The Nashville Predators have recalled Pontus Åberg from the Milwaukee Admirals ahead of their opening round matching against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Åberg made his NHL debut with the Predators during their playoff run last season.

It was a tad confusing as to why Åberg wasn’t in the lineup last night for the Admirals when they finished off their three-in-three weekend on the road against the Iowa Wild. This is the answer to that and it is a recall that is very well deserved. Åberg is having the best season of his career and is contributing across the board for the Admirals in the AHL this season. He leads the Admirals with 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 56 games.

Åberg’s 31 goals scored made him just the fourth Admiral in the AHL history of the team to hit the 30 goal plateau behind the likes of Darren Haydar (2005-06), Rich Peverley (2006-07), and Chris Mueller (2011-12). He is currently tied for the AHL league lead in goal scoring alongside Wade Megan of the Chicago Wolves. Were Åberg to top the league lead in goal scoring he would be the first Admiral to accomplish the feat since Danny Lecours lead the IHL in 1982-83.

It has felt like every night Åberg has been playing for the Admirals this season he has been among the top players on the ice. Not only has his offense been great but his speed and skill translates into very smart defending that has helped translate into even more offense. This is a contract season for the 23-year old Swede. He has done everything he possibly can to make sure that the Predators aren’t going to want to let him leave. And this recall for the playoffs is an awfully good sign that the organization hasn’t lost him in the shuffle.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Yakov Trenin has been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals by the Nashville Predators following the completion of his 2016-17 season with Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL. The 20-year old Russian forward made his pro debut with the Admirals during the 2016 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.

The past season for Trenin started off with a bang during the off-season that preceded it. He suffered a broken leg while mountain biking and missed the Predators annual Rookie Development Camp. He did join his Gatineau side to provide numbers comparable to the junior season that had the Predators selecting him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Trenin produced 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists) in 54 games to go along with a plus/minus rating of +16 and 84 penalty minutes. It was the first 30 goal season in his three-year junior playing career.

Trenin’s Gatineau team was eliminated out of the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in overtime of game seven after Gatineau were down 3-0 in the series and 3-1 in the first period of that seventh game. During the playoffs he tallied points (goals, assists) in games. He joins an Admirals team ahead of the playoffs. He recorded an assist during last season’s opening round playoff series against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

The Nashville Predators have assigned defenseman Samuel Girard to the Milwaukee Admirals. The 18-year old just completed his third junior playing season with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.

Girard was selected forty-seventh overall in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Predators. In his junior career he has produced 192 points (24 goals, 168 assists) in 190 games with a plus/minus rating of +65 and 47 penalty minutes. His most recent season saw him tally 75 points (9 goals, 66 assists) in 59 games with a plus/minus +26 rating and 29 penalty minutes. His Cataractes were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs by Val-d’Or Foreurs in a six game series. Girard added 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists) in 5 games during that series.

While only standing at 5’10” Girard has all the tools to be a special player. He has already gained numerous individual accolades in juniors such as the CHL Sportsman of the Year, QMJHL Defenseman of the Year (Emile Bouchard Trophy), QMJHL Most Sportsmanlike Player (Frank J. Selke Trophy), and QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year (Raymond Lagacé Trophy). The growing trend in hockey has seen a shift away from size and strength to speed and skill. Girard has plenty of speed and loads of skill. He now looks to make a splash in his first taste of pro hockey starting in Milwaukee.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

The Milwaukee Admirals entered the weekend needing three points to fall their way between themselves and how the Cleveland Monsters. That ended with the Admirals taking one of two games against the Texas Stars while the Monsters won out. Tonight the Monsters lost 2-1 in overtime to the Iowa Wild at the Wells Fargo Arena. That result means that the Admirals have officially punched their ticket into the 2017 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.

This is the Admirals sixteenth season contested in the AHL. They have made the playoffs all but two times during their tenure in the league including a run of twelve consecutive playoff appearances that spanned 2003-2014. Since missing out on the 2014 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs the Admirals have made it back both seasons under head coach Dean Evason and finished last season as Central Division champions.

At the moment the Admirals current hold a record of 41-23-3-3 (88 points, 0.629 points percentage). They rest in third place of the AHL’s Central Division behind the Grand Rapids Griffins (0.659) and Chicago Wolves (0.648). The AHL’s VP of Communications Jason Chaimovitch was kind enough to let us know that these three have been locked in the top three since the turn into 2017 and the last change in placement came in mid-February when the Admirals were briefly ahead of the Wolves.

Were the season to end today the Admirals would face-off in an Amtrak Rivalry match-up to start the playoffs in a five-game series. The Wolves would get the decision of controlling the first two games of the series on home ice or the last three games of the series. From that point forward the playoffs continue on in a more traditional best of seven game series.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

At the end of the AHL season all teams in the league select their finalist for the AHL’s Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. The Milwaukee Admirals choice for their Man of the Year is first-year pro defenseman Jack Dougherty.

Press Release via Milwaukee Admirals:

Milwaukee, WI–The Milwaukee Admirals are proud to announce that Jack Dougherty has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Milwaukee community during the 2016-17 season.

Dougherty was instrumental in the success of the Admirals reading program “Reading: The Ultimate Power Play,” as he went to six Milwaukee Public Schools that participated in the program to read to the kids in their classrooms and encourage them to achieve their reading goals. In addition, he made other school visits to talk with kids about the importance doing your best in school and how his education helps him as a professional athlete.

Jack, a native of Cottage Grove, MN served as a celebrity waiter for Prevent Blindness of Wisconsin’s annual fundraiser that raises money to help prevent blindness and other severe eye problems in kids. He was one of five players who auctioned off their services for a charity auction to go and cook dinner at the house of the winner, an item that netted $6,000.

Jack also went to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to visit sick kids during the season and helped to distribute Shamrock Shakes to kids at the local Ronald McDonald House on St. Patrick’s Day. He also donated money to help buy presents for underprivileged kids at Christmas time.

Dougherty is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2016-17 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League at a later date.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

It’s that time of season when collegiate and junior hockey seasons are coming to a close. Typically you see amateur try-out (ATO) contracts signed first but the Milwaukee Admirals first instance this season will be a tad different. The Admirals have signed forward Tyler Kelleher to an AHL Contract that will be good for the rest of the 2016-17 season and extend into the 2017-18 season.

Kelleher just completed a four-year career at the University of New Hampshire where he produced 167 points (57 goals, 110 assists) in 153 games. He was recently named as a finalist for this year’s Hobey Baker Award given to the best collegiate hockey player. His 2016-17 season saw him tally 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 40 games which was the most in Hockey East and his assists total was the most across the NCAA.

The native of Longmeadow, Massachusetts turned 22-years old at the start of the new year. He might be only 5’6″ on the ice but times are changing these days. Size isn’t everything if the pure ability and skill to play exist and that will be the upcoming test awaiting Kelleher as he begins his professional playing career as a member of the Admirals where he will wear his #16 that he wore at New Hampshire.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

Miikka Salomäki has fulfilled his long-term injury loan assignment with the Milwaukee Admirals and will be rejoining the Nashville Predators roster. It’s likely that he will be traveling to Nashville ahead of Monday’s game at the Bridgestone Arena against the Winnipeg Jets rather than race to the West Coast for Saturday’s afternoon game versus the San Jose Sharks.

Prior to this conditioning assignment Salomäki had only played three games in the 2016-17 season. Even then, it was hardly three full-games considering he broke his hand blocking a shot in one and then suffered a significant leg injury in the first period of his initial conditioning assignment with the Admirals after that.

During this recent spell on the comeback trail Salomäki played three full-games of work with the Admirals and scored a goal in his first game back from injury. He also celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday on Thursday. In his Admirals career he has now played a total of 121 games while scoring 71 points (29 goals, 42 assists).

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

It has been a very unfortunate season for Miikka Salomäki. He broke his hand blocking a shot only two-games into the NHL season and ended up suffering a lower-body injury on his first period back in game action while on conditioning assignment in early December.

Today the Nashville Predators have announced that Salomäki will be joining the Milwaukee Admirals for the second time this season on a conditioning assignment. The duration of the stint can last no-longer than fourteen consecutive days and, with the structure of the Predators roster at the moment, it would be safe to assume the Finn stays for the full two weeks on assignment. It will allow Salomäki to get plenty of rust off and get sharp before the Predators are forced to make serious decisions with how they tinker with their NHL roster once he comes back fully fit.

In his career with the Admirals the native of Raahe, Finland has played a total of 118 games while producing 70 points (28 goals, 42 assists). He was the Admirals leading scorer during the 2013-14 season which was his first professional season playing in North America.

As a member of the Predators in the NHL, Salomäki has logged 64 games and has scored 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) while dishing out 177 hits in that time. The only player with more hits than him in Nashville last season was Shea Weber. Yet, one must wonder if recent injuries might mean the “bull in a china shop” nature needs to be roped in a little bit.

The extent of Salomäki’s stay would see him down for a maximum of 3 games.. That would afford him the chance to play tonight as well as Wednesday and next Friday. He will be wearing the #10 with the Admirals as his more familiar #20 is currently held by Derek Army.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

The Nashville Predators have officially recalled Daniel Lavender from the Milwaukee Admirals. Lavender is expected to be in attendance Tuesday night when the Predators play at the Bridgestone Arena at 7:00 PM CST against the Calgary Flames. The duration of his recall is expected to last one-week (seven consecutive days).

This is the first career NHL recall for Lavender who joined the Admirals in the 2012-13 season after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He has covered 356 career AHL games as well as 10 games in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.

With the Lavender recall coming it is likely that he will cover the upcoming Admirals road games against the Grand Rapids Griffins from the comforts of Nashville. The expected return date from Nashville will have him back in Milwaukee in time for the road slate against the Charlotte Checkers next Tuesday and Wednesday.

All jokes aside, I will be driving down to Nashville today and will be down through the weekend. I’ll be attending all practices and Nashville Predators home games during that time and should be providing guest host duties Wednesday night for Penalty Box Radio at 8:00 PM CST on 102.5 The Game ESPN Nashville. I will be conducting interviews with recent and former Milwaukee Admirals players. So, expect plenty of soundbites. If you want to catch up or meet during the week I am down all you need to do is give a shout. I’ll be around.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.

The Nashville Predators have recalled Kevin Fiala from the Milwaukee Admirals. The Predators will be returning to action tonight on the road against the Minnesota Wild in their first game out of their bye-week.

Fiala returns to the Predators for the first time since mid-January. He has played 32 games in the NHL this season and produced 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) with an even plus/minus rating and 10 penalty minutes. With the Admirals this season Fiala has scored 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) from 22 games with a plus/minus rating of +8 with 45 penalty minutes.

In his latest spell with the Admirals the 20-year old played a solid stretch of 15 games. Fiala was energetic from the moment he returned to the AHL and scored a game-winner in overtime against the Checkers in his second game back down. Upon his return to the Predators he does so after having scored twice this past week in Milwaukee and on both occasions he scored the equalizer in the third period in comeback bids that resulted in wins. The finishing has been up-and-down at times but his work rate has been off the charts in his month stint back with the Admirals.

Be sure to keep updated with Admirals Roundtable through social media platform of your choice: follow along Twitter, like us on Facebook, get photo updates on Instagram, and listen along on SoundCloud.