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Editorial Milwaukeehockey.com
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Sick and tired February 6, 2007
Can spring just effin get here already?!? I'm tired of being sick. I'm tired of worrying if my pipes will freeze. I'm tired of spinning my tires on patches of ice. I'm tired of having to bundle up in 3 or 4 layers of clothes. I'm not looking forward to my next heating bill.
Besides, if it were spring right now, the Admirals would be looking at the playoffs with certainty. A string of success by Peoria and/or Iowa, or a string of suckitude by the Admirals in the next 6 weeks changes that outlook. April cannot get here soon enough!
Ok... positive thoughts now... in a little over an hour from when I type this, I'll be listening to the Predators play in Pittsburgh. I really, really, really wanted to go this game. Had it on my calendar all season... and circled it when it became evident that the Penguins might be leaving after this season. However, I could not make it happen. Too many priorities in life sometimes. Good luck to Sheldon Brookbank in his NHL debut... hopefully Crosby/Malkin/Staal do not embarrass him too badly.
Recent user comments Jake writes...
With the league expanding to a promising market like Rockford, as well as other cities, what is your take on the "state of the AHL"? Are most of the teams profiting, or should we expect any to fold? I am feeling cautiously optimistic about the league's success.Great topic. State of the AHL. Many layers to this discussion... and I'm not exactly an insider with sources around the league, but here's my attempt to break it down...
The league itself appears to be on steady ground as it approaches the magic number of 30 active franchises to mirror the 30 NHL teams. It would take a devastating economic nightmare to cause a collapse of the AHL. Even if several teams fold, the league will carry on with fewer teams... just as it has for 70 years. Of course, that would be a blow to the ego of the league, but it would live on regardless.
To take a closer look at the health of the individual teams can be tricky. Every team has a different story financially. Some pay a hefty price for use of their arena... others have a sweet low rent deal. Some get a hefty percentage of ticket, concession, parking, and advertising revenue... others do not. New England area teams have a much smaller travel budget (fewer hotel stays and seldom any airline flights). About ten AHL teams are owned by their NHL parent clubs, who may see owning their own farm club as more of a beneficial business expense, and less of a profit-making opportunity. So, a team that draws a smaller fanbase can be in better financial shape than some that sell more tickets. It would take a lot of research for me to break it down team-by-team.
Assuming the league reaches the 30 team plataeu, a few scenarios come to mind...
- With more teams in the central states, it wouldn't be a bad idea for a northeastern team on thin ice to move to the midwest. That would have been crazytalk 5 years ago, but with more and more localized road trips in our division, it might attract an Eastern Conference team to consider a move if the right offer comes along.
- With no unused franchises, the dollar value of each AHL franchise goes up in price, causing a few teams to consider selling to buyers interested in other markets. Currently, the asking price is in the neighborhood of $3 million (reportedly what the Rockford Icehogs are expected to pay). In a few years, a buyer in let's hypothetically say... Indianapolis, may have to pay $4 or 5 million to buy a team. This scares me. A big "what if" comes to mind. What if businessman Harris Turer sees an opportunity to turn a healthy profit on his initial investment in buying the Admirals by selling at a higher price to someone in another city?? Turns my stomach to think about, but it could happen if the asking price of an AHL franchise escalates due to supply and demand.
So, in a nutshell, there will be teams folding/selling/moving, but as an (in general) 'upgrade' for the league. Weaker markets that cannot make it work will thrive (or maintain the same) in another market.
28... 29?... 30?? February 1, 2007
Welcome to the AHL The Lake Erie Monsters. That's the name decided for Cleveland's new team that will debut next season. Think that's bad? They were almost called the Fighting Walleyes. Seriously... The ownership group took out a trademark on both names before announcing their decision.
In a league that recently had the Lowell Loch Monsters, this name is very unoriginal and uninspiring.
The brief summary of how this team came about... after last season, Cleveland lost their AHL team when the San Jose Sharks moved their franchise from Cleveland (the Barons) to Worcester, Mass. In order to fill dates at the 20,000+ seat Gund Arena (now called the Quicken Loans Arena... whatever), a local ownership group headed by the Cleveland Cavaliers purchased the unused AHL franchise from the Utah Grizzlies, who moved to the ECHL two years ago.
Deciding not to rush into forming the team for this season, they decided to take this season off to take their time and do it right. Unfortunately for Cleveland hockey fans, the ticket prices for next season are unusually high. ($60-$26-$20 along the sides of the lower bowl).
That brings the league total to 28 teams. A 29th will likely be announced in the coming days just down the road in Rockford, IL. After much debate over the past few months, local Rockford governments agreed on a plan to renovate their downtown arena and to bring AHL hockey to Rockford.
Two hurdles remain for the Icehogs:
- purchase an AHL franchise
- sign an affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks
After keeping their silence during the debates, the Blackhawks have spoken out in favor of forming a 10 year agreement with the 'Hogs if they secure a franchise.
The Icehogs would either have to purchase one of two unused AHL franchises, or they would have to purchase a currently operating franchise. Only two unused AHL franchises exist. Unavailable is one owned by the Edmonton Oilers, who have mentioned plans to use that in the near future for their prospects. The most likely scenario is for the Icehogs to purchase the dormant Cincinnati Ducks franchise, which recently failed in a plan to move to Windsor, Ontario. If that cannot happen, then the Icehogs will have to surprise us with news of moving an existing AHL team to Rockford. Word is that the deals are being worked out and will be announced soon.
With the Blackhawks signing an affiliation agreement with Rockford, that leaves Norfolk without an affiliate. Team owners insist they will be back next season. Norfolk is searching for a replacement... and an obvious choice would be the Florida Panthers, who currently only have a partial affiliation with Rochester.
Ideally, the league will have 29 teams, with a 30th possible if Edmonton comes up with a location for their franchise. Thirty teams is the goal set by the AHL, in order to mirror the 30 team NHL.
In other recent league news... it was confirmed that the AHL will use the same new high-tech RBK jersey design that the NHL will use beginning next season. In other words, if you plan on buying an Admiral jersey in the future... do it this season before the prices will likely get jacked up next fall.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz... January 28, 2007
Apologies for not getting the site updated this week. Since Tuesday there's been a lot to talk about, and since Tuesday, I've been swamped at work and beaten down by the nastiest flu bug I've had in several years (which I had to work through). In 4 1/2 days, I've only had about 10 minutes of time at my desk.
So, let's start with Tuesday...
I made the 45 minute drive to the Admirals viewing party of the game in Houston at Mo's Irish Pub on Bluemound Road in Wauwautosa. Upon arrival, I learned that it was a poorly planned effort on the part of Mo's. You would assume they would partition off a part of their restaurant in anticipation of the several dozen fans coming to see the game. Nope. Twenty-five minutes before gametime, we were told it was about a hour wait for a table... and no guarantees it would be a table within site of the only TV showing the game (this upscale sports bar has several tv's).
I was given a restaurant-style pager for when my turn would be up. Several other fans were already waiting, pagers in hand, and a few decided to leave. I'm told many left before I got there. After about 10 minutes, I was about ready to leave, when Admirals Senior Director of Marketing Tim Van Wagoner offered to place me at a table with other Admiral fans. I felt guilty about it as there were several others still waiting who were there before me, but I hoped they would also get squeezed in before gametime.
So, I did get to see the game... but without sound. Occasionally we'd hear Aaron Sims during his loud moments coming from the speakers of the laptop computer channeling the webcast, but for the most part, we were in the dark. We couldn't tell which players were on the ice due to the fuzzy nature of the webcast and the inability to read the numbers on the road sweaters. When the night was over, I really wish I would've stayed home and just listened to Aaron's call of the game.
One more thing about that game... I predicted it would go to OT, as the team was wearing out the heels of their skates by trying to 'protect' their one goal lead. Needless to say, I hate it when they do that. Like a prevent defense in football... it always seems to fail. Fortunately, they had a power play carry over into OT, and Ramzi Abid came through with the winner 16 seconds later.
Wednesday... I didn't listen to the game. Super tired after a long day at work, I fell asleep early. 5-4 shootout loss in Omaha... I'll take it. The Knights are honestly a better team this year, so a point is a good thing.
Thursday... 1-0 hockey. Love it or hate it... it happens sometimes. Unfortunately, Milwaukee was on the losing end. Karl Goehring played a great game, but got no help on the scoreboard. The Admirals only managed 18 shots against a solid effort by Iowa netminder Dan Ellis.
Friday... 5am - alarm clock sounded and I struggled to get out of bed as the flu had hit me hard overnight. Made it through an 11 hour day at work. Spent about 2 minutes online before doping myself with cold medicine and calling it a night.
Saturday... couldn't find anyone to work for me, so I had another rough day. Admirals won 3-2 over Peoria... a very important game as far as the standings go. Great to see Ville Koistinen back in the lineup... we've missed his smart gameplay. Once again, the Admirals win in front of a big crowd... I'll have to revisit this stat, but as of 3 weeks ago, they were 7-0-1 (home and away) when more than 7000 tickets are sold.
For those of you who read this in time... don't forget tonight (Sunday), the AHL All Star Skills competition can be seen for free on the B2 webcast available at theahl.com, and tomorrow... well, tomorrow certainly sucks. The Admirals weekly TV game on Time Warner Sports is being shown opposite the AHL All Star game on FSN. Smart thinking there Time Warner geniuses (who still cannot provide a programming schedule for that channel). I'm quickly losing interest in chasing down a rebroadcast schedule from them, as it took them 9 days to reply to my first email on the topic.
Recent user comments Clarkie writes...
Well, the Ads and Time Warner made a mistake by making the Marlies/Ads game their game of the week (at least that is what the listing on the digital was) I went to both those games and the Americans game - believe me, if your trying to turn fans on to going - showcase the game with the rough stuff (i.e. Rochester). Yeah, we lost - but we outshot them 20 - 10 in the last 40 minutes, and the crowd was way energized after the first 29 secs in battle royal, and then the Segal/Wilson 'pull the Americans off the bench' deal at the end of the first! It's all a part of the game - and the Ads better realize what games make for better t.v. for right now...Agreed. I'm guessing either they went with the Toronto game because we won, or it was predetermined that was the game they were going with all along. The game against the Amerks certainly had it's moments!
On Thursday, Jenny writes...
Any word on Ville Koistinen and how he's doing? It'll be a real shame if he misses the All-Star game! Do you know what his injury is and when they expect him back?He had a concussion, and it was great to see him back on the ice last night. I saw a few headshots against him by some Peoria players... if they were intentional, then shame on the Rivermen.
Mike writes...
I seem to remember that you were a little worried about the "new" NHL All-Star jerseys, which were used as a template for the type of sweaters the NHL and AHL will switch to next season....what were your thoughts after seeing them in action Wednesday night? (assuming you did see the game or highlights/photos of it)Was I? I can't remember sounding off on the topic, but I'll take your word for it because I did have a 'wait and see' approach to the new jersey design. After seeing them last week, I'm 'lukewarm' about them.
It was hard for me to judge my opinion because the color design of the All Star jerseys was certainly unflattering, but that had nothing to do with the new style. The player's bodies are more defined, as they are a much snugger fit. They kinda reminded me of what I've seen in an old hockey video game I've played before (can't remember which one). They didn't look awful, but I'm not drooling over them. My main concern is if the price tags of the new style jersey will be much higher than what we see now.
admiralsfan1 writes...
Any idea what ever happened to Marco Rosa?Marco's currently in the ECHL with Texas, and was just named the ECHL Player of the Week. A quick look at his hockeydb.com page shows that he has been called up to Houston and Providence this season.
Life's a Beach January 22, 2007
Just addressing some reader comments in today's column...Recent user comments Mike writes...
So you saw the "Magnum P.I." jerseys this weekend, were they as bad as you expected? What were your thoughts on the theme in general? Was it popular with other fans?{sigh}... yes, I saw the special Hawaiian print jerseys. The question that immediately came to my mind - Why pink and orange flowers??
The scheme would have been much more appropriate with a 'manly' flower print (think blues, reds, greens). The pink and orange flowers were much too feminine for a mens hockey jersey. However, I did like the surfing Admiral logo on the front.
A few fans I've spoken with had mixed opinions. Some loved it. Some laughed at it. I didn't bother to wander near the auction area, so I'm not sure how the masses felt.
With that said... they were for a good cause and only lasted two games... so I'm not going to blow a gasket over it.
Jake writes...
I saw an Admirals commercial played during the NFC Championship football game. Do you think that as we get further into winter and the end of the football season that the Ads management will step up their marketing efforts and try to get people out to the BC? Is this the time to really capitalize on the new image? Any other thoughts concerning what management could do to help promote the Admirals and hockey in Milwaukee?I was watching the game on a Chicago station (clearer picture and sound), so I missed that commercial. It's great to hear that team is wisely spending money on a high profile sports event.
Without a doubt, the upcoming months are what the Admirals have been waiting for. It's no accident that the biggest promotions of the year are in the last half of the season. Between competing with the NFL and families budgeting (and vacationing) for the holidays, the team is smart to save their marketing artilery for this time of the year. And with three concerts, three bobblehead giveaways, and the usual increase in late season group ticket sales, we will see more big crowds at the BC.
But let's take a look at the numbers so far this year. After 18 home games, the team has sold 92,452 tickets. Compared to 82,386 after 18 home games last season. That's more than a 12% increase, and last season only had one concert night to push the season ending numbers.
Another subject that cannot be overlooked is how having games on Time Warner Sports will effect ticket sales. Having games piped into the homes of hundreds of thousands of potential ticket buyers will make an impact. Not by an overwhelming amount, but measurable, I'm sure.
Can more be done? Sure, I suppose. But I think the Admirals staff and management deserve a pat on the back for what they have done so far.
Rapidfire scheduling January 18, 2007
Beginning tomorrow, the Admirals will begin a span of 7 games in 9 days. The first two and last two at home, with a two game trip to Houston and a day in Omaha in between. For the second time this month, the Admirals will play three games in three states in three nights (Jan. 23-25), and they'll do it again on Feb. 1-3 right after the all star break.
Cross our fingers that the team can survive this stretch without any of the following: rash of inuries/illness, more bad weather delaying/diverting airline travel, incompetent airlines mishandling the teams' equipment (has happened twice this season already). With so many games scheduled in such a short time, it's inevitable that something will keep things from running smoothly.
And because of the upcoming schedule, expect me to possibly fall behind in updating the site. I haven't had much computer time lately, and many of you have probably noticed some delayed updates in recent weeks. I do what I can with what time I have, and lately I've often gone more than a day at a time away from my desk.
The future of hockey in Rockford is still in the hands of the politicians. Plans for arena renovation that will likely bring the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliation to Rockford have been up for approval by the local city and county governments for two months now.
This story has many subplots, with parties for and against it making their voices heard in the press and at the hearings. My gut feeling is that it will happen, and a few fans I spoke to at the game feel the same way and asked me several questions of what to expect as an AHL fan. Many opponents to the ordeal fear a drop in attendance, but I see such a strong passion for their team that you do not see in other minor league hockey markets... I've gotta believe they will thrive in the AHL, especially with a decent number of fans from Milwaukee, Chicago, Peoria, and Iowa passing through the Rockford ticket gate.
As always, we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out.
If I ever get my hands on a TV schedule of games, I will list them on the main page in the scrolling ticker. And I might as well ask... if anyone is dubbing these games to DVD or a computer video file, please contact me as I'd love copies.
The positives - the return of Pekka Rinne and a temporary visit from Scottie Upshall. While Karl Goehring has played solid over the past month or so, Rinne is the man, and memories of Goerhing's horrific start of the season still linger (but are fading). Upshall's return brings his total seasons with Milwaukee to 5, joining 21 other players on the 5+ seasons list. He hasn't played for several weeks due to a groin injury and hopefully won't be too rusty. Let's hope he makes a difference while he's here.
The negative - the sneak peak of the special hawaiian jerseys as seen on milwaukeeadmirals.com makes me cringe. I hope they look better in person than on the graphic I saw.
Until next time... Go Admirals!
Finally! Something good on TV. January 11, 2007
I can't remember the last time I felt like saying this... maybe never before... but here it goes... Thank You Time Warner Cable.
Over the past few decades, I figure TWC has shaved at least a few days off my life expectancy by how often they have royally pissed me off. I rank their customer service at the absolute bottom of the list of businesses I've dealt with. I can't count how many times I've hung up the phone or left their offices wishing I had an alternative. Satellite isn't an option for me due to the tall trees in a patch of woods just south of my home, so I've had to suffer.
But they have partially redeemed themselves by introducing a new channel to the standard lineup on their eastern Wisconsin cable systems. Channel 32 is now Time Warner Sports, featuring local sporting events. When I learned of this channel weeks ago, it appeared to only be an outlet for high school sports, but I decided to 'un-delete' it on the channels my TV flips through in case there were games I'd want to see. And now I'm glad I did that.
To my pleasant surprise, it's more than just high school. The Admirals are showing a prerecorded 'game of the week', which is replayed at various times throughout the week. I've also seen Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer games as well as a talk show hosted by Dennis Krause. Late at night, the channel shows ESPNNews.
I caught the last half of the first game yesterday. In a nutshell, they add Aaron Sims' radio call of the game to the Bradley Center jumbotron video with a score/time graphic in the upper left corner of the screen. Not perfect, as sometimes we miss a few moments of the game due to crowd shots or jumbotron messages (Keep your eyes on the puck, etc.)... but hey, I'm certainly not complaining!!
Whether Time Warner approached the Admirals to make this happen or vice versa... it doesn't matter. It's a great chance for the Admirals to increase awareness of the team to the casual sports fans in the area. No, it's not a live broadcast... but that certainly costs a whole lot more than submitting a recorded game once a week.
At every commerical break, they showed new commercials with the "Boredom" guy... only this time actual players beat the crap out of him. Segal, Reynolds, Brown, and Leahy rough him up at a copying machine, while Brookbank, Endicott, Yonkman, and Abid give him an atomic wedgie in an elevator.
The only gripe I have right now is finding a schedule for the channel. I have not found an online program guide (tvguide, yahoo, zap2it, etc.) that has been updated with this channel's listing. Tivo doesn't have it listed, and Time Warner's onscreen guide on Channel 99 still shows 32 as being the Golf Channel. But, I'll wait patiently as I'm sure this will eventually be worked out.
Recent user comments Clarkie writes...
I thought that Rich Peverley clearly deserved the all - star nod over Koistenen, IMO. But with the World vs. Canada format, I guess it's hard to get any but the top 12 forwards on a roster...Congrats to Sheldon and Ville!Peverley (and others) could still end up going. Injuries and callups between now and gametime will affect the roster. Hopefully Koistinen is back on the ice by then.
Favre Fan writes...
I know you're not necessarily huge on the Packers, but maybe I can interest you in a video. Check it out.
Nice. No, I'm not a Packer fan, but I respect Favre. I won't ever call him the best QB ever (as many locals tend to do)... as his name in the record books is due to his longevity and that the passing game is a much larger part of the NFL than it was 20+ years ago, but I do admire his character.
Why I'm a hockey fan January 7, 2007
Games like we saw last night are exactly why I love this game. Sure, it also would have been great to see the Admirals just destroy Chicago, but the intense emotional roller coaster ride that the third period gave us still tingles my spine. In case you missed it, in a nutshell...
And with the second largest crowd of the year onhand, there was the buzz you get... the oohs and aahs... the electricity in the air that you don't get from just 3500 people. I wish I could bottle that feeling up and drink it down anytime I'm having a bad day.
Recent user comments Oilersfan writes...
Any theories on why the Admirals are playing so poorly at home this season? This is getting pretty bad. Where do the Admirals rank in attendance compared to most AHL clubs? I'm just wondering if lack of home game crowd attendance has anything to do with this. If lots of other AHL stadiums are rockin, and the BC isn't, that could contribute to the problem.The Admirals are currently 13th (of 27 teams) in league attendance (5,001 per game), which is just under the league average (5,080). When more than 7000 tickets are sold, the Admirals are 3-0-1 at home and 4-1 on the road, so that would go right along with your thoughts that the small home attendance is effecting this team. Apparently, the team needs better motivation when in a near empty building.
Jake writes...
Just curious, do you get out to many Badger hockey games? Are you a fan of college hockey?I'll shamefully admit that I haven't been to a Badger game in person, but I do catch 8 or 9 games a year on TV. Last year, I made it to the skills competition and Hobey Baker Award presentation at the Bradley Center. Am I a fan, yes... but after following the Admirals and the NHL, I don't have as much time for it as I'd like.
On the Jan. 4 game, Clarkie writes...
Ads 3 - Omaha 4
Well, the first thing that clues us in is...
If Eric Godard EVER scores 3 points against your team (including 2 goals - 1 unassisted!)... Your going to lose... (I know, some egghead out there will research and say, 'Yeah - Godard scored three points on such and such a date...')
At any rate, Ads up 2 - 0 at the end of 1, and end up losing 4 - 3.
Two fights at the end of the 1st. Segal got the best of Peters, and Peverly - not the fighter type at all, fought to kind of a draw...
Two tryouts tonight. The new kid MIHALY got an assist. He's got like 25 points in 28 games in Reading this year (ECHL) Good to see that. Chaz JOHNSON is a very physical forward. Got in a couple of good hits, got laid out pretty good at the Ads bench though...looked okay. Last year played a few uneventful games for the Ads.
Ference played really physical for the Knights. Always laying the extra shove or push after the whistle. None of the Ads looked they wanted to drop with him. Can't say as I'd blame them.
Omaha is a good team. Showed it tonight.Well, they gave Godard a second assist, bringing his total to 4 points on the night, which based on his career totals, has likely never happened since before he was 17 years old. (OK... I tried to be an egghead)
I was real happy with the efforts of Arpad Mihaly and Chaz Johnson, but unfortunately Johnson didn't play the full 60... he was throwing his weight around quite abit trying to make a big impression not only on the coaches, but also on the BC glass.... so it's no surprise he hurt his shoulder.
As a realist, I'd be elated if the Admirals can finish the year in third place, as Chicago and Omaha are showing that they are more talented than the rest this year. With any luck, the Ads chemistry in April will gel into a team that can upset those two in the playoffs. If they keep winning on the road, anything is possible as a 3 or 4 seed.
My new toy January 1, 2007
Hopefully all of you enjoyed your holiday season as much as I did. Time spent with my family (my dad visited from Pennsylvania), mild weather, and having no headaches during my last minute shopping trip all have me in a better mood than I usually am in the weeks after Christmas.
All of the gifts I received were cool, but one stands out. My brother got me an XM radio. For about the last year and a half, I've listened to him tell me about things he heard on his XM radio, and I loved listening to it on several road trips we've taken during the summer months.
Since I'm often in my car for work, I've been able to soak in several hours of the programming now at my fingertips... most notably the hockey coverage. At night, there are about 5 or 6 different NHL games I can listen to, and during the day, there are a few very entertaining hockey talk shows. And during the afternoons this past week, they aired live coverage of games from the World Junior hockey tournament in Sweden. Former Admiral Ryan Parent is on the Canadian team. All of this hockey coverage coming from my speakers makes me feel like I'm in Canada.
The radio I have is a Samsung Nexus. Not a top of the line model, but better than my brother's. It can store mp3's and record XM songs/programs to listen to whenever I want. I tried that out Friday night, recording the Predators game while I was at the Admirals game. The Preds lost, but it was still pretty cool to listen to it the next day.
Recent user comments brian writes...
I see on your current survey that Sheldon Brokeback is leading as the most deserving defenseman to go to the all star game ...... you have got to be kidding people.
Any thoughts?The biggest strength of the Admirals this season has been the defensive corps as a whole. Being the AHL's top penalty killers earlier in the season emphasizes that. 'Brokeback', as you call him (very original), has done a pretty decent job in all situations... power play, penalty kill, and even strength. He's no Curtis Murphy, but he's stepped up his game this year. Taking on the role of team captain and coming across as someone the younger players on the team look up to. The other top 5 d-men on the team have all played very well, but Sheldon probably edges out the rest based on his scoring numbers (top defenseman and third overall on the team). God knows I'm a fan of Klein, Koistinen, Yonkman, Henry, and even Young, but I agree with the majority of the voters on this one.
