This is the toughest of the tough as far as selections go. The Milwaukee Admirals scored 227 goals in the entirety of the 2015-16 season. There have been some incredible ones too and from various individuals. I will always say that this past year’s Admirals team was a special one. What you’re about to see should put a stamp down on that.
Out of every goal scored this season the one I kept thinking about as the one that raised and set the bar for all goals that came after it was Frédérick Gaudreau‘s incredible Peter Forsberg level one-handed goal scored against John Gibson of the San Diego Gulls on 11/21/15. You get an Assist of the Year level feed from Viktor Arvidsson that zipped clean past Matt Bailey to the tape of Gadureau, who was in stride, and then we were witnessed to the start of Freddy Time. What a goal and really a moment the stands out on what was a truly special season for the undrafted free agent that wound up doing so well he earned an entry level contract with the Nashville Predators.
Unlike previous editions of “Best Of” I simply can’t ignore that there were other goals scored that were too good to simply just lump into the Admirable Mentions list. My competition for this year’s pick came down to the winner against these following goals which I will list in order of how I rated them relative to Gaudreau’s goal: Matt White @ Bakersfield (2/5/16), Vladislav Kamenev vs. Rockford (11/28/15), and Stefan Elliott vs. Grand Rapids (3/29/16). Those were all brilliant and worth mentioning as some of the high-end goals of this past season.
Tomorrow in “Best Of” will feature the Best Game of the Admirals 2015-16 Season. Which game did you feel was the most exciting game of this past season?
The goaltending for the Milwaukee Admirals this past season was outstanding. Marek Mazanec put together his best wire-to-wire season of his North American playing career while newcomer Juuse Saros looked and played nothing like a 20-year old newcomer.
When it comes to all the saves that these two made this season there could only be one worth of this distinction. Frankly, I don’t know if I’ve seen a save made by an Admirals goaltender that was better than it too! The Date: 1/22/16. The Location: Cleveland… aka Lake Erie… aka Cleveland where the Monsters play. The Victim of Theft: Nick Moutrey. The Robber: Mazanec.
Alright, first of all it is sad that the Lake Erie Monsters didn’t provide more to that save than they did. The highlight itself occurs at 1:14 in the video highlights and is just the overhead camera at real speed. Blink too fast and you’ll miss all that just happened.
Thankfully, sort of, I used my incredible ability to film that very save from two other angles using *drumroll* my iPhone pointed at my laptop which was streaming AHL Live. Hey, it’s better than nothing. Which would be a down right shame. What Mazanec did on this save was magic: Angle #1 and Angle #2.
Consider the situation. This play was a two-on-none from the bottom right wing. Derek DeBlois was the puck carrier low wing. He skated in quick, sent a pass for Moutrey who was all alone at the top of the crease, and Mazanec made the point blank save. If that wasn’t spectacular enough the initial save was made with the cuff of Mazanec’s glove and sent the puck flying up straight into the air where Mazanec quickly spun-around and made a no-look glove save behind his back as Moutrey skates behind him looking for a possible rebound. It was ridiculous.
Tomorrow in “Best Of” will feature the Best Goal of the Admirals 2015-16 Season. Out of all the goals scored this season which one was the most spectacular?
Something that I was excited about coming into the 2015-16 season was that the Milwaukee Admirals were getting bigger boomers into the mix. Yes, the likes of a Mike Liambas, Rich Clune, or Triston Grant are fun and all but, as a group, more size was needed. Enter this season where the Admirals outfitted guys like Cody Bass, Jamie Devane, and Adam Payerl to grind the opposition up along the boards… and occasionally through the glass.
I’ve had the chance to see some pretty flashy goals watching the Admirals. There have been a few great fights, too. But I don’t remember a time where I froze up on press row more than when I realized that Bass checked Zach Palmquist through the glass. It wasn’t that the glass shattered. Bass effectively hydraulic pressed Palmquist into the glass and punched him through it. That panel exploded and left a Palmquist sized hole in it. These were the remains of that panel. RIP Panel.
Tomorrow in “Best Of” will feature the Best Save of the Admirals 2015-16 Season. What is your pick for the best save of the Admirals season and who made it: Juuse Saros or Marek Mazanec?
The Milwaukee Admirals season is over which means the start of end-season material here at Admirals Roundtable. This week will be “Best Of” Week which will cover: Best Fight, Best Hit, Best Save, Best Goal, and Best Game. As always, I encourage everyone time chime in and get their say or recommendations in via the comment section. Considering the fight pool this season was pretty cut and dry. I’ll take this first one head on.
There wasn’t a more jaw dropping fight this season than the moment Jamie Devane knocked out Daniel Maggio. It may not have been the fight itself that made it the top scrap of the season as much as the uppercut finish. There haven’t been many legit KO’s that I can remember in recent Admirals history. Devane provided one that will be hard to forget.
Before going anywhere else, because it is worth talking about, Maggio was clearly hurt from this fight. He was knocked out cold, staggered back, and needed assistance to get off the ice. He would miss the next five-games for the San Antonio Rampage but did carry on with the rest of the season. Actually, he wound up taking eight more fighting majors by the end of the season. So, all is well in Maggio-land.
One of the real bright spots for last night’s Nashville Predators viewing party at Major Goolsby’s was the pleasantly surprising developments that took place in pre-game warm ups. Pontus Åberg was on the ice. Mike Ribeiro wasn’t. That wasn’t anything too special right away considering Åberg looked set to make his NHL debut in Game 1 against the San Jose Sharks only to be healthy scratched right at game-time. This time it was different. Ribeiro stayed a scratch. And the Predators second round draft pick from the 2012 NHL Draft, 22-year old Swede Åberg, was announced to the lineup for his NHL Debut.
As much of a shock as it might feel for some in Nashville, probably more so for the casual fans tuning in for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it shouldn’t be. To make your pro debut in a playoff scenario where the team has their back up against the wall in a 2-0 series hole speaks volumes that far exceed the player himself. The foundation of the Predators is build upon by successful scouting, drafting, and developing. When you pause to look around the people Åberg suited up with it all makes sense. The profile of the game is bigger. The moment of making your NHL debut is huge. But, at the end of the day, Åberg found himself in a lineup with four players that he suited up with in Milwaukee last season or even this season. It just becomes the same old game at that point.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The confidence of the Predators coaching staff to make a lineup change of a veteran in Ribeiro for an NHL debutant in Åberg says an awful lot about their trust in the developmental process. Åberg has playoff experience but, when you look back on his professional or senior level playing career, the bulk of that has come in his native Sweden. Including last night’s 4-1 Predators win in which he debuted Åberg has played in a total of 30 playoff games since the 2011-12 season: 13 games with Djurgårdens IF (SHL and Allsvenskan), 13 games with Färjestad BK, 3 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL), and 1 game with the Nashville Predators (NHL). Prior to last night’s game his only North American playoff playing experience came in the recent weeks leading up to his debut when he and his Admirals teammates were swept in the first round of the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs by the Grand Rapids Griffins. So, if you were thinking the decision of Åberg over Ribeiro was a matter of big game experience – you would be wrong. It was less to do about that and far more to do about the player that Åberg has become in the space of his first two full-seasons of North American hockey playing in the AHL with the Admirals.
You would be hard pressed to make a bigger introduction to a new team, new fan base, or -simply- new country better than the way that Åberg did last season. In the first period of his North American playing career he scored a spectacular solo goal. He slashed through several members of the Charlotte Checkers before dusting off a goalie who almost single-handedly eliminated the Admirals in the first round of the playoffs the year prior – Drew MacIntyre. You could watch that goal over and over again and still make the same face that Brendan Leipsic is making as he goes to celebrate with Åberg in the corner. It was brilliant.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
It would have been fantastic if the debut season in North America could have shined that bright every night for Åberg and the Admirals in the 2014-15 season. It would have – but life at the developmental ranks isn’t without its immense learning curves and struggles. Åberg was off to a great start in his first season as a member of the Admirals. He scored 19 points (13 goals, 6 assists) in his first 27 games. He then proceeded to slow way down at the turn of the calendar to only muster up 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists) from his last 42 games of the season. The Admirals weren’t all that sharp around him either, mind you, as the team missed out on the Calder Cup Playoffs that season for the first time since the Admirals inaugural season in the AHL – a streak that spanned twelve consecutive playoff appearances – gone. The Admirals finished in last place of the Midwest Division with a record of 33-28-8-7 (81 points, 0.533 points percentage).
If there was any saving grace to the Admirals final few games of the 2014-15 season it was when head coach Dean Evason really started to challenge players to compete more at the finish line. Åberg rose to the challenge as he notched 4 assists in the Admirals last 4 games of the season including ripped 17 shots on goal in the final month. The precision of his shot wasn’t quite there, 1 goal from his final 31 games, but the fire from earlier in the season was reignited. That attitude carried into the off-season and followed into the 2015-16 season.
There could have been some early concerns, both on Åberg’s part as well as those watching him, that he again wasn’t quite finding the back of the net to start this season. October came and went without a goal to stretch his goalless drought in the AHL to 14 games. The first game of November comes and, with a primary assist from fellow Swede Max Görtz, that goal finally came. Now would be the fun opportunity to cheat time a bit and jump to the end of the regular season to cite that Åberg ended up being the Admirals top goal scorer with 25 goals from 74 games.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The goal scoring feat for Åberg was great but that alone isn’t something that sees a player elevated to debut in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The precision element to his game this season was a very real element to his improvement. In 2014-15, he scored 16 goals from 158 shots on goal. In 2015-16, he scored 25 goals from 159 shots on goal. The precision spills across from shooting to other avenues of his game. His passing was smarter. His overall defense and work on the back-check was more attentive and provided a more detailed touch to his already talented offensive skill set. By the end of the season he was being double-shifted by Evason, à la Taylor Beck, and was eating up the minutes while providing the Admirals an absolute maximum on offense. In the Admirals last 21 games of the regular season Åberg scored 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) while being held without a point in only 5 games. He was becoming Mr. Everything and was the hottest Admirals forward entering the playoffs.
I already explained at length why the Admirals playoffs were what they were. It’s unfortunate that the Admirals 2015-16 season ended as quickly as it did. The team went from the bottom of the division to winning a division title for the first time in five-seasons and were the second best team in the Western Conference entering the playoffs. If you wanted to find a specific player that summed up the Admirals headache inducing match-up against the Griffins it would be Åberg. He had 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games against the Griffins this season which includes them shutting him out offensively in the three-game playoff series. That doesn’t make Åberg bad. That doesn’t mean Åberg cooled off. That’s just another feather in the cap of a Griffins team that is supremely polished.
As Åberg arrived to join the Predators for the second round playoff series against the Sharks it was his first career NHL recall. There are now several “Black Aces” up with the Predators and for nearly all of them this time isn’t exactly about getting on the ice anywhere near as much as it is simply taking in the environment and experience. At the AHL level, you see so many college and junior playing kids turn up at season’s end to get that taste of what life at the pro level is about. That’s really what being a Black Ace is more than anything. It’s a look past that glass ceiling that so many players are knocking on repeatedly to see if anyone is still paying attention. Nashville pays attention and their developmental process screams it. All you need to do is look over their roster and count down all the players that are there that played in Milwaukee. Åberg did more than take in the environment last night. He participated in it. That shouldn’t be surprising. Look at that Predators team and look at those Admirals teams of the past. It truly is a play together, learn together, win together mentality. Åberg is just the latest example of that.
While going over the “Thank You” column that I wrote the night of the Milwaukee Admirals playoff exit you probably thought I forgot some people: the photographers. Well, that’s just simply not true because this post is entirely a massive thank you to the photographers who have once again captured so many incredible moments this season.
The main man that heads up photography for the Admirals is Scott Paulus. When he’s not with the Admirals he is more than likely helping out the Milwaukee Brewers as pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. This opens up the window for people such as Stephanie Moebius, Jeff Hanisch, and Sara Stathas to showcase their great eye around the rink.
Someone else that deserves an Admirable mention is Jamie Wahl whose photography often ends up being used by your’s truly to craft the various memes or reaction faces that you see used on Admirals Roundtable’s social media. Her work was even brought up by Jimmy Oligny during his Fifteen interview in regards to this photo of Taylor Aronson.
It’s a shame that the Admiral of the Month Award won’t extend past the month of April. The Milwaukee Admirals 2015-16 season really did deserve a longer run. That said, the final monthly award from Admirals Roundtable was a rather easy choice to make. It had to go to Pontus Åberg.
At the end of the regular season there wasn’t a hotter player on the Admirals roster than Åberg. The numbers from the last month of the regular season pop: 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 8 games, 4 power-play goals, 2 game-winning goals, 2 first-goals, an average of 2.0 shots on goal per game, and he was held without a point in just 2 games.
Similar to the Admirals as a team it’s a shame that such a great run at the end of the regular season didn’t see better results in the playoffs for Åberg. In the Admirals playoff exit the 22-year old Swede was unable to score a point. Considering the Admirals were held to a single goal in all 3 games against the Grand Rapids Griffins there wasn’t much scoring to get excited about in general. Still, something that Åberg offered that extended into the playoffs was his reliability to the team to double-shift on the wing. His all-around play was so consistent that the coaching staff really pushed him to offer up a boost when the Admirals needed it. There is a reason, despite the lack of scoring in the playoffs, why the Nashville Predators saw fit to give Åberg his first career NHL call up prior to the start of their second round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks. He was the hottest forward on the ice for the Admirals and that motor can translate to the Predators if they needed him out on the wing. With the Predators now down 2-0 to the Sharks perhaps some new blood and energy in the form of Åberg would be a good thing.
Admirable Mentions: Vladislav Kamenev, 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in 11 games… Juuse Saros, 5 wins from 6 starts with a 2.34 goals against average and 0.919 save percentage… Félix Girard, for his efforts in the face-off circle and work on Admirals special teams… Kevin Fiala, 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 11 games… Max Reinhart, 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games… Max Görtz, 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 11 games… Adam Payerl, 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) in 11 games… Matt White, 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games…
Who do you feel was the Milwaukee Admirals top performer during the month of April? Was it Pontus Åberg, Vladislav Kamenev, or someone else? Answer in the comment section below.
(Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender… because it’s a selfie)
This is always such a conflicting post to make. It’s the end-season thanks and goodbye. On one-hand I hold the congratulatory applause from so many warm and caring fans who are sharing their appreciation for a season of hard work that I’ve put in. On the other hand I hold yet another Milwaukee Admirals season that has ended far sooner than it should have.
There are several talking points that could be brought up from last night’s game that saw the Admirals get eliminated in the opening round of the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs. No question about it. Fear not though because that will have its time and place for discussion. The shortest sentiment that I offer up now is that it was a game of utter frustration and confusion that thundered to the ground. The season is over. It’s over right when it should have been getting at it’s absolute best. And it is just unfortunate.
I try my best to leave myself as the simple byline to all that you see associated with Admirals Roundtable. I always rather leave the focus where the interests are greater. That of course meaning to put and leave the spotlight on the team and the players. This post isn’t going to be totally done that way. Instead this is my chance to open up and talk more about me and my own experiences of the season that was.
2016-16 marked my third-season running things here at Admirals Roundtable. It also marked my fourth-season with the Admirals dating back to my internship season of 2012-13 where I was able to contribute to their 35th Anniversary campaign. It feels like every season I’ve taken part of since that debut season becomes my new best season. That happens not as a solo effort but thanks to the unbelievable amount of people associated with the work that I’m privileged to say is work for me. I made mention of this on Facebook, in relation to the final regular season game played at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, but I can expand on it more here. The people who work tirelessly behind the curtain make doing what I do all the more special.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
It didn’t take long for me to realize as an intern that the fun loving chemistry of the entire Admirals front office is a reflection of the people in charge. Admirals Owner/CEO Harris Turer and President Jon Greenberg are such friendly, caring, family oriented, and fun people to be around. Throughout this season their tireless work behind the scenes have kept this franchise right here in Milwaukee. The season may have ended last night but I can almost guarantee you that those two are now heavily focused on making sure that the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena will feel more of a home for Admirals fans than ever before. For as much of a focus is on the on-ice product there is an on-ice product for years to come thanks to these two. With how they set the tone from the top that same level of care comes out from everyone else associated with the front office. Admirals VP/Communications Charlie Larson is right there to assist whenever I want to conduct interviews. So much of the content you get out of this website comes thanks to having someone like Charlie who keeps the doors so open to me in being able to shine the spotlight on the team and players as I chose to. Admirals broadcaster Aaron Sims, who we are all so fortunate to have as our play-by-play man, always makes himself available to me so I can throw him questions when I miss out on things on the road and is always such joy to hear tell stories around the rink.
(Photo Credit: Stephanie Moebius)
The Admirals coaching staff and players have been incredible to me this season. Such a massive part of why last night was such a painful experience was knowing how tightly knit this year’s group was. It really was a special team with countless wonderful people. Whether I was speaking with Dean Evason, Stan Drulia, or Scott Ford the coaching staff always welcomed me in as a reporter to ask away my questions and provided very humble and honest answers. The same can be said of the players they coached up this season. There were so many new faces this season from last season but everyone seemed to gel together so well so early. There are always incredible characters in a hockey locker room. The Admirals weren’t short of that at all this season. You had a trio from Québec with their very own nickname. You had a Russian teenager that was adapting to what had to feel like an alien world around him but never seemed to let that change his happy demeanor. There were players dead set on redemption over previous individual misfortunes. Players not knowing how much longer they can continue playing pro hockey in this country or at all. And others just simply trying to make it. When you eliminate the players and simply look at who the Admirals are as people the world I come back to is genuine. There were so many high quality people that wore an Admirals sweater this season and it has been an honor getting to know so many of them. I always admire how humble hockey players truly are. It’s an infectious attitude when you’re around a team the likes of which the Admirals had in 2015-16. And I cannot thank the team enough for simply being themselves.
Then there are many individuals I bump shoulders with (often literally) who make getting to the rink that much more fun. The man with the blog Dave Boehler is always so much fun ribbing throughout the season. Our linemate, aka our table buddy, Sam Sirna is also always great for keeping things light during the grind of working away as he spins the music at home games. Mario Tirabassi for being a laugh when he turns up to cover games. Nate Haeni and Kristen Wooten of the Rockford IceHogs who both made my first road trips so much fun (and easy) to take in.
I always have to thank the many countless people in Nashville, Cincinnati, or abroad for all the fun that this hockey season has provided. Justin Bradford of Penalty Box Radio for having me on the airwaves a number of times this season and venturing up to Wisconsin-land to have a jolly fun time. Kristopher Martel, Jeremy K. Gover, Robby Stanley, and Cutler Klein for the usual Nashville shenanigans we get up to throughout the season. The fine people of On The Forecheck and Predlines for always sharing Admirals Roundtable and giving Nashville a spotlight to Milwaukee. Dakota Johnson of Sin Bin Cyclones for always keeping me informed on how the Cincinnati Cyclones are doing so that I can give proper insight on the Admirals ECHL affiliate. Sean Shapiro and Stephen Meserve on offering up such fun AHL beats down in Texas and Patrick Williams for doing the same up in Manitoba. Again, countless individuals that I could keep rattling off that remind me that the sports media business isn’t the shark tank that I expected it to be but rather one big loving community where we all support one another.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Last, and most important of all, you fans reading this I owe the biggest thanks of all. I’m almost overwhelmed by how much Admirals Roundtable has grown in the three-years that I’ve headed it up. It’s breathtaking. There is something special about this sport and work when I can finish a story that I slaved away on into the middle of the night, publish it, and there will still be early birds in Europe excited to get to read it ASAP. Those that know me, possibly even those that don’t, probably know just how hard and how much time I spend putting work into this. I still lack a full-time job on the sports business so I treat Admirals Roundtable as just that. All I think about are ways to improve what it is that you see, get, read, or listen to here. I obsess over it and I want this to be the go-to place for Milwaukee Admirals information, Predators prospects coverage, and just an enjoyable place to talk hockey. All the hard work and sleepless nights that go into what you see is made all the more enjoyable because of each and everyone of you. I love this. I love this even more because you all let me be myself. I’ve been fortunate enough to have met so many great people purely because of the work that has come through Admirals Roundtable. That’s special. All of you make it special.
What comes next? Well, truth be told, I hadn’t mapped out any sort of end-season columns yet. I wasn’t planning the Admirals season ending so early. Last season it was a little more obvious but this was a blindside hit that has me… well.. all of us.. stuck in the mud for a short while. You should expect some of what you saw last season in regards to the End-Season Report Card, Season in Pictures, as well as multiple Best-of content. None of that was prepped though. So it won’t come right away. Be patient. I’ll get to it in due time.
For Admirals fans still bitter or sad over last night: don’t be. We can’t get caught being too selfish wanting the Admirals to be Calder Cup champions or bust. A swift playoff exit shouldn’t mean that the regular season was a waste. This season, no matter how it ended, was special to be part of whether you were a fan, reporter, front office staffer, coach, or player. What life at the AHL level provides is experience. Everyone this season experienced one of the most special teams in Admirals history at a time when we said goodbye to a building that the Pettits had built for the purpose of hosting a hockey team twenty-eight years ago. This season was a success. We were all part of it. Thanks for being part of it with me.
Daniel Lavender
Editor-in-Chief
Admirals Roundtable
One of the true daunting questions that a hockey player has to inevitably face is the “what next” element when their playing career comes to an end. At some point the NHL window closes, the wheels don’t spin as fast as they used to, or the game simply passes one by. Fortunately for former Milwaukee Admirals captain Scott Ford he was able to go out on his own terms and find an immediate answer to that itching question of “what next” by finding work in a familiar place.
The story behind how a kid that grew up in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada that found a home away from home as a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin comes from the path traveled on the road that comes with being a professional hockey player.
“This has basically become my home,” said Milwaukee Admirals assistant coach Scott Ford. “The community is awesome. There is so much stuff going on. The people are fantastic. The Midwest is great and then just this area with all that it has to offer. I’m excited to be here and to continue after my playing days. I’m just fortunate.”
After a four-year college playing career at Brown University Ford would take a journey over the next four-years of his life playing professionally for numerous organizations: Fresno Falcons, Cleveland Barons, Providence Bruins, Trenton Titans, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Dayton Bombers, and Utah Grizzlies. It wasn’t until the 2008-09 season that he would find the Milwaukee Admirals. That would mark the start of a relationship between the player, the team, and the city itself.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Ford’s professional playing career spanned eleven-seasons. In the Admirals fifteen-season existence as members of the American Hockey League (AHL) Ford managed to suit up and play for the Admirals in seven of those seasons. He was the Admirals all-time leader in the AHL era of the franchise for games played (378) up until Mark Van Guilder eclipsed the mark (383) a season ago. He also logged the second most penalty minutes (577) in the AHL era of the franchise trailing only Kelsey Wilson (699). For two full-seasons (2011-12 and 2013-14) he was named team captain of the Admirals.
There were two key moments to Ford’s career in and out of the Admirals. The first of which came in the 2012-13 season when he decided to leave the organization to pursue a chance of being able to play in his first career NHL game.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
He opted to sign for the St. Louis Blues organization and was stationed with the Peoria Rivermen where he was named team captain. He played 43 games for the Rivermen but, during that time, the Admirals were missing a little bit of everything that he had provided in season’s past. So, on 2/19/13, the Predators organization opted to trade Jani Lajunen to the Blues in order to require their former captain. Ford’s return came in concert with the excellent form of then first-year goaltender Magnus Hellberg and the Admirals were able to squeak into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed of the Western Conference. The Admirals would be eliminated by the top seeded Texas Stars in four games of a best-of-five series.
Ford would stay-on with the Admirals the following season and take up the duties of being team captain once again. Yet, the second key moment for Ford’s career actually came while spending the bulk of his time not only out of Milwaukee but out of the AHL.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
In the 2014-15 season the AHL options for a 34-year old defenseman are limited. This was the boat Ford found himself in. His decision to continue his playing career despite the lack of AHL hockey being on the table saw him join the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. When Ford laced up the skates for the first time as a member of the Stingrays he was a few days shy of seven years since playing in his last ECHL game with the Grizzlies. It would feel like this is where the story should get sad but it couldn’t have been any further from that. Ford’s time as a member of the Stingrays proved to be quite memorable. The Stingrays would set an ECHL record for a winning streak while he was around by earning wins in twenty-three consecutive games. As the Stingrays were nearing their playoff push Ford signed a PTO contract to once again wear an Admirals jersey and provide some short-term help to the organization on and off the ice. He dressed for twelve more games with the Admirals before being sent back to assist the Stingrays in the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs where Ford’s team would fall in the final to the Allen Americans.
Once the dust settled on the 2015 Kelly Cup Finals that question of “what next” turned its ugly head once more to Ford. It was time to strongly consider his professional playing career as over and move on to a new profession. Fortunately for him, his time in the game left a major impression to one organization in particular. The one where he found his home away from home.
In the most recent off-season Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile reached out to the long-time member of the Admirals with a job offer. The job was to join Dean Evason and Stan Drulia as part of the Admirals coaching staff. Ford may not have had prior coaching experience which would put him on an even playing field to Evason for Drulia but he offered constant experience and natural leadership qualities throughout his time as a player in the Admirals locker room to take young up and coming talent under his wing. Despite continually maintaining high fitness, and having the drive to still achieve that ever allusive first career NHL game, it was time to transition from the ice to behind the bench.
“It just felt right,” said Ford. “I felt like I was able to do things on my own terms as far as playing that final year. Having just an unbelievable run with South Carolina and, obviously, coming back [to Milwaukee] at the end of the season. I had an opportunity with Nashville and I felt like it was the right time to step away.”
The move was a perfect fit. Ford always seemed to migrate back to Milwaukee regardless of the Admirals season because it became home. Despite only being around the team briefly at the end of the 2014-15 season he still was highly familiar with the coaching staff, his surroundings, and numerous players throughout the system. He could be the gap between the locker room and the coaching staff.
“[Scott Ford] been great,” smiled Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “I’m telling ya, he’s been a real real great addition for [Stan Drulia] and I. He doesn’t work any harder than us, clearly, but he is such a nice presence within the room. He’s obviously just removed, he’s played with some of these guys, but he’s found that balance of separating. He’s in the room, and he’s communicating with the guys, but its not – he’s going down there and telling us their stories. He’s found a nice balance between buffering with the players and the coaches. And he’s taken on some real good responsibilities as far as our pre-scout, our preparation, does a lot of that. Helps Stan and I with special teams and he’s a good person. You talk about the room and the players and having good hockey players. Well, it’s great to have a good coach but if he’s not a good person it’s not going to work. He is a good person. And he is a really good coach as well.”
(Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
For as long as Ford was in the game becoming a coach provided new challenges as well as getting out of trends he became so familiar with. He logged 694 games of experience in his professional playing career. So, when a whistle were to blow at an Admirals practice earlier in the season, it was hard for him to not take a knee with the rest of the players as his former coaches spoke up. It was just one of many areas in which he needed to account for aspects of the coaching role that most players may generally overlook. As a player the mindset can be to head to the rink, go on autopilot, and let the game be the game. As a coach there is a business mentality to conducting the parts and pieces that make the team go. There are day-to-day communications from the Admirals to the Predators so that everyone is on the same pulse. Preparations far exceed simple readiness for a game but extend to even as small as how practices should be mapped out and schedule in accordance with how hectic the league schedule can already be in its own right. It is a constant administrative effort to see that each individual player can perform to the best of their abilities while all coming together to form the best Admirals team that it can be. In his first season behind a bench as an assistant coach Ford just so happened to be part of one of the best Admirals teams in their history as a member of the AHL.
“We’ve had a successful year,” commented Ford. “Our group is a group. It’s not just one guy or two guys that have led the charge. If you look at our stats and our scoring it’s very balanced. It’s just been a total group effort right from the top to the bottom.”
This season marked the return of the Admirals to the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs after a one-year absence. It might sound like a blip on the radar but the Admirals had made the playoffs for an twelve consecutive seasons up until last season. Out of those twelve straight playoff seasons Ford contributed to half of those playoff teams. In his first outing behind the Admirals bench he is back to playoff hockey. All he has done since his last appearance is trade some sticks for suits.
One of the major occurrences that took place during the Milwaukee Admirals 2015-16 season was seeing a mid-season overhaul of the way the defensive group was structured. In January the organization shifted away from the likes of Victor Bartley and Conor Allen in favor of balancing the defense’s left-handed dominant shooting group with some right-handed shots. The Nashville Predators acquired Stefan Elliott and Patrick Mullen in mid-January and even added Corey Potter at the NHL’s Trade Deadline for an extra bit of veteran ability to the Admirals mix.
If there were anyone that most fans with the Admirals would be familiar with of those brought it in would be Elliott. The 25-year old defenseman was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft and played nine games against the Admirals while a member of the Lake Erie Monsters from 2012-13 season to the 2014-15 season. He scored two-goals against the Admirals in that last playing season within the Avalanche organization before moving on and signing with the Arizona Coyotes organization last off-season. He played in 19 games this season for the Coyotes and scored 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in that time before he was acquired by the Predators and sent to the Admirals.
There is no denying that Elliott provides a great two-way ability to the ice yet it is his offensive ability from the blueline that really sets him apart. In his AHL career he has been a 0.49 point per game player. As a member of that Admirals that figure went up to 0.54 as he notched 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in just 35 games. Late in the season he was able to head up to the Predators and assist their efforts while Ryan Ellis dealt with a minor injury and logged a pair of games for his second NHL team of the 2015-16 season.
A big thanks goes out to Stefan Elliott for taking the time out to have this interview. As far as Fifteen interviews go there just aren’t many players left to get for the 2015-16 season. Who haven’t you heard from that you want to hear from next? Does he speak Russian? Because, if he does, chances are I just can’t quite pull that one off yet. Not unless I improve my own personal Russian which sounds a lot like me speaking like I normally do which some call English.
Admirals Roundtable 