Cheers for the memories, Van. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Mark Van Guilder‘s incredible run with the Milwaukee Admirals is officially over. The Admirals all-time leader in games played in the AHL era of the team has signed for Italian hockey club Ritten Sport who play in Italy’s top tier Serie A.
Van Guilder was an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame who joined the Admirals in 2008-09. He spent the majority of that season as a member of the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL before splitting the deck between Milwaukee and Cincinnati the following campaign. In 2010 he started the first of five full playing seasons for the Admirals. In total, he played 383 games with Milwaukee and scored 138 points (61 goals, 77 assists) over the course of seven seasons. The only other player in the Admirals AHL era to play seven seasons with the team is the man Van Guilder narrowly eclipsed to become the all-time games played leader last season, Scott Ford (378 games).
I feel the lasting memory of Van Guilder’s tenure with the Admirals was seeing him finally make his NHL debut in the 2013-14 season. To have watched someone battle from being undrafted, to the ECHL, to the AHL for so long, and finally make the NHL was phenomenal. It may have only been one game but for so many players sometimes all you could ever want is that one and only game to say you played a game in the NHL. It wasn’t just a reward for his service. He earned it.
What is your favorite Mark Van Guilder moment? Are the Admirals in need of veteran help for this coming season?
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Good ol’ MSOE’s Kern Center is hosting yet another pre-season showdown between the Admirals and IceHogs. (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
Here is a news item to get everyone excited. The Milwaukee Admirals have just announced that they will be playing two pre-season games including one at MSOE’s Kern Center on October 2nd against the Rockford IceHogs. The second pre-season game will be a roadie against the Chicago Wolves the following night. The full AHL schedule is yet to officially drop so it’s great to have a second date set on our Admirals calendars next to the home opener which is on October 16th.
Press Release via Milwaukee Admirals:
Milwaukee, WI—The Milwaukee Admirals announced today that the team will play two pre-season games during their training camp prior to the start of the 2014-15 season.
The Admirals will play their only home game of the pre-season on Friday, October 2 when they host the Rockford IceHogs at 7:00 pm at the Kern Center on the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Tickets are just $10 and are on sale now. Fans can order advance tickets in person at the Admirals office at 510 W. Kilbourn Ave, via phone at (414) 227-0550, or click here. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the Kern Center the night of the game.
Milwaukee will conclude their pre-season schedule the following night, Saturday, October 3rd when they take on the Chicago Wolves at Triphahn Center Ice Arena at Hoffman Estates at 7 pm. Ticket information for that game can be found at www.chicagowolves.com.
The Admirals will kick off their home schedule on Friday, October 16th at 7 pm at the BMO Harris Bradley Center and classic rock legends Foreigner will perform in a post-game concert on Saturday, October 24th.
Season tickets for the 2015-16 season are now on sale for as little $185 and can be purchased by calling the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550 or online by clicking here.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 28: Jack Dougherty of the Nashville Predators poses for a portrait during the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 28, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky // Getty Images)
The prospect pool keeps getting deeper as the Nashville Predators have announced yet another entry level contract signing in the form of defenseman Jack Dougherty. The 19-year old was selected in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft and played for the University of Wisconsin last season.
Nashville, Tenn. (July 24, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Friday that the club has signed 2014 second-round selection Jack Dougherty to a three-year entry-level contract. The 6-1, 186-pound defenseman is expected to play his first season with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks in 2015-16.
Dougherty, 19 (5/25/96), spent the 2014-15 season at the University of Wisconsin, tying for fourth among Big Ten freshmen defensemen in points (2g-7a-9pts) and ranking fifth in power-play points (1g-3a-4pts) among first-year blueliners. Prior to his lone collegiate season, the St. Paul, Minn., native played the 2013-14 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, ranking second among team blueliners in goals (6), and fourth in points (22). He helped the United States win its fifth gold medal in a six-year span at the Under-18 World Championship in 2014, and led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.
Nashville’s third choice, 51st overall (second round), in the 2014 Entry Draft, Dougherty played two seasons of Minnesota High School hockey with St. Thomas Academy in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and helped the Cadets captured their third consecutive Class A state title in 2013. The sixth current or former Portland Winterhawk in the Predators organization, Dougherty is on Twitter @jackdougherty2.
As stated at the end of the opening paragraph of the Predators press release – he is expected to play for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL this coming season. For those that don’t follow junior hockey too closely just know that -that- team in Portland has a great reputation with prospects and, recently, defensemen: Matt Dumba, Derrick Pouliot, Seth Jones, and Joe Morrow.
I would anticipate Dougherty to kick up around Milwaukee at the end of his junior playing seasons these next two seasons. Per junior eligibility I don’t believe he would capable of playing a full AHL season until the last year of this three-year entry level contract. If I’m wrong on that the clarification would be splendid. No matter, I stand by what I pointed to up above. He’s in good hands right now with Portland.
Update:
@DoctorAdmirals He turns 20 this May so he will be able to play in the AHL in 2016-2017. Very interesting move to say the least.
Sounds good enough to me. It’s not exactly the wackiest thing to see someone get their entry level contract now and not kick straight to the AHL or ECHL system either. Max Görtz signed his entry level contract last season but stuck around Sweden. And, even more recently, Yakov Trenin signed an entry level contract not too long after being drafted.
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Great news to all of our ECHL readers. The Nashville Predators have extended their affiliation agreement with the Cincinnati Cyclones to be their ECHL outfit for another season. The Cyclones have partnered up with the Predators since the start of the 2007-08 season.
CINCINNATI, OH- The Cincinnati Cyclones, in conjunction with the NHL’s Nashville Predators, have announced that the two organizations have extended their affiliation agreement, making the Cyclones the official ECHL affiliate of the NHL club.
“We look forward to continuing to work with such a class organization that creates a winning environment for our players to develop,” Predators Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton said. “Led by President Ray Harris, the Cyclones have been a model of consistency the past eight seasons and have been critical to the success of the Milwaukee Admirals and the Nashville Predators.”
The Cyclones have served as the ECHL affiliate of Nashville since 2007-2008. In that time, the ‘Clones have reached the ECHL postseason seven times, claiming Kelly Cup championships in 2008 and 2010, and reaching a third Kelly Cup Final in 2014. The Predators have participated in the NHL’s second season five times during that span, finishing second in the Central Division in four of those five playoff seasons.
“We are excited to extend our relationship with the Nashville Predators,” said Cyclones General Manager Kristin Ropp. “They are a staunch supporter of our program and a solid support system for our coaches.”
Seven Nashville prospects suited up for the Cyclones last season alone, while six players with Cyclones experience have seen time with the Predators since the affiliation agreement began.
The countdown to the 2015-16 First Face-Off is underway! The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday, October 17 when they host the Toledo Walleye at 7:30pm. Between now and then, be on the lookout for several offseason events like Meijer Concrete Clones! 2015-16 Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call 513.421.PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the offseason on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram!
It nearly goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyways. It’s remarkable how long Nashville has kept its AHL and ECHL affiliates for so long whilst so many other organizations get crazy with changes on a nearly year to year basis. From Fall 2007, the pipeline has been Nashville – Milwaukee – Cincinnati. It’s like a constant in the world we can all rely on.
The Milwaukee Admirals defensive nucleus just got a little bit stronger. Taylor Aronson has agreed to a new one-year two-way contract with the Nashville Predators.
Nashville, Tenn. (July 16, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that defenseman Taylor Aronson has accepted his qualifying offer and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the club worth $605,000 at the NHL level and $65,000 at the AHL level.
Aronson, 23 (12/30/91), tied for 12th among AHL defensemen, and ranked second on the Milwaukee Admirals, in assists (29) during his first full season at the level in 2014-15. The 6-1, 196-pound native of Placentia, Calif., also led Milwaukee blueliners in points (32), and tied for third among league blueliners in power-play assists (16) a season ago; he earned his first career NHL recall on Feb. 12, 2015. In 2013-14, he helped the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) reach the Kelly Cup Final, tying for third among ECHL defensemen in assists (32) and ranked seventh among league blueliners in points (38) during the 2013-14 season.
Nashville’s second choice, 78th overall (third round), in the 2010 Entry Draft, Aronson played two seasons with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) from 2009-11, recording 67 points (10g-57a) in 142 games. One of five Portland Alumni in the Predators organization, Aronson is on Twitter @TAronson37.
Aronson is coming off the best pro playing season of his career. He spent all of the 2014-15 season with the Admirals at the AHL level and ended the season as the team’s highest scoring defenseman: 32 points (3 goals, 29 assists) in 73 games. Prior to last season he was up and down (mainly down) between the AHL and ECHL. As it stands right now, much like this time last season, he is the only right handed shooting defenseman in the mix for the Admirals.
Happy to have Aronson back for this season? Do you feel like last year was a breakthrough effort for him or a flash in the pan? What will his signing mean for the likes of other defensemen currently at the AHL/ECHL setup and who is looking to be the odd men out of Milwaukee?
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Welcome to a brand new era of Milwaukee Admirals hockey. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
It was a historic night for the Milwaukee Admirals as they introduced a brand new era in the franchise’s history. The team’s image has gone through a complete overhaul ahead of the 2015-16 season and, like each rebranding that has taken place in team history, the new look of the Admirals is a drastic change to the one before it. The great news is that this look and identity is entirely their own in a league filled with teams that mirror their parent NHL affiliates. This is not the Milwaukee Nashville Predators. This is the Milwaukee Admirals.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Milwaukee, WI—The Milwaukee Admirals are excited to usher in a new chapter in team history with the unveiling of a bold new logo and jerseys.
The new logo is an evolution of the Admirals last logo and features a more fierce and determined sailor. The sailor is accented by the upper portion of a naval uniform and a hat that was inspired by the one worn by the Admirals “Captain Crunch” logo from the late 70s and early 80s. The hat is adorned with an “A” composed by three bones.
The Admirals secondary mark, dubbed the M&A, is the letters “M” and “A” interwoven in bone script and connected with a hockey stick for the horizontal bar of the “A”.
The primary color of the new look now shifts to navy blue (Pantone 282) with the same Lake Michigan blue (Pantone 292) accents used with the previous logo and a gray outline.
The Admirals new jerseys will both feature the head of the sailor on the front of the with the M&A mark on both of the shoulders. The home sweater will be primarily white with navy blue sleeves, accented by Lake Michigan blue piping and a touch of gray separating the two blues. The road jerseys will be navy blue with Lake Michigan blue sleeves and white accents.
The Ads will continue use of their third jersey from previous seasons that featured the popular full body logo. The only difference is the black in the full body logo is replaced with navy.
The new look was conceived in coordination with Studio Simon, a sports brand identity development company out of Louisville, KY. Studio Simon is one of the leaders in sports brand identity development and has teamed up with over 100 professional, collegiate, and amateur teams, leagues, and businesses including the NFL, the Minnesota Twins, and the Kentucky Derby.
First things first, the event to unveil the brand new identity of the Admirals was sensational to be part of. It felt as if there was more than an average attendance to a game inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center and hearing the immediate reaction of fans as the logos were unveiled on the jumbo-tron was electric. Didn’t get the chance to attend? Sad, but great news! As the Admirals recorded the event so you can watch it all in its YouTube glory:
I feel that the immediate thing that jumps out is the revamped color palette. The team has dropped a more simplistic “black, white, and baby blue” look and gone for something different. The “Lake Michigan” blue we’ve become used to remains but it is now accompanied by a slightly lightened shade of navy blue along with white and a small touch of gray. It makes me think of the Pittsburgh Penguins colors used during the Winter Classic. I’ve always been a big fan of that look. And I think this will work well in Milwaukee.
What comes next is something of an epidemic taking hold of so many professional sports teams right now which is to make the caricature representing the team’s logo look very -very- angry. The Milwaukee Bucks are guilty of doing this exact same thing not too long ago. “But, it’s a skeleton. How does one make a skeleton of a pirate playful yet still aggressive?” Well, friend, I’ll tell you how: this. The problem is of course finding the balance between fun and aggressive when dealing with a team name such as the Admirals in the sport of hockey. The team went the fun route. It lasted about 10 years – which by AHL standards is incredible. Now, it’s time that they try doing in a more mean and hard hitting approach. It’s different but a good different.
The new logo seems to not only carry over from some of the previous logo but also play off of the old Captain Crunch logo. It’s as if the team has taken those two worlds and wrapped them up with a mean exterior. The problem is that these angry looking logos right now feel cliche right now. I know using a skeleton in a pirate theme puts you in a corner design wise but I even see this looking like a blue version of the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo… or as Ryan Miller brilliantly pointed out at the event, Skeletor.
There is plenty to like though. The main logo graphic with the team name and star looks great. I’m a fan of the “A” in the Admirals hat as a motif to logos of old. I also think that the hidden “M” in the collar of the pirate is a clever hidden detail. Best of all. The head logo looks great on the jersey. Speaking of which.
My first actual glance of the new uniforms came via PDF. I included the images of them up above. My impression was that the color scheme didn’t appear to match the actual colors used in the logos. It reminded me more of those Charlotte Hornets uniforms that the Checkers rolled out last season. In short, I didn’t just want to see them in person tonight to pass judgement I needed to see them in person before thinking anything of them. What’s the result then? Good.
The Admirals are going from simple to a look that feels loud at first – but is eerily similar in qualities to what it is replacing. The black is swapped out by navy basically while the Admirals ditched a ye olde Reebok Edge uniform template in favor of something a touch different. The color on the shoulders running to the sleeves? Still there. The color that runs down the side panels underneath the arms? Still there. Socks that have the previous color blocking design on them? Same, just different colors being used as with the uniform set.
If there were any real downers for me in this unveiling it is the interlocking “M&A” bones logo and the “new” third uniform. Let’s just squash it now. The third uniform is the old third uniform that we know and love all the way down to the old logo (yes, the old logo) still being there. All that has changed is that the black has been replaced by navy on the uniform, the new fonts for name and numbers, and that is it. Weirdly, even the anchor bones logo is still on that third jersey. Which brings me to the “M&A” logo that is replacing it on the shoulders. It was very well received at the event and in social media. But it is a logo that is a major downgrade to me as opposed to the anchor logos used on the sleeves previously. It’s trying to be the Milwaukee Brewers interlocked MB logo from the 90’s but does so in a construction that looks like a tangled mess. Interlocked logos as shoulder patches on hockey jerseys don’t seem to make sense to me. It’s sloppy. Which is strange considering how crisp the “A” looks when standing alone. It looks awesome on the new Admiral caricature’s and Roscoe’s hat. Why muck it up by plopping more bones atop it and threading a hockey stick into it?
Another thing that I didn’t detect until looking at the Scott Paulus photos when I arrived home was the numbers from last season are back. No, not the font style but -if you look very closely at the third uniform’s arm numerals- the way that they applied to the jersey is the same as last season. They aren’t patches. They aren’t stitched. They’re effectively screen printed, cut up into odd shapes, and applied directly to the uniform. It was a weird change that started last season and I’m not sure if it was purely an Admirals only move or if the AHL’s CCM branding change had anything to do with it. In fact, it is such a small detail that I didn’t catch it until a few games into last season. Some fans purchasing the game-used jerseys at the Admirals Garage Sale weren’t as thrilled about how those looked compared to actual stitched names and numerals. Sadly for those in that boat it looks like more of the same.
All things said. I think this new look will take some time to grow on me but it is also quite sharp. It’s actually not that drastic of a departure from what the Admirals are moving away from but is different enough to really pop. At the end of the day I think that’s the whole goal of a rebrand. And the Admirals did a solid job.
What is your reaction to the brand new look of the Milwaukee Admirals? How would you grade them? Which uniform is your favorite?
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It hasn’t been the most ‘up’ of times for Milwaukee Admirals fans who have seen the likes of Joe Piskula, Mike Liambas, Magnus Hellberg, and more exit stage left this off-season. Now for a spot of great news. The Nashville Predators have stamped out a new one-year two-way contract for defenseman Anthony Bitetto.
Nashville, Tenn. (July 13, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that defenseman Anthony Bitetto has accepted his qualifying offer and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the club worth $665,500 at the NHL level and $60,000 at the AHL level.
Bitetto, 24 (7/15/90), made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season, appearing in seven games for the Predators in January and February. The Island Park, N.Y., native spent the majority of his third professional season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2014-15, ranking second among club blueliners in points (4g-26a-30pts). During his first full AHL season in 2013-14, the 6-1, 200-pounder tied for sixth among AHL defensemen in goals (11), and for ninth in power-play goals (6).
Nashville’s fourth choice, 168th overall (sixth round), in the 2010 Entry Draft did not miss a game during his two-year collegiate career at Northeastern University (Hockey East) from 2010-12, compiling 35 points (7g-28a) in 72 games and being named to the 2011 Hockey East All-Rookie Team. During his draft-eligible season in 2009-10, Bitetto was a 2009-10 All-USHL Second Team selection with the Indiana Ice, ranking fourth among United States Hockey League defensemen in points, third in assists and sixth at the position in goals (11g-29a-40pts).
He is on Twitter @ABitetto7.
Bitetto has taken massive steps forward in his development these last two seasons. In 2013-14 he exploded for 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) in 73 games. If there was a lone downside to that year it was having a plus/minus of -13. His 2014-15 season he addressed the defensive areas of his game while still providing an offensive touch from the blue line: 30 points (4 goals, 26 assists) in 70 games with a plus/minus of -1. It all built up to his first taste of NHL hockey by contributing 7 games of work for the Predators during last season.
This move is of course great business for Nashville. They can really use that extra option from the AHL that can instantly step up into their NHL ranks if need be. He’ll immediately assume the role as the top defenseman in the Admirals outfit for the 2015-16 season and should seamlessly plug into any and all on-ice situations.
Simply put, this is a win/win to have Bitetto back. He always seems to take the year before him and one-up it. I’m excited to see what 2015-16 will be like for him and I think that the biggest beneficiary of this is of course the Admirals who needed a legitimate anchor in their defense. He will be that. And it will set him up nicely for Nashville.
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New rule changes make on-ice officials cray. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
It seems as if there is always something new to the hockey rule book and last season the AHL was a proving ground for a new overtime format. The NHL put a twist on that by mandating three-on-three only for overtime this coming season. Now it looks like the AHL will follow along to mirror things topside. Also, we’ve all finally been given that crucial answer to the Pacific Division mystery. What on Earth will the AHL be doing if Californian clubs play less games than the rest of the league?
Settle back, get something nice to drink, and brace yourself. Because I feel like some of this will feel a touch like a walk down Vogsphere.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has concluded its 2015 Annual Meeting, held this week at Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Chaired by AHL President and CEO David Andrews, the four days of meetings, which concluded Thursday, saw the approval by the Board of the following items to be implemented beginning in 2015-16:
Playing Schedule/Standings
• The 2015-16 regular season will consist of 1,120 games, played between Oct. 9 and Apr. 17. All teams will play 76 games each with the exception of the clubs which joined the AHL in January as part of the creation of a Pacific Division (Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton); those five teams will play 68 games each.
• Teams will receive two points for a win and one point for an overtime or shootout loss. The top four teams in each division ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by points available) will qualify for the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, with one exception in each conference: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic or Central Division finishes with a better points percentage than the fourth-place team in the North or Pacific Division, it would cross over and compete in the other division’s bracket.
• The 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs will feature a divisional playoff format, leading to conference finals and ultimately the Calder Cup Finals.
• The division semifinals are best-of-five series; all subsequent rounds are best-of-seven.
Rule 85 (“Overtime”)
• During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be five minutes (5:00) in length.
• Full playing strength will be 3-on-3 (plus goaltenders) for the entire period.
• Overtime will be preceded by a “dry scrape” of the entire ice surface.
• Teams will change ends at the start of overtime.
• If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.
Rule 79 (“Video Review”)
• A team may use a “coach’s challenge” to initiate an official video review; only those situations which are subject to review by rule may be challenged.
• A team may only request a coach’s challenge if it has its timeout available, and the coach’s challenge must be effectively initiated prior to the resumption of play.
• If the coach’s challenge does not result in the original call on the ice being overturned, the team exercising such challenge will be charged with a timeout.
Rule 76.4 (“Face-offs”)
• For all face-offs (excluding center ice), the defending player shall place his stick on the ice first; for face-offs at center ice, the visiting player shall place his stick on the ice first.
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 14th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2014-15.
You get all of that? Well let’s start with the simple one which is the new overtime format.
~Overtime~
It’s essentially a simplistic take on last season’s added three-on-three. There will be no extra minutes. No numbers being reduced or anything silly. It begins with three-on-three overtime, five minutes, and -if overtime somehow manages to make it to a shootout- then things go to a best out of three shootout.
If the NHL and AHL were looking for ways to find a winner in open-play rather than a shootout this format should do wonders. The AHL’s overtime format last season had great results and I feel this should only amplify them. There is so much open ice in the three-on-three and the single biggest obstacle is players getting tired from shifts being so long as they race end to end without a true safe zone to make their change on the bench.
Most, if not all teams, typically went with two forwards and one defenseman in the three-on-three situation and I expect that to be the norm in both the NHL and AHL. While I found it ironic early last season that the move towards three-on-three was to avoid deciding games based on a skill show/shootout, because both are pond hockey like anyways, this still ended up being a great thing. Games can be decided from a defensive play or a high quality pass. As comedic as it can look, three-on-three does have enough variables to make ending a game past regulation have a bit more of an honest touch than a blink and you’re done shootout can provide. For our NHL readers that didn’t get a chance to watch the AHL do this last season the word that Milwaukee Admirals players used, specifically both goaltenders, was chaos. It is. And I suggest studying up on panic attack relief now as a preventative measure before the season begins.
~Coach’s Challenge~
This one excites me a bit. Though I feel some interpretations of on ice rulings may still cause this to be hit and miss (goaltender interference comes immediately to mind). Yet, this is still a ruling and addition to the game that has long been overdue in my book. Why wouldn’t you allow teams to challenge a controversial play on the ice?
I also appreciate the new dimension that gets added to the ice because of this added ruling. You have one timeout in the game of hockey. Just one. If you don’t burn it early in the game. You have the right to use your challenge. If you’re team has a crazy long shift and ices the puck – do you burn your timeout to save the players on the ice, and possibly a goal, or save the timeout in case you need to use video replay via the coach’s challenge later in the game? It’s a situation that will come up far more often now than you realize and I think more timeouts are going to get stored when icing calls go down now.
~Faceoffs~
…ok.
~Playing Schedule and Standings~
Confirmed: the Pacific Division’s Californian based teams will play less games and the rest of the league will not. Teams will still receive two points for a win and one point for an overtime or shootout loss. Now buckle up and re-read what the AHL has listed for how the standings and playoff format will work:
The top four teams in each division ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by points available) will qualify for the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, with one exception in each conference: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic or Central Division finishes with a better points percentage than the fourth-place team in the North or Pacific Division, it would cross over and compete in the other division’s bracket.
I think the most basic way to think of the standings now is that it will be based on percentages rather that basic points. Rather than “we win (+2), we sort of win (+1), we sad face (+0)” it is now all about the current points standing divided by the maximum points amount possible at the given games played mark for each individual team. In other words, I wish the Admirals stopped playing games at the end of January this last season and coasted into the playoffs based on points percentage rather than carry on towards the miserable finish they had.
This seems alright enough, but I still find it appalling that the Californian based teams have been given less games on the schedule with an equal chance to make the playoffs against teams that have weathered the elements of a full schedule. It’s laughable and I would love for one or more of the Californian teams to make the playoffs and then win it all just to make a mockery of the situation. I’m going out on a limb now and saying next season’s schedule will probably drop to 68 games league wide.
Thoughts on the new rules from the AHL? Is the new standings and playoff format fair? Is it the best they could have done given the circumstances? How do you feel the full three-on-three overtime format will go? Will coach’s challenge be that big of a deal to the game of hockey?
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“The Nashville Predators and Russian hockey players go together like Chinese food and chocolate pudding let’s face it.” ~Cal Naughton, Jr.
Vladislav Kamenev won’t be the only Russian second round draft pick taken by the Nashville Predators that gets his entry level contract stamped out today. Nope. The Predators have also come to terms with their second rounder and first selection taken in the 2015 NHL Draft, Yakov Trenin.
Nashville, Tenn. (July 10, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Friday that the team has signed forward 2015 draft pick Yakov Trenin to a three-year entry-level contract.
“He’s a big center, who plays a solid two-way game,” Predators North American Amateur Scout J-P Glaude said upon selecting him last month. “Despite coming from Russia as a 17-year-old who didn’t speak a word of English, he averaged more than a point per game and was fantastic defensively, especially in the playoffs when he was used on the power play, killing penalties, five-on-three and three-on-five. I see him as a complete, top-two center that can put points on the board and the coaches will love to have because he can play in any situation.”
Trenin, 18 (1/13/97), ranked third among QMJHL rookies in assists (49), fifth in points (67) and seventh in goals (18) with Gatineau in 2014-15, his first season in North America. The 6-1, 194-pound center then ranked second among rookies and led the Olympiques in the 2015 QMJHL Playoffs in points (3g-8a-18pts) despite playing in only two rounds (11gp).
Nashville’s first choice, 55th overall (second round), in the 2015 Entry Draft and a native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, Trenin is currently attending 2015 Nashville Predators Development Camp presented by Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Antioch, which concludes Saturday with a scrimmage, open house, and used equipment sale at Ford Ice Center.
While Kamanev should be part of the Milwaukee Admirals for the 2015-16 season I’m pretty certain the same can’t be said here. Trenin is 18-years of age and should probably end up back with Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL. In fact, per the agreement between the NHL and CHL regarding junior playing time against the likes of the AHL/ECHL, I’m pretty sure that Trenin wouldn’t be eligible to play for Milwaukee until the final year of his entry level contract.
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The Nashville Predators have announced the signing of their second round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft Vladislav Kamenev to a three-year entry level contract. He is expected to make his North American professional debut this coming season and should be another piece to the puzzle for the 2015-16 Milwaukee Admirals.
Nashville, Tenn. (July 10, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Friday that the team has signed forward Vladislav Kamenev (vla-dih-SLAHV KA-men-ehv) to a three-year entry-level contract. Nashville’s second choice, 42nd overall (second round), in the 2014 Entry Draft is expected to play his first season in North America in 2015-16.
Kamenev, 18 (8/12/96), ranked third among Kontinental Hockey League junior players in goals (6) and tied for fourth in points (10) with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2014-15. The Orsk, Russia native also helped his homeland earn a silver medal at the 2015 World Junior Championship, tying for second on the team in assists (3) in the process.
In his draft year, the 6-3, 182-pound left wing helped Magnitogorsk win the 2014 Gagarin Cup Championship and captained Russia at the 2014 Under-18 World Championship, tying for sixth in tournament assists, and for seventh in points (2g-5a-7pts). Kamenev also ranked third in assists (6), and tied for fourth in points (7) at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, helping Russia to a silver medal, and suited up for all four of Russia’s games at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.
He is currently attending 2015 Nashville Predators Development Camp presented by Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Antioch, which concludes Saturday with a scrimmage, open house, and used equipment sale at Ford Ice Center.
Even at the age of 18-years old Kamenev already has 57 games games of experience with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL where he has scored 11 points (7 goals, 4 assists). Elite Prospects lists him as both a center and a left winger. With him potentially part of the Admirals it’ll be interesting to see if he begins his career off on the wing or down the middle because of the amount of centers already on the roster. It provides the coaching staff yet another option to play around with but, even more importantly, another dash of skill to an already exciting team.
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