Editorial Milwaukeehockey.com Disclaimer - the words/graphics on this page do not reflect the views of anyone other than the moron who runs this site. If you're easily offended, go away. Unhappy feet December 24, 2006 Most of you know that I'm a Pittsburgh Penguins fan of about 20 years or so. I was born near Pittsburgh and have family there. In my younger years, I scored a bazillion goals with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr on the old EA NHL Sega Genesis games. So, the news of the Penguins thinking of leaving the Steel City are a bit heartbreaking to me. The Penguins are looking at moving because their lease at the Igloo (Mellon Arena) expires this year, and they will only stay if a new, more profitable, arena is built for them. I like the Igloo... it has character, but it's the oldest arena in the NHL. It's time has passed. Groundbreaking on a new arena would have happened this week had the state granted a casino license to the Isle of Capri, who would have ponied up the money to make it happen. Instead a rival casino bid got the license, crushing the Penguins plans. And after Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie backed out of the purchase of the team because the NHL insisted that he would have to promise to keep the team in Pittsburgh, team owner Mario Lemieux has said he is looking at options of relocation. Several cities are talked about. Kansas City and Winnipeg have suitable arenas and are frontrunners. Houston, Seattle, Quebec, and Oklahoma City are among those also mentioned. Local government officials are saying not so fast. City and county leaders have formed a plan to pay for at least 230 of the $290 million price tag for a new arena and will meet with Lemieux in the coming weeks to convince him to stay. Fingers crossed. Recent user comments Mike writes... The Pittsburgh Penguins stadium deal looks as if it fell through and now the team is actively seeking relocation opportunities in other cities. Is there ANY chance that this team could find a home in Milwaukee? Incredibly unlikely. With the Milwaukee Bucks getting every spare cent of the Bradley Center revenue stream, the Penguins would not be able to turn a profit here. Other cities will offer Lemieux much better financial packages than the Bradley Center ever could. Happy Holidays indeed December 22, 2006 With the Admirals on a 7-0-0-2 streak going into tonight's game, things are really looking up for the team. A victory tonight in Iowa, and Milwaukee will have a winning record for the first time this season. Hard to believe it's essentially the same group of guys that looked so out of place two months ago. Granted there are still a few disappointing players, this team could make waves in the playoffs if Coach Noel keeps molding the team into shape. Disappointment #1 in my eyes has got to be Shane Endicott. From playing in the NHL last season with Pittsburgh to being a frequent healthy scratch after making no impact when he does get playing time (1g, 2a - 19 games). How strong would this team be if he was playing his 'A' game? Is it an attitude problem? Perhaps... sometimes players have issues about being in the AHL after spending some time in the NHL. Disappointment #2 is Kelsey Wilson apparently having a membership card to the penalty box (91 PIM). Take away his four fighting majors, and he still leads the team in time in the sin bin. And some of his minutes have come at awful times. I've got nothing against his game otherwise... he's a role player who makes an occasional good play. Recently Karl Goehring and Ramzi Abid have redeemed themselves, and there have been some other guys showing more and more promise, so I remain optimistic in this team. In other news, Nashville forward Scott Nichol has been suspended for 9 games for his retaliation suckerpunching of Jaroslav Spacek. Spacek had driven Nichol into the goalpost, and Nichol responded. Expect an Admiral forward to get called up in the next day or so. And yes, it was great to see the Admirals put the smack down on Jimmy Howard... days after I gave him kudos on this page. He allowed five Admiral goals on Friday and eight more on Sunday. Maybe I should give credit to Admiral opponents more often! Hopefully many of you are casting votes for the AHL All Star game. I'm giving my support to Peverley, Brookbank, and Goehring, but then I realized that with the ridiculous 'Canada vs. the World' format, it's going to be hard for many of our guys to make the game. Arguably all of the potential Admiral All Stars are Canadian, which makes it less likely we'll see more than one player making the trip to Toronto next month. Recent user comments Lampkins69 writes... Remember a time in the late 90's when ESPN showed some of the Admiral's IHL games on their network. Any chance of seeing AHL on FSN or local station? What do you think? That was 1994-95. Back then, ESPN aired NHL games 3 or 4 nights a week. The NHL went on strike, and ESPN decided to fill part of that void with some IHL and AHL games... nowadays, we'd see a poker marathon instead. In a perfect world, the AHL would strike a deal with a network to show many league games, but the reality is that the ratings would not justify it. The NHL TV ratings are anemic as is. I'd be happy if the Admirals struck a local TV deal, but that's not likely going to happen anytime soon. Josh writes... I saw you comments about the poll for the All Star Game. While all of the named players are great players, I voted for someone else. I voted Brandon Segal. A guy who has been with us for a while and gives it his all every game. He plays a tough physcial game and deserves to show his talents. I am a Segal fan. No doubt. He's a hard worker who is an important part of the team. My gut feeling though is that most of the 'Someone Else' votes were going to who has the cutest dimples, and not to the most deserving all star. And trust me, I will not be having a cutest dimples poll. Watching hockey through "Ice Blue"-tinted glasses December 15, 2006 I was criticized for giving credit to Jimmy Howard in Wednesday night's game (see below). I guess some view me as not being a true Admirals fan for doing that. Okay, whatever. Forgive me for actually watching the games with open eyes and an open mind. When the opposing players do well, I make a mental note... and this time I also noted it online. Howard played a helluva game Wednesday, but fortunately the Ads figured him out tonight and lit him up at the Van Andel with 5 goals in the first 37 mintues. And while I'm riled up, I have to ask... on my voting poll asking for the Most deserving Admiral forward for the All Star Game, the choices are: the top six scoring forwards (minus Alexander Radulov) as of December 11 and "Someone Else". How is "Someone Else" in 3rd place?!? Anyone not in the top six in scoring on a team with a losing record is not All Star material in a 27 team league. But since the league gives every team at least one representative, one of these guys (or a defenseman) will make the game. I was curious to know who the Admiral fans were voting for... hoping that we can come to a consensus and concentrate our votes on one forward in hopes of getting an Admiral in the starting lineup. But I now realize that's wishful thinking. Make note that I may or may not get the site updated much this weekend. My dad is in town from Pennsylvania, and I haven't seen him since my trip east to see the Calder Cup Finals at Hershey in June. If I'm kept away from my desk, I'll get things caught up by Tuesday at the latest. Jimmy! December 14, 2006 The Admirals lost in a shootout to the Griffins last night in a game that they probably should have lost in regulation. Not to say Milwaukee played bad... nope they were feisty and had several great scoring opportunities without letting too many odd man rushes against Karl Goehring in the defensive zone. They should have lost because Griffins goalie Jimmy Howard played like a the NHLer that he should be if it weren't for Detroit using not one but two geriatric (but effective) netminders. Despite the outcome, I had a decent time at the game. Didn't start out that way, as I couldn't find an open curbside parking spot within 8 blocks of the BC. Too much was going on downtown between MSOE night classes and the Performing Arts Center. What made the night turn out well was a conversation I had throughout the game with a fan in my row. A refreshing conversation. Early in the game, I realized this guy was not just another ticket buying Joe off the street. He was a hockey fan, who was there to see the Red Wings prospects on the Grand Rapids Griffins. He also lives in my neck of the woods, which gave us a little more to talk about. Now, normally I do not interact with Detroit fans. I hate the Dead Things, and most of their fans I've met are pompous morons. I had a boss who was King Prick of the Detroit fanbase. I use the word fanbase loosely, as King Prick would never go to a Griffins game (in Milwaukee or anywhere else) to see how the farm club was doing. He'd rather sit at home and drool at his autographed red and white game worn jerseys that he always boasted of having framed on his walls. But the guy in my row last night didn't live up to the moron status. He was a proud fan, but was there to enjoy the game and gave respect to the Admirals in talking with me about the game. Tonight he's in Chicago to watch Detroit against the Hawks. After the game, we shook hands and went our separate ways. After the game, I got thinking... I know dangerous stuff... me thinking. There ARE proud NHL fans in the area. Not on every city block, but they are out there. My first Admirals game was to see the Pittsburgh prospects on the Cleveland Lumberjacks about 12 years ago. I went to the next game, and the game after that, and was hooked into being an Admirals fan in no time. So... perhaps the Admirals ought to mention which NHL team's farm system is involved in upcoming games. "See the future Dallas Stars take on the Admirals December 30th at the Bradley Center." Heck, even get the Journal Sentinel and their bland coverage to mention it in the game recaps more often. Side note to Harris Turer: the local media coverage of the Admirals sucks. You mentioned that it was good on a recent radio interview, but no... take a look around the league (I do Google News searches on a daily basis). Yes, there are several teams whose newspapers are on the same level as the MJS, but there are many who regularly print interesting articles in addition to game recaps and brief game previews. I know the Journal is a sponsor of the team, so you don't want to criticize them, but I will. Recent user comments Clarkie writes... Pretty uneventful game. Ads down by a goal most of the game, had a terrible second period. Tied it up mid - way through the third. I kind of knew we would lose in the shootout. I just have no confidence in the 'little guy' (Goehring)...but he stopped the first couple, and got ripped on the next two. Peverly scored ours... Three scouts sat behind me and the Mrs. tonight. Usually they sit in the same section. It is where the Ads shoot twice, on the goal line...about 25 rows up. Interesting. They all had their 'sheets' and Black ('crack') Berries...they talked a little about Rich Peverly, Ads #37. He made some nifty moves in the first period. They really got a hoot when Yonkman or Henry (could not quite tell if it was #34 or #43) gave up the puck behind the net and a few secs later a Griff ripped it behind Goehring's glove side...but, it was odd. As soon as the Ads tied it up mid - way through the third at 1 - 1, two of the three shook the other guys hand and took off...why would they leave AT the tie mark? Do you think they were scouting Jimmy Howard, the Griffs pretty decent goalie? Got me thinking... At any rate...kind of boring game, but thought the Ads were in for the Griffs best, after we ripped them 8 - 1 a few weeks ago in GR... I didn't notice the scouts, but they could've been from the Wolves since we play them on Saturday and Chicago had the night off. It's not uncommon to see Wolves GM Kevin Cheveldayoff studying both teams at the BC. I told the guy in my row that the Admirals would lose the shootout if the :19 second power play at the end of overtime didn't convert (almost). Vote for Rory! December 9, 2006 Former Admiral defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick (Feb. 2000 - Jan. 2001) has been in the media spotlight in recent days, and he literally did nothing to make it happen. Zero goals and zero assists in 16 games this season with the Vancouver Canucks, yet he's in the running to be a starter in the NHL All Star Game. A few weeks ago, a fan from his hometown of Rochester, NY, made a suggestion on the HFboards.com message board for fans to vote for Rory as a write-in canidate for the All Star Game. And because the NHL modified the online ballot this year to allow unlimited voting, a small, but growing, number of fans has given him hundreds of thousands of votes. The media has taken notice, and the voteforrory.com web site has had more than 125,000 visitors in it's short time on the net. What makes this story great is that Rory is a genuinely nice guy, who has quietly built up a 13 year career. Your average hockey fan has never heard of him, but many Admiral fans will remember him from parts of two seasons, where he played 49 games with Milwaukee and 2 with Nashville. From 2001 until this past spring, he was fortunate enough to play in his hometown, splitting time between Rochester and Buffalo. For what it's worth, I've thrown a few hundred votes his way. The way I see it, the big names will still be selected to the game, but it would be really cool for a hard-working veteran like Rory to be recognized. In the process of voting for Rory, I was also giving votes to Nashville's Paul Kariya, Steve Sullivan, and former Admiral Tomas Vokoun, along with votes for my original favorite team, the Penguins. AHL All Star voting begins in two days, but I haven't seen the format. I'll assume that the fans choose the starters, and the league fills in the rest of the roster. If Alexander Radulov doesn't come back to Milwaukee, I cannot think of an obvious choice for Admiral fans to make. Peverley and Brookbank come to mind. The league generally selects the young guns over the veterans, leaving players like Leahy, Endicott, Abid, Yonkman, and Henry unlikely to get selected. This could be the year Milwaukee only has a single token member in the game. Rough day... December 6, 2006 I thought I was having a rough day at work today, but those thoughts dwindled quickly after I flipped on the news when I got home and saw the story of the Falk explosion. One of the workers they interviewed is a face I see at many Admirals games. Too early to know the full magnitude of the disaster, but so far, three employees have died with dozens more hospitalized. My thoughts go out to all of those affected. Well, the 'easy' part of the Admirals three week road trip comes Thursday and Saturday, as the Admirals take on the last place San Antonio Rampage. These are really two must win games. Lose them both, and we fall into a tie with the Rampage. That, my friends, would make whatever thoughts I have of the Admirals climbing back into playoff contention virtually fizzle away. I'm sure San Antonio has a similiar outlook on this week, so they'll be scrappy. Also, the Rockford newspaper quotes the Icehogs coach in saying Milwaukee will probably send him a few players this weekend. Must mean that a few guys won't be making the trip to Texas, but I haven't seen anything in the transactions yet. And forgive me for not changing the poll question on the front page of the site more often. With so few home games early in the season, I'm having a hard time thinking up quality questions. Recent user comments Jason B writes... so, i thought i'd use you as a forum to ask a question that is killing me. Do you know of any place in Milwaukee that offers a bubble hockey game? If you don't know what bubble hockey is, it's sometimes called dome hockey or super chexx. it's like a combination of fooseball and airhockey...kinda. Possibly at the Gurnee Mills shopping mall in the arcade next to the hockey rink. Possibly. It's a big arcade, and something tells me they have it, but you'll want to call ahead before going. I don't get around to all the hangout spots in Milwaukee too often, as I live near Kenosha, so there may be someplace closer. Anyone out there know where Jason can get his bubble hockey fix?!? Let me know. If you go to Gurnee Mills (45-60 minutes south of Milwaukee), park on the west side of the mall to get to the arcade quickly. It's a long walk from one end of the mall to the other. I haven't played one of those games since visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000, but I remember hearing of a tournament a few years ago, sponsored by Molson if I recall. A few of those machines would be a great addition to the BC concourse area, IMO. Hamilton kills Nashville December 2, 2006 Further evidence that the New York Islanders are managed by morons. Many look at the offseason GM hiring/firing of Neil Smith followed by the promotion of backup goaltender Garth Snow to the GM post as example #1. Example #2 - the 15 year contract offered to unproven goaltender Rick DiPietro. Example #3 has now surfaced - they let Jeff Hamilton slip away... twice. Hamilton lit up the AHL for four seasons. As an undrafted graduate of Yale, he was signed in 2002 by the Islanders and played two seasons for them in Bridgeport. In 2003-04, he found the back of the net 43 times, tops in the league that year. Yet, he only suited up to play with the Islanders once in those two seasons. The following season he signs with Hartford and continued to impress (52 points in 60 games). A year ago, New York signed him again, and gave him 13 games to play at the NHL level, where he logged 2 goals and 6 assists (in undoubtedly 3rd/4th line situations). They chose to pass on him again after last season. The Blackhawks invited him to camp, and he earned a contract and a deserved full-time NHL roster spot. And because I get Chicago games on my cable system, I've seen plenty of that team to see his progress. After tonight's game against Nashville, he sits at 6 goals and 7 assists in 22 games. And about that Predators game... I'm a Chris Mason fan. But one thing I hated during his time in Milwaukee was his tendancy to give up goals in the first or last minute of the period. Crucial momentum building/killing moments of the game, when the top lines are usually on the ice. Tonight, he gave up the first goal (by Hamilton from a sharp angle) 30 seconds into the contest. Fast forward to the end of the 3rd period with Nashville clinging to a 3-2 lead, Hamilton tied it up with about 30 seconds remaining. Fifty-nine seconds into the overtime, Hamilton completes the hat trick. I don't have the numbers to know if this trend has been the case during his time with the Predators, or if tonight was just a fluke, but it sure brought back thoughts of his time in Milwaukee. Recent user comments Mike writes... There have been some "rumblings" on the Admirals Crew message boards lately that the Admirals might eventually move across the street to the U.S. Cellular Arena. I would assume that the logic behind this move would be to actually get some money from concession sales and other revenue (which currently goes to the Bucks at the BC). Have you heard anything about this? What would you think of this move? I realize that it might be a little more of an intimate atmosphere for the Ads' typically smaller crowds, but I love the Bradley Center and think it is a first-class facility for watching hockey. So, personally, I hope this does NOT happen. What are your thoughts? I haven't read that board in awhile, so forgive me if I just rehash what's already been said there. Here's what I know: Before the team was sold to the group led by Harris Turer, it was stated that the team would remain in the BC. Phil Wittliff was quoted on that a few times in the Journal Sentinel. Here's what I've heard: The Arena no longer has the equipment to make/maintain a rink. Beyond that, I'm sure there are more factors behind where the team plays, but those are questions best suited for Mr. Turer and Mr. Greenberg. Both men are fairly approachable at games, but I choose not to bother them with what's on my mind. Maybe they'll give you an honest answer. My thoughts? Mixed. I too like the aspect of watching games at the BC. Great site lines, great lighting, several video screens, decent accoustics. Of course, accoustics don't matter too much with the silent crowds we've had lately (a few Ws would help). I would certainly follow the team across the street if it comes to that, but I'm not sure if the pros would outweigh the cons. Attendance would likely dip, as many casual fans who enjoy the BC experience may not be fulfilled by the cozier, but less attractive atmosphere at the Arena. Case in point, the Milwaukee (indoor soccer) Wave's attendance is now about half of what it had been prior to their move to the Arena. The biggest factor for the Admirals on a possible move is whether the extra concession revenue would offset the likely dip in ticket sales. But the Bucks have the Bradley Center by the balls (with both hands), and are getting their way by receiving revenue at all events held at the building year-round. All in the name of spending $61 million per year (and growing with each season) on player salaries. Eight Bucks make more than $2.5 million this year, with over $13 million going to Michael Redd. That's a whole lot of overpriced food to sell. Myself, I've decided against contributing to that fund this year (only one soda at the home opener). bryan/chicago ads fan writes... its about time the admirals got some help at goaltending. the tandom of reid and goehring was not very strong, when michael leighton gets sent down he will make the team better IF Leighton gets sent down. He would have to clear waivers, and since Anaheim is still paying half of his salary, they may want to reclaim him. And trusting that the radio play-by-play of Aaron Sims is a true indication, Goehring has been playing his best hockey of the season on this road trip. His numbers reflect that, but we'll see if he can keep it up for the long haul (or until Pekka Rinne is healthy).