Milwaukeehockey.com

New car, caviar, 4 star daydream.. think Ill buy me a hockey team

May 31, 2007

A few people have asked me my opinions of a huge news story I haven't touched on yet. The sale of the Predators to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie.

Part of me is disinterested. I know I shouldn't be. Something like this can cause shock waves to our part of the hockey universe and affect the future of the Admirals. Still, I've only casually followed the story.

For those of you who haven't heard much about it... here's the story in a nutshell:
- Original Predators owner Craig Leipold, a Racine businessman who married into the wealthy S.C. Johnson family is selling the team to Balsillie for $220 million, pending league approval.
- Leipold cited overall losses of $70 million as his reason for selling. Take away what he originally paid for the franchise, and he is making about a $50 million profit from selling the team now.
- Balsillie tried to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season, with thoughts of moving the team to Ontario... Kitchener and Hamilton were possible destinations.
- Balsillie recently told NHL commissioner Gary Bettman that he would not move the Predators, although published reports of him renewing talks with city officials in Hamilton surfaced this week.
- Due to a clause in their arena lease, the Predators can get out of their lease early and move if they manage two consecutive seasons with an average attendance less than 14,000. Because of the lockout season, there are arguments stemming over what 'consecutive' means. City officials claim the team cannot exercise that clause until after the 2008-09 season.

My thoughts on Leipold... I don't blame him for selling. I wouldn't want to lose that much money when the market is ripe to make a decent profit on his investment. Perhaps he could have sold the franchise for more money in a few years. Perhaps not.

My thoughts on Balsillie... he comes across as being a tool. As a longtime Penguins fan, I followed the story of him trying to buy the team from Mario Lemieux. He backed out of a deal to buy the Pens at the last minute, leaving Lemieux scrambling to form a plan B. Lemieux was so upset, he refused to refund Balsillie's multi-million dollar deposit on the sale.

My thoughts on whether the Preds should move or stay... Honestly, it doesn't matter to me personally. I know there are several Nashville fans who read my site who aren't happy about reading this, but it's how I feel. If they stay in Nashville... good for fans in Tennessee. If they move to Canada... good for fans in Ontario. Either way, they will have Balsillie as an owner... I'm more concerned aboot how and if he'll continue to work with the Admirals, regardless of where the Predators end up.

On to lighter news, congratulations are in order for a couple of guys.
- Future Admiral Cody Franson and his Vancouver Giants mildly upset the world of junior hockey by winning the Memorial Cup on their home ice. The annual CHL Memorial Cup championship tournament pits the three league champs (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) along with the team of the host city. The Giants weren't slouches though, as they were the runner-up in the WHL tournament held earlier this month.
- Former Admiral tough guy Ryan Tobler's Colorado Eagles won the CHL title for the second time in three seasons. He has been a fan favorite in Loveland, CO, for the past four seasons.

The AHL announced the divisional format and schedule matrix this week. The West Division will have eight teams - Milwaukee, Rockford, Quad City, Peoria, Iowa, Houston, San Antonio, and Chicago. 60 of Milwaukee's 80 games will be played in the division (10 games against Rockford and Chicago, 8 against each of the other five teams). The remaining 20 games will be against four of the six North Division teams and two Eastern Conference teams. The Admirals will not play Rochester or Lake Erie (the new Cleveland team), and will see Manchester and Providence. The schedule will be released, as usual, in late August or early September.

It's about what I expected with the matrix as far as the division goes, however I'm disappointed not to see Lake Erie included, as that's a road trip I've taken in the past to catch an Admirals road game near my father's western Pennsylvania home. I am encouraged by seeing two Eastern Conference teams find their way to our building. Ideally I would like to see a few more (4 or 5 a year on a rotating basis), but I'll try to be content for now.

And in transaction news... Mark Matheson has signed a deal with Nashville that will have him playing in Milwaukee next season. He ended the season on an amateur contract with Milwaukee. In college (UMass), he played both defense and forward, but will likely be used as a defenseman with the Admirals.

If you're out at the Milwaukee Mile for the IRL race this weekend, look for me in the infield or walking along souvenir alley behind the grandstands. I'll be wearing a blue IndyCar hat. I usually see a handful of familiar faces from Admirals games at the big races. Let's hope the weather cooperates.

posted by Todd # 8:43 PM 0 Comments

Oh what a night!

May 25, 2007

The Rockford Icehogs - 2007 UHL Champions.

And I saw the deciding game 7 last night in Rockford. The third time in my life I've witnessed a pro hockey Cup winning moment (along with Chicago in 1998 and Hershey in 2006).

After realizing a game seven would happen after Rockford's loss Tuesday night in Kalamazoo, I went online and bought tickets for last night's guaranteed Cup-hoisting game.

As the Admirals UHL affiliate, I naturally was there to support the Hogs, but would not have been devastated if the Wings would have pulled it off. I was simply there to see a pretty cool hockey moment.

Rockford dressed 13 of their 15 former Admirals, but unfortunately, not Paul Brown (pictured with the Cup). Kalamazoo had one former Admiral (Kory Karlander 1997-98).

A decent (but not sold out) crowd of over 6200 loud and proud fans were on hand hoping to celebrate after the final horn. I'm guessing there were at least 200 fans from Michigan cheering on their Wings.

I was disappointed that there was not any Colonial Cup merchandise on sale. You would think with strong buying power of the Icehogs fan base, a t-shirt commemorating the final series would have made some money. And I was surprised (but not upset) that the supply of rally towels being handed out at the turnstile ran out after about two minutes.

The game itself was good by UHL standards... and despite what was on the line, there were plenty of hard hits. Neither team created many stellar scoring chances, but it was still an exciting game to watch.

The Hogs struck first less than three minutes into the game as playoff MVP Kevin Ulanski connected on a shorthanded breakaway, beating rookie netminder Ryan Nie. The Wings power play unit tied it up in the middle of the first, but I didn't see exactly what happened as several fans in front of me stood up as the puck bounced around in front of goaltender Frederic Cloutier. No jumbotron... no replay.

Jason Notermann put the Hogs up for good in the second, and that led to a frustrating to watch third period... just as the Admirals were guilty of all season... playing prevent defense with a one goal lead... seldom sending more than two players into the offensive zone. The tension broke as Nicolas Corbeil sent the anxious crowd into a frenzy by scoring with 1:33 left in regulation. Final score... Rockford 3 - Kalamazoo 1.

After the final horn, the textbook player mob celebration... never gets old. Chaz Johnson did some sort of dance move at center ice, as his teammates exchanged high fives and hugs followed by the postgame handshake. The league commissioner spoke for a few moments and handed out the MVP award to Ulanski and the Colonial Cup to team captain Nathan Lutz. Girlfriends, wives, family, and friends joined the team on the ice as the Cup was passed around. Fans in the arena were overjoyed.

As I exited the building a good half hour after the final horn, we were treated to fireworks and the sounds of car horns echoing throughout the main parking structure. Good times... but my time as a Rockford 'fan' ended as I left the downtown area, as the Icehog's AHL Era begins now.

I wish the Icehogs good fortune (towards longevity, not on-ice success) in the AHL, however, I hope their fans also 'upgrade' from the UHL to the AHL. It was quite embarrassing to see hundreds of fans throw a fit anytime an Icehog player lost an edge or was (legally) checked out of the play... pleading for penalties and insulting the ref... (or 'refs' as I heard fans say several times that night).

Yes, officials do miss things from time to time... and it's acceptable to give the referee grief when it's warranted, but the crew I saw last night did a decent job (referee John Searle and linesmen Peter Cichy and Al Stensland). The crowd has reacted the same in every game I've ever attended in Rockford.

Still... congratulations Icehog fans. Soak it up and enjoy this time. It may be a while until you can recapture that feeling again, as the odds are against you in a 29/30 team league.

posted by Todd # 4:18 PM 1 Comments

Turn and face the strain...

May 16, 2007

Minor league hockey in the summertime can be summed up by one word. Changes.

Roster changes, logo changes, affiliation changes, league changes, city changes. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

News broke this week of the Omaha Knights possibly moving to Moline, IL, current home of the UHL's Quad Cities Mallards. QC has had close calls in recent years to get AHL hockey. San Jose was interested two years ago, but chose Worcester instead, and Edmonton expressed interest in moving their dormant AHL franchise there last year.

FYI - 'Quad Cities' is the name of the urban region, including the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, and the Illinois cities of Moline, Rock Island, and East Moline. (Yes, five cities... Bettendorf did not grow until after the phrase was coined.) The hockey arena is in Moline along the banks of the Mississippi River.

The news isn't official, as nobody involved is willing to confirm or deny it, but there are strong signs. Omaha is co-owned and affiliated by the Calgary Flames. Calgary GM Darryl Sutter and other Flames employees were seen in Moline this week, and Omaha's attendance has been among the worst in the league. Anonymous sources broke the story to the local media. We'll have to wait and see how this pans out.

Other recent team news...
- The Hartford Wolf Pack appear to be back for another season, as the city appears to be ironing out the final details on a new arena contract with MSG, who owns the Wolf Pack. The future of the team has been hinging on this deal, which has been up in the air for the last few months.
- The Lowell Devils may be moving to Trenton, home of an ECHL team that would make the step up to the AHL. This would place the New Jersey prospects closer to their NHL home. The web address trentondevils.com currently forwards people to the Trenton Titans ECHL site.

Back to the Omaha/Quad Cities story... This is nothing but positive news for the Milwaukee Admirals. Along with the addition of the Rockford Icehogs (Quad Cities' biggest UHL rival), the division is becoming much more cozier and brings the travel costs down, as Moline and Rockford are close enough to Milwaukee to warrant a drive home after the game instead of getting hotel rooms.

Granted, any time a team moves, the fans (and employees) of the team that moved get the short end of the stick, and I mean no disrespect to them. I met a group of very nice Knights fans in Milwaukee last fall. To them, I express my condolences.

Oh by the way, I updated the Players page to reflect how the roster will change this summer. I will update the charts as I hear news in the coming months.

posted by Todd # 1:22 PM 0 Comments

Happy Mother's Day

May 13, 2007

Let's hope all of those Hockey moms out there enjoy their special day today. Most every pro hockey player has a mom who took her kids to countless practices and weekend games... in many cases not hearing the thanks that she deserves. They are a glue that keeps this sport alive. If you know a hockey mom, do something special for her today.

Been a busy work week for me. Still trying to play 'catch-up' with the web site, but couldn't get much done. I should have more free time to work on it in the coming week.

In the meantime, I would like to encourage Admiral fans hungry to see some great playoff hockey to consider taking in a game in Rockford, as they are trying to win their first Cup. They are the Admirals affiliate, and I've given them my support for years now. That ends in a week or so, when their UHL era comes to a close, and they begin the transition to the AHL as a divisional rival to the Admirals.

I may even take in a Chicago Wolves game, as they have advanced to the Conference Finals. If they advance to the Finals, it would be a great chance for Admirals fans to see an Eastern Conference team, up close and in person. Too bad we can't do that more often in the regular season.

My brother came up with an observation this week that I gotta agree with. Why is it when you see people out and about in a Detroit Red Wings jersey, that it looks like they are wearing one a few sizes too small? This generally does not pertain to people you see at a game... but rather for the types who call themselves fans, but never go to a game. I'm guessing many of those 'fans' go to the mall and try one on as if they are buying a t-shirt. I had a boss who was a Detroit 'fan'... never saw him in a jersey, but I don't think they make them in his 'Jabba the Hutt' size.

And this reminds me, next season, the new Rbk performance jersey will be used in the NHL and AHL. Expect a steep price increase to buy the new type of jersey, so if you want a jersey of your favorite team, get one soon before the convential style sells out.

posted by Todd # 9:49 AM 0 Comments

Adventures in blogging software

May 9, 2007

Without getting too redundant with the temporary welcome message I posted on top of this page, welcome to the first entry of the Editorial in it's new blog format.

I was content with the old format, where I simply modified a web page with my thoughts... but I decided to go this route to allow for an XML feed and a little more interactivity with you, the readers.

I will admit, I'm not a web design expert. I know enough to set up a general site and load it up with stuff to look at. But getting into more technical stuff like database management and script editing is just a little beyond my grasp.

And not that I didn't try. I read a few web sites with their recommendations, and went about installing WordPress onto my site. Things were going well until I royally screwed something up that required editing the database. WordPress' support forums tell me I had to install phpMyAdmin to fix my mistake. My patience ran thin with trying to set that program up, so I decided to scrap the whole WordPress experiment and look for something a little more idiot-proof.

The blogger.com service, owned by Google, turned out to be my choice. Flexible enough to give things my own look, but easy enough to do much of the hard stuff for me. The 'Power Blogger' icon at the bottom of the page has to stay, per terms of using the blog. I don't like nuisances like that on my site, but I'll try my best to not let it get under my skin.

By all means, let me know if something here just doesn't work.

And for those who read my last entry... two weeks is still not quite long enough, but as you can see, I'm ready to start getting my head back into 'hockey mode' and do the necessary updates that I've let slide. And yes, that means a few batches of pictures... just give me time to finish setting up this new editorial.

posted by Todd # 8:08 PM 1 Comments

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