It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Miikka Salomäki. I have to believe his on-ice absence has been a huge blow to the Admirals this season. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
This morning I made the trek into practice at the MSOE Kern Center. I’m currently in the process of a feature story on European players and their transition on and off the ice. Main purpose for going in today was to finish up with interviews but, while I’m there, I thought I would take a look at practice as well.
A lot of practice today seemed focused on fast paced puck retrieval and defensive zone exits. There were lots of drills pinpointing that aspect of the game with forechecking pressure. If you think of the current run the Admirals have been on that area of their game has either been sloppy or sluggish. Can’t say I’m surprised to see the transition of defense to offense getting tested the way it was. Admirals have needed to speed that aspect of their game for awhile.
Some of the highlights from practice included: a spin-o-rama backhander from Diaby that beat Magnus Hellberg glove side, blown tire by Alm during dump and chase drills that had him sliding on his butt from the faceoff circle to the end boards (most couldn’t help but laugh at it), and Viktor Arvidsson nearly stickhandling clean through everyone on five-on-five drills to score.
I’m not sure when this feature story will drop but I can say that it will include a pleasant surprise of Miikka Salomäki being involved. I was able to catch up with the Finn after practice today and talk with him about his recovery from surgery performed to his right shoulder.
Salomäki on how he’s been and how he was injured:
Basically sounds like it was a check gone wrong that caused a dislocated shoulder. He made a return to game action after it first happened and played in two games before getting re-injured. The option was surgery or attempt to let it heal on its own, get back in game action, and risk potential re-injury. The smart option was taken after the latter was put to the test the first time around. He should be completely 100% come training camps in Nashville for the 2015-16 season.
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The Milwaukee Admirals consecutive run of twelve straight seasons of playoff hockey could end tonight with a Toronto Marlies victory over the Iowa Wild. The maximum number of points that the Admirals can produce in their final two games of the season would slot them at 83 points. The Marlies already own the first tiebreaker of regulation and overtime wins over the Admirals. A win tonight would give the Marlies 83 points and would successfully eliminate the Admirals from the 2015 Calder Cup playoff picture.
The Chicago Wolves recently locked themselves into the playoffs with a 1-0 shutout over the Wild. That leaves the eighth seed as the last remaining playoff spot for the Western Conference. The Marlies magic number to lock that spot up for themselves is 4 points but they only need the 2 points tonight to eliminate the Admirals.
Between two teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points in season series between teams
c) goal differential
d) goals scored in season series between teams
e) intra-conference points percentage
Among three or more teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points percentage in combined season series
c) goal differential
d) goal differential in combined season series
e) intra-conference points percentage
The Marlies with a win tonight would have 83 points on the season. Regardless of how the Marlies win it they already own the first tiebreaker over the Admirals with 35 regulation or overtime wins on the season. Even if the Admirals win out in regulation or overtime this season they would have 83 points with 33 regulation or overtime wins.
Should the Marlies win, both the Hamilton Bulldogs and Lake Erie Monsters would still be alive. Those two teams would need to then win out with the Marlies losing their last three games of the season in order to advance on points alone. The eighth seed is completely up to the Marlies to secure. They could well eliminate the Admirals tonight and then clinch their playoff spot at the Admirals expense in Milwaukee on Friday.
Of note, the Marlies are being charged up recently by some bloke named Brendan Leipsic. He won this past week’s CCM/AHL Player of the Week honors by recording 7 points (5 goals, 2 assists) in 3 games. That includes a hat trick scored against the Adirondack Flames last Tuesday.
Will tonight be the final nail in the Admirals coffin? Is there any hope that the Admirals can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat to make it in? Is it ironic how the Admirals need to rely on Iowa to win when the only real team they’ve done well against this entire season are the Admirals?
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The latest AHL award for the 2014-15 season has been announced. This year’s Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, for the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey, has been bestowed to Grand Rapids Griffins team captain Jeff Hoggan.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jeff Hoggan of the Grand Rapids Griffins has been named the 2014-15 winner of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award as the AHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey.
The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities.
The senior member of the Grand Rapids roster and in his third season as team captain, Hoggan has not missed a game in 2014-15, skating in all 73 contests to date while contributing 14 goals, 15 assists and a plus-22 rating. The 37-year-old native of Hope, B.C., is renowned for his work ethic, competitiveness and preparation, as well as for the culture he has helped to develop and the leadership he has provided in the Griffins’ locker room, mentoring more than a dozen players who have since graduated to the Detroit Red Wings.
In his 13th professional season despite being undrafted out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Hoggan has skated in 620 American Hockey League games with Grand Rapids, San Antonio, Providence, Worcester and Houston, and 107 more in the National Hockey League with St. Louis, Boston and Phoenix. A two-time Calder Cup champion, Hoggan has reached double digits in goals in eight of his nine full AHL seasons while surpassing 60 minutes in penalties just twice.
This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1978, honors the late Fred T. Hunt, a long-time contributor to the league who won three Calder Cup championships as a player and three more as a general manager during a career spent primarily with the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Previous winners of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award include Ross Yates (1983), Glenn Merkosky (1987, ’91), Bruce Boudreau (1988), Murray Eaves (’89, ’90), John Anderson (1992), Tim Tookey (1993), Ken Gernander (1996, 2004), Randy Cunneyworth (2000), Mike Keane (2007), Ajay Baines (2009), Bryan Helmer (2011), Chris Minard (2012), Brandon Davidson (2013) and Jake Dowell (2014).
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends Sunday, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.
The winner of the 2014-15 Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award (outstanding rookie) will be announced Tuesday.
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Kevin Fiala up, Garrett Noonan up, and Gary Steffes gone. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Milwaukee Admirals roster has reshuffled this afternoon. The Nashville Predators have recalled Kevin Fiala. The Admirals have recalled Garrett Noonan from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. And, lastly, the Admirals have released forward Gary Steffes from his PTO contract.
Milwaukee, WI–Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Monday that the club has recalled 2014 first-round selection Kevin Fiala from Milwaukee.
In addition, the Admirals have recalled defenseman Garrett Noonan from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and released forward Gary Steffes from the PTO.
Fiala became the fourth 18-year-old in Predators history when he made his NHL debut in a 3-2 victory over Montreal on March 24, logging 11:25 and putting three shots on goal. He has amassed 20 points (11g-9a) in 33 AHL games since making his North American professional debut with the Admirals on Jan. 21.
The native of St. Gallen, Switzerland started the 2014-15 season with HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League, posting 14 points (5g-9a) in 20 games – tied for the fourth-most goals and assists, and sixth-most points among SHL junior players – before being assigned to Nashville’s AHL affiliate on Jan. 15. Fiala also represented Switzerland at the 2015 World Junior Championship, being named one of the nation’s three best players for the tournament while tying for fifth among all skaters in goals (4g-1a-5pts, 6gp).
Noonan posted four goals and five assists and a +5 rating in 38 games with the Admirals during his first professional season and added 10 points (1g-9a) in 23 games with Cincinnati.
Steffes tallied four goals, including two on the power-play, in nine games with Milwaukee. He returns to the Allen Americans of the ECHL for their post-season run after leading the league with 44 goals in 63 games.
The Admirals are off until Friday when they play host to Toronto in the final home game of the regular season.
The only move here the surprises me is that Gary Steffes was released. He wasn’t with the Admirals that long but was solid and proved that his ECHL eye for the goal translates to the AHL level. He operated on the Admirals top two forward lines, played wing and center, was able to work special teams, and was consistent from the word go. I’d be surprised if Steffes isn’t a full-time AHL player come next season.
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Rob Madore was the star of last season’s Kelly Cup Playoffs. This season he and the rest of the Cincinnati Cyclones will be spectators during the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs. (Photo Credit: Cincinnati Cyclones)
One season ago, the Cincinnati Cyclones motored into the 2014 ECHL Kelly Cup Finals as a five seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished on the wrong side of a six-game series against the Alaska Aces with goaltender Rob Madore claiming the MVP of the playoffs and, by doing so, became the first player from the losing team of the Kelly Cup Finals to win the award in the ECHL’s 26-year history.
The 2014-15 season will not have such a story to tell. The Cyclones regular season ended last night and ended in the team’s third consecutive defeat. There will be no playoff hockey for Cincinnati this season. The team went 31-30-2-9 (73 points) on the season and missed out to the fourth placed Wheeling Nailers in the North Division for a playoff spot.
Cincinnati lost its last three games of the season and, while that took place, the Nailers won three-straight games to take a lead of a single point. The Cyclones needed a win last night with a Nailers loss today to get in. It didn’t happen. As such, the Cyclones 2014-15 campaign will end far short of the year prior.
Madore’s season didn’t start as stellar as his playoff run was but he ended the year on a good note when he started getting in games on a more frequent basis. He played in 46 games, had a record of 16-19-2-8, 2.64 goals against average, 0.905 save percentage, and 4 shutouts.
Josh Shalla‘s season probably would have been more successful had he not had injury woes here and there, especially late in the season. Shalla produced 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 59 games with a plus/minus rating of -10 and 24 penalty minutes. If you chose not to factor in Jack Combs and Jack Downing, both of whom joined Cincinnati in mid-March from other teams, Shalla still led the Cyclones in scoring this season despite an injury bug.
The other mainstay for the Cyclones within or system was defenseman Jaynen Rissling. The Edmonton native did get a brief look with the Milwaukee Admirals this season in which he played 5 games in February but the bulk of his time was spent in the ECHL this season. He also had some injury issues and ended up only logging 37 games while posting 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) with a plus/minus of -4 and 76 penalty minutes.
It’s perhaps been awhile since you’ve heard the name Garrett Noonan and he is the sort of player that some might have expected more from in his first pro season. Truthfully, I think the decision to have him play in Cincinnati rather than be healthy scratched and play infrequently in Milwaukee is the best choice for anyone in developmental leagues. You need to play to learn, right? Noonan spent the better majority of this season as an Admiral. He has played 38 games in the AHL while scoring 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists), plus/minus of +5, and 15 penalty minutes. The ECHL total for Noonan went 23 games, 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists), plus/minus -2, and 22 penalty minutes.
For the Cincinnati readership, what were some of the biggest factors this season that contributed to the team missing out on this year’s playoffs? Of the talents that have breezed through this season who have been some of the more exciting ones that could crack the AHL next season?
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Kyle Hagel beat out the likes of Milwaukee Admirals forward Zach Budish and other AHL team representatives to claim this season’s Yanick Dupré Memorial Award. (Photo Credit: Charlotte Checkers // flickr)
The AHL announced the recipient of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award this evening. Kyle Hagel of the Charlotte Checkers won the distinction as the 2014-15 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Kyle Hagel of the Charlotte Checkers has been selected as the winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as the 2014-15 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year.
This award has been presented annually since 1998 to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. The Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner is selected by the AHL and representatives from IOA and American Specialty from among 30 individual team Man of the Year honorees.
A five-time recipient of his team’s Yanick Dupré Award nomination, representing five different AHL cities, Hagel has been the face of the Checkers’ efforts in the Charlotte community this season. He has spent countless hours at school and community appearances delivering toys to patients at a children’s hospital, leading school assemblies to promote healthy living and the importance of hard work, bringing lessons of hockey to both physical education and science classes, and much more. Hagel also implemented the successful “Stick to Reading” program that he created in his previous AHL cities, contacting administrators at a local middle school, laying the groundwork for the program and encouraging his teammates to participate.
Hagel captained the Checkers’ efforts during “Movember” to raise funds for men’s health causes, and also remained involved in two endeavors he helped develop earlier in his career: Shnarped, a popular mobile app that directly connects hockey players with fans; and Hockey Players for Kids, a non-profit organization made up of hockey players dedicated to improving the communities they live in.
The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupré, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. A second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, Dupré played four seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and was an AHL All-Star in 1995.
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends on Apr. 19, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway.
The winner of the 2014-15 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Monday.
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This marks the second time in Joe Piskula’s career that he has been summoned by the Nashville Predators. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Milwaukee Admirals defenseman and team captain Joe Piskula has been called up to the Nashville Predators under emergency conditions.
Press Release via Milwaukee Admirals:
Milwaukee, WI– Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the team has recalled Admirals Captain Joe Piskula from Milwaukee (AHL) under emergency conditions.
Piskula played a pair of games for the Predators in 2013-14, and has suited up for 12 NHL games with Nashville, Calgary and Los Angeles since 2006-07 (0g-0a-0pts, 8 PIMs). The Antigo, Wisconsin native has 17 points (1g-16a) in 65 games for the Admirals in 2014-15 to go along with a +22 rating, tied for the ninth-highest mark in the league. Acquired from the Flames organization on Feb. 28, 2013, Piskula has appeared in 530 AHL games over the past eight seasons, amassing 114 points (13g-101a) and 419 penalty minutes.
The 6-3, 208-pound blueliner signed with the Kings after three seasons at the University of Wisconsin from 2004-07 where he compiled 22 points (3g-19a) and 80 penalty minutes in 112 games and helped Wisconsin win the 2006 NCAA Championship.
The Admirals are off until next Friday when they play host to Toronto in the final home game of the regular season.
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(Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers // USA Today Sports)
The AHL Award season is here. Today the AHL announced the winner of the Eddie Shore Award for the league’s most outstanding defenseman. This year’s recipient is Chris Wideman of the Binghamton Senators.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Chris Wideman of the Binghamton Senators has been voted the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman for the 2014-15 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities.
Wideman has recorded 17 goals and 37 assists for 54 points with a plus-5 rating in 70 games for Binghamton this season, leading all AHL defensemen in assists, points and shots on goal (213). He is an anchor for the league’s second-ranked power play, contributing seven goals and 12 assists with the man advantage, and all three of his game-winning goals this season have been scored in overtime. Wideman began his breakout campaign with a nine-game scoring streak early in the year – still tied for the longest by an AHL defenseman this season – and earned CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for October. He scored seven goals in his first 10 games and had already established a new career high with his 10th goal of the season on Nov. 22. Wideman, who represented Binghamton at the AHL All-Star Classic in January, was named a First Team AHL All-Star on Thursday.
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Wideman, 25, was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played four seasons at Miami University (2008-12) before turning pro, and currently has 28 goals and 95 assists for 123 points in 203 AHL games, all with Binghamton.
This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1958-59, honors the late Eddie Shore, a member of both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame who is widely regarded as one of hockey’s greatest defensemen. Shore won a total of five Calder Cups in his career, including two as the general manager of the Buffalo Bisons and three as the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians. Previous recipients of the Eddie Shore Award include Steve Kraftcheck (1959), Al Arbour (1965), Jim Morrison (1966), Noel Price (1970, ’72, ’76), Brian Engblom (1977), Terry Murray (1978, ’79), Dave Farrish (1982), Brad Shaw (1987), Dave Fenyves (1988, ’89), Eric Weinrich (1990), Darren Rumble (1997), John Slaney (2001, ’02), Niklas Kronwall (2005), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Mark Barberio (2012), Justin Schultz (2013) and T.J. Brennan (2014).
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2014-15 regular season ends on Apr. 19, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway.
The winner of the 2014-15 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Monday.
Be sure to follow Admirals Roundtable on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and see our photos on Instagram.
Miikka Salomäki was having a superb sophomore season for the Milwaukee Admirals and even scored a goal in his NHL debut for the Nashville Predators. Then a shoulder injury would wipe out the rest of his 2014-15 season. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Before making an appearance on Penalty Box Radio last night I was scanning through stats and various figures on the decline of the Milwaukee Admirals in the late stages of the 2014-15 season. What I started keying in on was the date of February 15th. The importance of that date was the loss of two key Admirals forwards for the rest of the season.
Early on February 15th, the Nashville Predators decided to pull the trigger on a big trade that would see them acquire Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The repercussions of that trade for the Admirals was that Brendan Leipsic was part of the transfer back to Toronto.
At the time of the trade, Leipsic was second on the Admirals in scoring behind Viktor Arvidsson. Leipsic had 35 points (7 goals, 28 assists) in 47 games, a plus/minus rating of +2, 16 penalty minutes, and was averaging 2.04 shots on goal per game.
That alone was a small reminder of the way things work in the AHL level. The Admirals are a prospect pool for the Predators and boasted a quality group of young prospects to start the 2014-15 season. There was the aforementioned Leipsic and Arvidsson making their North American pro debuts. There was also Pontus Åberg. Those names were three new additions to a young mix that didn’t even include Kevin Fiala yet.
Out of the players the Maple Leafs scouted they had their heart set on Leipsic as someone they would want if the Predators were looking to wheel and deal. To the Predators, they wanted to make a move to bolster their squad in an effort to improve an already stellar team. Their eyes went to help the now and, in doing so, sell a part of their future plans. That’s business and business that helps the Predators and hurt the Admirals. That’s what being an AHL affiliate is like sometimes.
Still, on the positive moving forward from that move, the Admirals were losing Leipsic and in the process of getting the Predators fifteenth overall selection in the NHL Draft, Fiala, acclimatized to the North American pro game. The good ol’ give and take of AHL hockey. In the same way it hurt to see Leipsic come and go the Admirals would be seeing a high level prospect that could just have easily developed overseas before making the leap to the NHL. The idea would be that Fiala would instantly fill in the gap of Leipsic. And, for his skill set, that seemed like it would work well enough even with some speed bumps in his learning process taking place.
As February 15th trucked forward the Admirals had a game to be played in Milwaukee still. They were facing the Lake Erie Monsters and would come away with a 5-2 victory. That game was solid. And, as said above, Fiala filled Leipsic’s role and did so brilliantly. He scored twice in that game and set up another. So what was so important about that game? It was the final game of the 2014-15 season for Miikka Salomäki.
Salomäki, who had suffered a concussion and a dislocated shoulder earlier in the season, had once again suffered a dislocated shoulder in the win over Lake Erie. Rather than go through the probability of coming back and that happening again, which had already happened once, Salomäki ended up going the surgery route to ensure that his shoulder would be 100% moving forward.
What the Admirals lost in that game was a heart and soul type of player on the ice. Salomäki had 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 38 games, a plus/minus of +15, 30 penalty minutes, and was averaging 2.2 shots on goal per game. In an additional bummer, the Predators lost out on a seasoned player they could rely on in the need of a call up from the AHL. He had made his NHL debut in early-January and scored a goal while registering a game-high 7 hits.
In one day, the Admirals lost both Leipsic and Salomäki for the rest of the season. Those were roles that players needed to step up into and contribute accordingly. What has the result been? The Admirals record the night of February 15th was 29-14-3-4 (65 points). Since? The Admirals record has been 4-13-4-2 (14 points).
Has the impact of what went down on February 15th been the knockout blow on the Admirals 2014-15 season? Truth is, it really shouldn’t be. There should be no excuses for the loss of Leipsic and Salomäki contributing directly to the Admirals down turn. The thing is. That date, and their subsequent absence moving forward, says otherwise. The Admirals lost two players on the ice who packed a lot of energy, spark, and bite to their game. It’s safe to say right now that is something the Admirals have desperately been lacking. No one has filled those sorts of roles. The depth, which seemed so strong early in the season, has wilted. The question as to why that has been the case is defining this season.
How big were the losses of Leipsic and Salomäki to the Admirals? Has the loss of one or both been a major factor down the team’s fall down the standings?
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Celly! Viktor Arvidsson has just been named to the AHL’s 2014-15 All-Rookie Team. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The AHL has just announced the 2014-15 AHL All-Rookie Team which is voted on by coaches, players, and media in each of the league’s thirty host cities. Among those announced was Milwaukee Admirals winger Viktor Arvidsson.
It’s been a great debut season in North America for Arvidsson. He currently leads the Admirals in scoring with 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists). He made his NHL debut on March 21st and has played six games for the Nashville Predators. The timing of this distinction is also pretty great considering today is Arvidsson’s birthday. Not a bad gift from the AHL.
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