After a long summer of waiting, former Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Ryan Ellis has re-signed with the Nashville Predators to the tune of 5 years and $12.5 million. The new contract starts at $1.5 million in for the upcoming campaign – growing up to $3.5 million in 2018-2019.

The 23-year-old represents one of the Predators’ most important developmental prospects. The former 11th overall pick in 2009 had a breakout season last year as he scored 6 goals and 27 points in 80 games. He also ranked second on the team in plus/minus at +9 behind Craig Smith‘s +16.

Ellis joined Milwaukee for the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs after a stellar four-year run with the Windsor Spitfires. He proceeded to accumulate 10 goals and 24 assists in 72 regular season and playoff games with Milwaukee from 2011-2013, playing part-time with the Admirals in each of his first two professional seasons, before graduating to full-time status in a Predators uniform last year.

So Roundtable . . . What do you think of Nashville’s resigning of Ryan Ellis? Is he a player worth having around for five more years? Any favorite memories of the 5’10” blue liner in Milwaukee? What does his signing mean to current Admirals defenseman moving forward?

According to Sean Shapiro of Wrong Side of the Redline 27-year old winger Kevin Henderson is set to rejoin the Texas Stars for the 2014-15 season. He joined the Stars in March of last season on a loan deal that also saw Francis Wathier exchanged on a similar basis here in Milwaukee.

Shapiro cites an email conversation held with the manager of communications for the Nashville Predators Kevin Wilson:

“The intention is to again assign Kevin Henderson to Texas in time for their training camp,” Wilson wrote in a e-mail after an inquiry about the forward’s status. The move is dependent on Henderson clearing waivers.

To say the least, Henderson’s effort and contribution last season in Milwaukee was inconsistent. He produced 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 50 games and had a plus/minus rating of -3. Compare that to the year prior, the 2012-13 season, which stands as his best professional season to date: 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists) in 67 games with a +13 rating. He also earned his first career NHL call up and scored a goal in the process.

What went wrong for Henderson after that great outing of 2012-13? If you look into that offseason you’ll have seen the Predators organization sign players such as Matt Cullen, Matt Hendricks, and Viktor Stalberg.

All such players featured that similar style of play that Henderson is known for: gritty, strong on the wall, defensive, and an ability to jump out of defense to offer some extra skill in attack. That glass ceiling that Henderson managed to breakthrough the year previous to those signings being made was thickened. Rather than blitz through the ceiling against all odds, as he did the year prior, he appeared to retreat into a shell. He took 7 games to record his first point as an Admiral in 2013-14 and another 4 games before his first goal.

Once he left the Admirals locker room and joined the top team of the AHL last season, the Texas Stars, he amassed 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 15 games with a +2 rating. His playoff performance in Texas also saw more consistent results as he picked up 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) from 21 games en route to the Stars Calder Cup triumph.

It was only ever going to be awkward if Henderson rejoined the Admirals this season considering the circumstances in which he left the team last year. He fell out of favor in making the starting lineup. And he wasn’t producing when given the chance. When he joined the Stars it seemed to steer him back towards form but it still wasn’t close to what he was in the 2012-13 season.

Was it worth bringing Kevin Henderson back into the fold with the amount of youngsters set to join Milwaukee this season? Where did this story all go wrong after he made his first-career NHL appearances in Nashville?

The genius of David Gunnarsson of DaveART is at it yet again for Pekka Rinne. The ace air-brush painter, and man behind many of the goaltending masks you see in the NHL and around the world, unveiled Rinne’s brand new mask that will be used during the 2014-15 season.

The theme here is rather self explanatory for those who have watched the film Gladiator. It is named Maximus after all. It also stays true to previous incarnations of Rinne’s masks in which a faux-mask is used to cover a beastly looking figure behind the lid.

I’m not certain if Magnus Hellberg or Marek Mazanec will be going back to the well this season in the mask department. Both have DaveART masks for the Admirals and Predators already as it is: Hellberg Ads, Preds // Mazanec Ads, Preds.

Thoughts on Pekka Rinne’s new mask? Would you like to see new lids for Hellberg and Mazanec? If you were to customize a goaltending mask what designs would you have on it?

This weekend in Nashville, the Predators played hosts to the start of a rookie showcase that will see the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning all breaking in the new Ford Ice Center. It gave us all a glimpse into some quality prospects and, best of all, the start of the hockey season.

The first two games played for the Predators this weekend were against the Lightning and Panthers. That meant getting a good look at some real solid prospects from around the league: Jonathan Drouin and Aaron Ekblad.

Game 1. Predators 2, Lightning 1 (OT). Kevin Fiala scored the opening goal for the Preds on the power-play. Meanwhile, Magnus Hellberg stopped all twelve shots he faced before the mid-game goalie swap with Rob Madore. It wasn’t the greatest of greetings for last year’s Kelly Cup MVP. Madore instantly had to face a full 5-3 power-play chance for the Lightning, killed it, and allowed a goal on a follow up power-play for the Lightning – Brayden Point with the goal. In overtime, Filip Forsberg brushed off six penalty minutes and came through with the game-winning wrister.

Game 2. Predators 1, Panthers 3. From following this game via the Nashville media folks on Twitter – it sounded as if there wasn’t a whole lot of even strength five-on-five from this game. There were plenty of penalties called both ways. The Panthers got on the board first after a shot pass by this year’s first overall draft pick Ekblad found his teammate Logan Shaw for a redirect. The man who was wearing the ‘C’ for the Preds rookies, Colton Sissons, tallied a rebounder to level things up through two periods. Yet it was the Panthers who had the last good push in this one. Vincent Trocheck ripped a shot through Hellberg in the third period to give Florida the 2-1 lead – and Steven Hodges added an empty netter to seal it.

The man who really seems to be taking the spotlight so far in these first two games has been Fiala. The 18-year old seems to be playing with incredible pace to his game. He had a goal in the first game and was all over the place (in the best of ways) in the follow up. The more you see out of him the more you like. It starts making me ask the following question. Can he make the Nashville Predators 2014-15 roster?

I can’t help but see another one of the prospects mentioned up above, Drouin, the more I watch the tape on Fiala. Drouin is a year older than Fiala but both are close in size, have similar playing abilities, and have the craftiest of hands. Drouin was selected third overall the 2013 Draft versus Fiala in 2014 as the eleventh overall selection. Drouin did spend last season at the age of 18-years old back with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He should be getting unleashed into the NHL this season. The question for Nashville will be whether or not Fiala needs that extra year outside of the NHL to get that little bit more polished. Either way, I think the Predators may have picked up a gem in this year’s draft.

You can see more photographs from this game via Jim Diamond of the Rinkside Report. Take a look at the backdrop of the Ford Ice Center as well. It’s a really beautiful looking facility that they’ve put together down there.

Can Kevin Fiala play at the NHL level this season? How are these prospect games making you feel in regards to the Milwaukee Admirals 2014-15 season considering how many players on the roster will be in the AHL this season? Does it make you more confident in what the Admirals could do with a young roster?

Don’t you hate it when you are watching a shootout and every single player in it does a spin-o-rama? Well great news! Because the NHL has officially been permitted from both the penalty shot and shootout.

There are a few other changes that do actually make better sense than that one. Let’s take a look at what they’ve added or altered to the NHL Rule Book.

* * *

Rule 1.8 – Rink – Goalkeeper’s Restricted Area

The trapezoid will be expanded by two feet from the goal post on both sides of the net.

Rule 23 – Game Misconduct Penalties

A new Game Misconduct category will be created. Clipping, charging, elbowing, interference, kneeing, head-butting and butt-ending move from the general category into the same category as boarding and checking from behind (“Physical Fouls”), whereby a player who incurs two such game misconducts in this category would now be automatically suspended for one game.

Rule 24 – Penalty Shot

The ‘Spin-O-Rama’ move, as described in Section 24.2 of the 2013-14 NHL Rule Book, will no longer be permitted either in Penalty Shot situations or in the Shootout.

Rule 38 – Video Goal Judge

Video review will be expanded in the following areas:

* Rule 38.4 (viii) has been modified to allow broader discretion to Hockey Operations to assist the referees in determining the legitimacy of all potential goals (e.g., to ensure they are “good hockey goals”). The revised Rule will allow Hockey Operations to correct a broader array of situations where video review clearly establishes that a “goal” or “no goal” call on the ice has been made in error. The new expanded rule will also allow Hockey Operations to provide guidance to referees on goal and potential goal plays where the referee has blown his whistle (or intended to blow his whistle) after having lost sight of the puck.

* In reviewing “Kicked in Goals,” Hockey Operations will require more demonstrable video evidence of a “distinct kicking motion” in order to overrule a “goal” call on the ice, or to uphold a “no goal” call on the ice.

Rule 57 – Tripping

The rule relating to “Tripping” will be revised to specifically provide that a two minute minor penalty will be assessed when a defending player “dives” and trips an attacking player with his body/arm/shoulder, regardless of whether the defending player is able to make initial contact with the puck.

But, in situations where a penalty shot might otherwise be appropriate, if the defending player “dives” and touches the puck first (before the trip), no penalty shot will be awarded. (In such cases, the resulting penalty will be limited to a two-minute minor penalty for tripping.)

Rule 64 – Diving / Embellishment

The supplementary discipline penalties associated with Rule 64.3 (Diving/Embellishment) will be revised to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines will be assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below.

Incident # Player Fine(s) Head Coach Fine(s)
1. Warning N/A
2. $2,000 N/A
3. $3,000 N/A
4. $4,000 $2,000
5. $5,000 $3,000
6. $5,000 $4,000
7. $5,000 $5,000
8. $5,000 $5,000

Rule 76 – Face-offs

To curb delay tactics on face-offs after icing infractions, in situations where the defending team is guilty of a face-off violation, following an icing, the defending player who is initially lined up for the face-off will be given a warning, but will be required to remain in the circle to take the face-off. A second face-off violation by the defending team in such situation will result in a two minute minor bench penalty.

Rule 84 – Overtime

* Teams will switch ends prior to the start of overtime in the regular season.

* The entire ice surface will undergo a “dry scrape” prior to the start of overtime in the regular season.

* The procedure requiring the head coach to submit a list of the first three shooters in the shoot-out has been eliminated.

Rule 85 – Puck Out of Bounds

There have been further rule changes made relating to face-off location to avoid penalizing teams for plays intended to create bona fide scoring opportunities. Specifically, the following are “categories of plays” where face-offs will remain in the attacking zone despite the fact that the attacking team was technically responsible for the stoppage in play: Shots at the net by a player on the attacking team where: (i) the shot breaks the glass; (ii) the shot goes off the side of the net and deflects out of play; (iii) the shot goes off the dasher boards or glass and deflects out of play; (iv) the shot is tipped or deflected out of play by a teammate; and (v) the shot becomes wedged in or on the exterior of the goal net.

In addition, the following rule change will be enacted for the 2014 preseason and may be continued for the 2014/15 regular season if approved by the League and the NHLPA.

Rule 1.9 – Rink – Face-off Spots and Circles – Ice Markings/Hash Marks

The hash marks at the end zone circles will be moved from three feet apart to five feet, seven inches apart (international markings).

* * *

The thing that comes to mind first, outside of that spin-o-ban-a-rama, is the trapezoid increasing. I actually hope that the NHL gets back to the point where there isn’t a trapezoid. It means the goalie has a risk/reward of getting far out of his net and can change the complexion of what style of goaltender you want in net: mobile/active, stay-at-home/stationary, or somewhere smack down the middle — which is kind of what this expanded trapezoid will lend to.

What are your takes on the new rule changes? Make sense? Doesn’t make sense? Which one will have the greatest impact on the game this season? 

Yesterday was a big day for the video gaming demographic of our hockey reading audience. EA Sports next installment in the NHL franchise of games was launched on all platforms and your’s truly picked up a copy (PS3 for those curious – still out of the next generation console loop). This isn’t going to be so much of a review as it is a first impression of various things I see from NHL 15 and my thoughts of the good, the bad, and the oh-so ugly.

Let’s start with what many were put off by with the build up to the game’s release. Content. More to the point the lack of content. I heard anywhere from EASHL, Connected GM, Online Shootout, and Winter Classic modes – even the Custom Music option – all being axed from the game. I don’t know if the same applied to the top tier consoles, please fill in down in the comments if you can confirm it, but my PS3 copy of the game has each and every one of those features in the game. Quite frankly, if not for the number 15 and Patrice Bergeron creeping on the left side, everything from the main menu page of the game looks like NHL 14. I don’t really see anything drastically different or missing.

When I typically get a sports game such as this the first things that come to mind are (1) what are the new player ratings (2) are there new or updates faces for the players in-game (3) what new gear or equipment is in the game (4) are there new teams or uniforms that were added (5) are the players where they need to be.

In summing up those items I can say this…

Milwaukee Admirals Player Ratings: Johan Alm (67), Taylor Aronson (63), Viktor Arvidsson (68), Taylor Beck (77), Anthony Bitetto (71), Zach Budish (68), Patrick Cehlin (71), Jonathan-Ismael Diaby (65), Filip Forsberg (77), Felix Girard (63), Triston Grant (72), Magnus Hellberg (77), Brendan Leipsic (73), Mike Liambas (65), Marek Mazanec (73), Jimmy Oligny (62), Joe Piskula (69), Jaynen Rissling (66), Miikka Salomaki (77), Josh Shalla (64), Colton Sissons (76), Scott Valentine (70), Mark Van Guilder (70), and Austin Watson (77).

Things worth noting from that. That roster came from the first update. And came after I made substantial changes because players such as Scott Ford, Mathieu Tousignant, Charles-Olivier Roussel, Francis Wathier, Joonas Rask, and even the recently signed by the Hartford Wolf Pack Vinny Saponari… were all still on the Admirals roster.

Players such as Alm and Arvidsson had to be brought over from their Swedish team. Multiple players were still on their junior team. And players such as Pontus Aberg don’t even exist despite their team being in the game. It’s all rather bizarre and just plain lazy from EA Sports to not know who is on what roster. There was an updated roster dated to 9/3/14 on launch day. It gave me this laughable amount of incorrect player movement. It’s a headache purely from the basis of how lazy something like that really is. Bryan Rodney is still an Admiral per NHL 15’s 9/3/14 roster. It’s baffling.

New faces in the game? It depends on how you take that. On one hand, players such as Liambas and Mazanec have their headshots in the game. There are actually a boat load of new player headshots to spot in NHL 15. Even ye ole Juuso Puustinen has an updated headshot for HIFK. That’s great to see from an appearance perspective. They should have players new headshots and images in the game. But then comes the problem I run into year after year from a game like EA’s NHL series. There aren’t enough players in the game that look like who they are.

Shea Weber, Seth Jones, Olli Jokinen, Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy, Roman Josi, James Neal, Viktor Stalberg, and even Pekka Rinne behind the mask – they have their accurate faces and visual identities captured. Outside of that in the organization there isn’t another player that looks like them. Not one. Look elsewhere around the league and even quality players have generic faces: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tuukka Rask, Derek Stepan, Chris Kunitz… how about young players such as Tyson Barrie, Mikael Granlund, Calle Jarnkrok, Olli Maatta, Tomas Hertl, Ondrej Palat, or Mark Scheifele. They are all generic.

Would it be all well and good if everyone looked just as ghoulish and plain? Shouldn’t someone such as EA Sports churn out the visual identities to the same standard their FIFA line does yearly? If you want to see what the EA NHL series could be under an EA FIFA mind set could look like – look no further than Eddie Lack in NHL 15.

He has everything save for his custom DaveART mask. He has his custom Brian’s goaltending gear. His face and visual representation are spot on. It is so far beyond what most characters look like in this game you can’t help but get more and more annoyed the more you stare at it. Every player under an NHL contract should look that good. Why they don’t could probably just be as simple to explain as to why the rosters aren’t accurate. Laziness.

Most uniforms are all there. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the NHL series finally updated the Admirals neck lace color to match what it has been in recent years: black on the white home jersey and white on the black road jersey. There will of course be added third jerseys from NHL teams once they get unveiled. Sidenote: I’ve never quite understood the NHL’s policy of doing things like that – unveiling alternates on ice during the middle of a season instead of before the season starts.

Additions to the uniform gallery include plenty of alternates from around the junior hockey ranks. They also added the chrome happy Stadium Series uniforms from last season. For those St. Louis Blues fans breathing a sigh of relief that your team finally has a classy look again… I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news… they’re not in the game (EA Games pun)… at least not yet.

The gameplay, as you would hope for, is just as brilliant as it was last year. If anything it is simply better because of the addition of the NBC hockey crew doing the play-by-play commentary. I do wish that Doc Emrick shouted more. He sounds somewhat asleep at times. If they had him shout, “OFF THE POST WITH THE SHOT,” literally every time you hit a post – it wouldn’t get old.

There are still some hitches in the game’s giddy up. Replays look like they used the shaky cam technique from Cloverfield. Players without sticks seem to not care that they don’t have a stick and remain on the ice until a complete line change is hailed. The sorts of minor things that should all get hammered out when the game launches that initial patch. Nothing to worrying really. At its core it is the exact same fun EA NHL gameplay that you know and love.

That’s my first impressions. For those who are still on the fence about making the purchase hopefully this gives you a better sense of what’s what. It’s a lot like NHL 14 with some tweaks and crisper visuals. Enough to have made me pull the trigger. I’d imagine those of you on Xbox One or PS4 would only be enjoying it that little bit more than myself… that is if the content is there.

Breathe it in. Hockey season is starting up and the Nashville Predators are geared for their pre-season training camp. Their first day on the ice will be exactly two weeks from today and will set the table for six pre-season games.

Tuesday, Sept. 23 @ Tampa Bay: 6:30 pm CST
Thursday, Sept. 25 vs. Tampa Bay: 7:00 pm CST
Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Florida: 3:00 pm CST
Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Florida: 7:00 pm CST
Monday, Sept. 29 vs. Columbus: 7:00 pm CST
Saturday, Oct. 4 @ Columbus: 6:00 pm CST

In addition, there will also be a team scrimmage on September 21st at the Centennial Sportsplex. Who will all be taking part in the pre-season training camp? Here is a look at the roster released this afternoon via the Nashville Predators:

Forwards

Pontus Aberg
Viktor Arvidsson
Taylor Beck
Gabriel Bourque
Zach Budish
Patrick Cehlin
Rich Clune
Matt Cullen
Kevin Fiala
Mike Fisher
Filip Forsberg
Frederick Gaudreau
Paul Gaustad
Felix Girard
Triston Grant
Calle Jarnkrok
Olli Jokinen
Justin Kirkland
Brendan Leipsic
Michael Liambas
James Neal
Eric Nystrom
Joe Pendenza
Mike Ribeiro
Derek Roy
Miikka Salomaki
Josh Shalla
Colton Sissons
Craig Smith
Viktor Stalberg
Mark Van Guilder
Tommy Veilleux
Austin Watson
Colin Wilson

Defensemen

Johan Alm
Taylor Aronson
Victor Bartley
Anthony Bitetto
Jonathan-Ismael Diaby
Mattias Ekholm
Ryan Ellis
Aaron Irving
Seth Jones
Roman Josi
Garrett Noonan
Jimmy Oligny
Joe Piskula
Jaynen Rissling
Mikko Vainonen
Anton Volchenkov
Shea Weber

Goaltending

Magnus Hellberg
Carter Hutton
Rob Madore
Marek Mazanec
Pekka Rinne
Devin Williams

Plenty of new names that Ads fans will soon become quite familiar with this season. Not to mention plenty of Admirals who’ve been around the past few seasons. In only two weeks time they’ll all be on the ice looking to impress. Here is hoping all avoid a quick-start injury in camp ahead of the season… knock on wood.

Which prospect do you feel can make the biggest impression on Peter Laviolette and the Nashville Predators? Who are the guys making a push for NHL roles in camp? Which new players are you most excited about joining the Milwaukee Admirals this season?

Out with the old and in with the new for our ECHL buddies the Cincinnati Cyclones. Fresh off of their strong Kelly Cup run, which saw them eliminated in the finals, the Cyclones have a new logo and uniform set for the 2014-15 season.

The new color scheme is a little lighter on the palate. Gone is yellow and cartoon look. Now it’s red, black, and silver… insert Carlonia Hurricans Cincinnati Cyclones joke here. This new design looks really sharp in my opinion. What are your thoughts on our ECHL affiliate’s new look?