukee Admirals season is at an end but, that being said, we still need to round out that final month of the season with Admiral of the Month for April.
The way the results panned out in April weren’t pretty. Between the end of the regular season and playoffs the Admirals finished with a run of 3-5-3-0 in April with two of those overtime defeats coming at the hands of the Grand Rapids Griffins in their opening round match up in the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. The Admirals were trying to round out their game and integrate new pieces to the team before the playoffs started. There were simply inconsistencies in form from a team and individual perspective from the start of April to the end of the Admirals 2016-17 season.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
That’s not to say there weren’t some solid efforts and performances by those on the team to finish on a positive note on an individual basis. Marek Mazanec perhaps doesn’t get enough credit for what he meant for this year’s team and did shoulder the load for the Admirals in net through to the finish line. Mike Ribeiro ended his time with the Admirals by recording 8 assists in the Admirals final 9 games which includes scoring an assist in all 3 games against the Griffins in the playoffs. Frédérick Gaudreau may have only scored a single point, which was a power-play goal, in the final 8 games of the regular season but ended as the Admirals leading scorer in the playoffs with 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist).
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
Plus, there are other individuals I feel well worth giving a mention without even thinking about what’s being done offensively. Trevor Smith, Justin Florek, and Adam Payerl all did such great and gritty work down the stretch for the Admirals. Florek especially stood out to me purely in how active he was defensively to generate lots of pressure and get sticks to puck to negate passes and shots on net. I also feel that Jack Dougherty and Justin Kirkland both started to really hit a stride at the end of the season and look very comfortable across the board. Dougherty was a lot more mobile and was showing signs that he could be kicking up another gear for his sophomore season.
Ultimately though I was most impressed by a single player this time around. Someone that didn’t really have a lull along the way in April through all the ups-and-downs that the team was still running through. My Admiral of the Month for April is Vladislav Kamenev.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Kamenev has had some bumps along the way in his sophomore season but you certainly get a good sense for a player when they end a season strong. Gaudreau did it in 2014-15. Pontus Åberg did it in 2015-16. And Kamenev did that to end the 2016-17 season. He played the game at a higher pace and looked more aggressive than I feel I’ve seen him play since joining the Admirals last season. He was physical with checking when he needed to be, hounding down puck carriers, and looking to make plays up ice while also crashing towards the net to get the dirty goal – not the highlight reel goal. Kamenev tallied 7 points (5 goals, 2 assist) in 8 games to finish the regular season off. He also scored a goal in Game 2 against the Griffins at the Van Andel Arena. He appeared to thrive at the highest pressure points for the Admirals at season’s end. And he was doing that operating in all facets of the game at center.
~Admiral of the Month Award~
October: Juuse Saros November: Alex Carrier December: Harry Zolnierczyk January: Marek Mazanec February: Frédérick Gaudreau March: Pontus Åberg
April: Vladislav Kamenev
That ends the monthly awards here on Admirals Roundtable for the 2016-17 season. I’m big on giving the award to the one I really feel stamped the best month out be it offensively, defensively, or in net. And, for a second successive season, I’ve just completed a season in which a different player won each and every month. There is something about that which I find great and also highly promising.
Next on tap here at Admirals Roundtable we will be doing more 2016-17 season recap material. I’m effectively going to be doing this all on the fly this go-around. No set plans of what or when but I plan on lumping end season awards into the final report card column. That would be the last of the recap write-ups before calling it a job well done for the season. Keep the eyes out for all that -and- with the Nashville Predators who really have something special going for them at the moment.
Who do you feel was the top performer for the Milwaukee Admirals during the month of April? Was it Kamenev, Gaudreau, Mazanec, Dougherty, or someone else? Tell me who your Admiral of the Month was in the comment section below.
Admirals Roundtable 