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Tell us general, is it party time?

August 29, 2007

If it is can we all come
Don't think that we don't know
Don't think that we're not trying
Don't think we move too slow
It's no use after crying
Saying
It's a mistake, it's a mistake
It's a mistake, it's a mistake
~ Men at Work

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

I haven't posted anything in awhile, because quite frankly, there isn't much to write about. That will soon change, as NHL training camps open in about two weeks, with AHL camps beginning soon afterwards.

There are a few items I've come across in the past few weeks to share.

On Time Warner Sports (cable channel 32), Admirals owner Harris Turer and new head coach Lane Lambert were interviewed on Dennis Krause's talk show a few weeks ago. I missed the first few minutes, but I still enjoyed the bulk of the show.

Krause alternated questions between the two, with Turer promoting the entertainment value of going to an Admirals game, while Lambert gave us an idea of what kind of coach he'll be.

No surprises from Turer. He came across just as you'd imagine... enthusiastically promoting the upcoming season. Krause brought up the future of a new arena someday replacing the Bradley Center and the uncertain future of the Bucks, with Turer denying he'd be interested in any ownership of the Bucks, and was hopeful that the Admirals would be included in any plans for a new arena.

Turer also explained how the overall entertainment dollar in the Milwaukee area is limited, and the team is looking at attracting people from outside the immediate Milwaukee area to come to games. Having televised games on channel 32 all along the eastern part of the state doesn't hurt.

Watching Lambert speak was more interesting for me, as I'm curious to see how he'll fare as our next coach. It was refreshing to hear him say that he will not copy the style of previous head coach Claude Noel. He expressed a desire to open up the game more to increase scoring.

Lambert also described how he is an 'in-your-face' coach when dealing with his players. His decision to hire Brad Lauer as his assistant was made to provide a balance, as Lauer is more of a behind-the-scenes counselling type of coach. The theory is having that contrast will make it easier to get the most out of the players, as some guys respond to one approach better than the other.

I came away from watching that show impressed by Lane Lambert and confident in Harris Turer's continued commitment to the team.

I also caught part of a segment on a Milwaukee newscast about a new Admirals theme song we'll hear at the BC this season. A guy dressed like a pirate sings a song that goes something like "Yo ho ho, shot and a goal!". Seemed like something out of a children's TV show, which may be exactly the plan... another way to entertain kids so that families make a return trip for another game.

The part of the song I heard wasn't as putrid as "Jump on it", "Put Your Hands Up in the Air", or "YMCA", but I guarantee I'll be tired of hearing it by the second or third game of the season.

posted by Todd # 12:26 PM 0 Comments

Road Trippin'

August 7, 2007

Road trippin' with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
It's time to leave this town
It's time to steal away
Let's go get lost
Anywhere in the U.S.A.
~ Red Hot Chili Peppers

The schedule for this season has finally been released, and that means the diehard fans can now begin scheduling their lives around this calendar.

Family vacations, weddings, parties, dentist appointments, etc. (Hey, it's not fun going to a game with a mouth full of novacaine). We now know what days and weeks are good for that stuff... at least for now. All it would take is for a Cyndi Lauper tour to ask the BC to play on a particular night to find the Admirals forced to reschedule a game. We, as fans, can't control that, so we can only pray that when we make plans around the current schedule, that it stays that way.

So, let's break down the upcoming season.

The Admirals will play 60 their 80 games within a cozier division. With the addition of nearby Rockford, IL, and the relocation of Omaha to Moline, IL (Quad City), the Admirals will be closer to home much more often.

In the division, Milwaukee will play 10 games (5 home, 5 away) against Chicago and Rockford, and 8 games against the rest (Quad City, Peoria, Iowa, Houston, San Antonio).

Against the North division, the Admirals face Grand Rapids 8 times, Manitoba 4 times, and Toronto and Hamilton twice each. They will not play against three Western Conference teams - Rochester, Syracuse, and the new team in Cleveland (Lake Erie Monsters).

The only Eastern Conference teams on the Admirals schedule are Providence and Manchester. The Monarchs make their Bradley Center debut on January 18. The Admirals play in Manchester for the first time on February 5.

Of course, I need to insert my yearly bitchin' and complainin' about the fact the AHL coddles the New England teams by limiting the number of inter-conference games. Without looking it up, I think the only time Lowell ever left the Eastern time zone was to play in St. John's (1998-2005). The league continues to ignore the fans who have asked for more crossover.

The negative effect of the unbalanced schedule on the Admirals is less this year than in the past, as we will see an extra rival, which spreads out the heavy part of the schedule. Instead of watching the same teams 6-7 times a year, it's now down to 4-5. Still, I'd like to see a few more Eastern teams each year.

Notable road trips
- November 9-10, both nights at Manitoba
- November 23-30, fly to Texas, Houston to San Antonio, back to Houston, back to San Antonio, finishing it off in Quad City
- December 8-9, mingle with the hosers on a weekend trip to Hamilton and Toronto
- February 5-6, try the clam chowda in Manchester and Providence
- April 2-4, two games in San Antonio, enjoy the River Walk on the 3rd
- April 12-13, finish the season in Houston

Other nuggets
- The first ten games of the season alternate home and away.
- The team doesn't leave the upper midwest for two long stints: Dec. 10 - Feb. 4 and Feb. 7 - Apr. 1.
- For now, there are no early afternoon games. 7pm on weekdays, 7:30 on Saturdays, and 4pm on Sundays.
- 8 of the 12 games in March are at home, including a 6 game home stand
- The year's shortest month features the most games... 16 in February
- The Admirals play in Rockford for the first time on Dec. 22, while the IceHogs make their formal debut on BC ice on Jan. 12... although you can argue that the Admirals were practically the IceHogs for several games in the past few seasons due to many callups.
- Quad City comes to Milwaukee for the first time on Oct. 12 (home opener), while the Admirals travel to Moline for the first time on Oct. 26.
- No games on Halloween or St. Patrick's Day, but the Admirals get to give the Wolves a heart-shaped butt-whoopin' on Valentine's Day.
- New Year's Eve in Rockford. That might be fun. Or not. At least it's close enough to get back home by midnight (if you hurry).

Well, off you go... update your day planners.

posted by Todd # 12:07 PM 1 Comments

It's been a long time

August 1, 2007

It's been a long time since I rock and rolled,
It's been a long time since I did the Stroll.
Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back,
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from.
It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has.
~ Led Zeppelin (Rock & Roll)

I feel like an athlete who has gotten out of 'game shape' in the offseason and struggles to gather it all together as training camp approaches. With many obligations and distractions, coupled with the natural lull in the offseason, pushed me out of the hockey loop for awhile. But now August is here, and I'm going to get caught up. At least I'll try.

The Admirals lost a member of the family a few weeks ago. Team founder Warren Fansher, known as "Auk" by those who knew him passed away a few weeks ago after a long battle with heart problems. After selling the team after it's first season, he remained connected with the team and sat in the press area at Admirals home games.

I had a few conversations with him over the last few years, at first not realizing who he was. But I wish I would've taken more time to get to know him. A genuinely nice guy who knew more about hockey than I ever will.

Bill Johnson wrote a great piece on Fansher for onmilwaukee.com. Read it before it goes offline.

The Admirals coaching staff is in place after Nashville hired Brad Lauer to be the assistant in Milwaukee under Lane Lambert. Lauer and Lambert were teammates in Cleveland for two seasons ('96-98). Lauer is a familiar name to Admiral fans from the '90s. After his time in the NHL decreased after the 80's, he became an IHL journeyman with Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Cleveland, and Utah. He scored 53 goals in 67 games with Indy in 1992-93. He scored 51 goals in 357 NHL games (including playoffs) with the Islanders, Blackhawks, Senators, and Penguins.

Lauer brings with him five years of coaching experience as an assistant with Canadian junior hockey's Kootenay Ice.

In player news, Kim Staal has signed to play in Sweden. One of my preseason favorites a year ago, his season in Milwaukee didn't go too well, so it's no surprise he has returned to Europe.

Edmonton signed T.J. Reynolds. Assuming he is placed on their AHL squad, he will be playing close to his hometown (Kitchener) with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Good luck to both of those guys.

Nashville signed a pair of 2007 draft picks. Sweden's Andreas Thuresson, a forward who will turn 20 this fall and 21 year old defenseman Robert Dietrich from Germany.

Kevin Klein also re-signed with the Predators, but it is unlikely he will appear in Milwaukee. He is expected to crack the Nashville roster, but even if he stinks it up in camp, he would have to clear waivers to come back to the Admirals... and you can bet another NHL team would pick him up.

Here's how the Admirals roster is shaping up, mind you it's only August and this is only my guess.
Goaltenders
Dan Ellis and Dov Grumet-Morris
Defenseman
Alex Henry, Nolan Yonkman, Mark Matheson, Robert Dietrich, Cody Franson, Janne Niskala, Richard Stehlik, and Alexander Sulzer
Forwards
Rich Peverley, Cal O'Reilly, John Vigilante, Kelsey Wilson, Ryan Maki, Shane Willis, Matt Ellison, Antti Pihlstrom, Mike Santorelli, Oliver Setzinger, and Andreas Thuresson.

That's 21 players, but the team can only carry 19 healthy players into the season. We'll certainly have a better idea in about 8 weeks.

One last note... the AHL schedule should be released before next week. I'll throw together a new calendar for the site soon after it's announced.

posted by Todd # 11:58 AM 0 Comments

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