AHL Milwaukee Admirals

Admirals just play one game this week

October 17, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release


WEEK IN REVIEW...The Admirals fell to 0-3 on the season after dropping games to the Manitoba Moose and Cleveland Barons last week. Former Admiral Goalie and 2004 Playoff MVP Wade Flaherty shut down the Admirals in the team's home opener on Friday night at the Bradley Center as the Moose won 1-0. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the team in home openers. On Saturday the Admirals fell behind 3-0 before getting goals from Scottie Upshall and Brandon Segal to pull with-in a goal at 3-2, but the Barons scored an empty netter to put the game out of reach.

THIS WEEK...Milwaukee will make their first ever trip to the Wells Fargo Arena on Friday when they travel to Des Moines, IA to take on the Iowa Stars. Playing in their first ever season, the Stars picked up their first win in four tries with a 7-2 win over San Antonio on Sunday. The game vs. Iowa is the Ads loan tilt this week.

SLOW STARTS...For just the fourth time in franchise history the Admirals are winless after their first three games. The last time the team was 0-3 was in 2001-02, their first season in the AHL. That year the Ads lost their first four games before beating Cleveland 4-3 in overtime. The team's worst start ever occurred back in 1977-78 when they went six games (0-3-3) without picking up a victory.

WELCOME BACK...The Admirals currently have 13 players who spent significant time with the team in 04-05. Those players include forwards Paul Brown, Darren Haydar, Jerred Smithson, Scottie Upshall, Brandon Segal, Libor Pivko, Vern Fiddler, Jeremy Yablonski, Jordin Tootoo, and Timofei Shishkanov, defensemen Kevin Klein and Greg Zanon and goaltender Brian Finley.

WELCOME BACK, TAKE II...Greg Classen returns to Milwaukee after spending last season playing for Assat Port in Finland. The Aylsham, Sask. native played in the Nashville organization from 1999 to 2004 and helped the Ads capture the Calder Cup in 2004, posting 48 points (20g-28a) and 95 penalty minutes in 68 regular season games. In 2001-02 Classen played in a career high 55 games for the Predators, scoring 11 points (5g-6a) to go along with 30 PIMs. Overall he has scored 117 points (46g-71a) in 182 games with the Admirals and is the last player in the previous three seasons left over from Milwaukee's days in the International Hockey League.

LOOKING UP...Milwaukee forward Scottie Upshall has the early scoring lead for the team, posting four points (1g-3a) in the team's first three games. The 6th overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Upshall netted 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points in 62 games for the Ads last season.

OVER FROM THE DARK SIDE...New to the Milwaukee roster this season is Sheldon Brookbank, who signed with Nashville in the off-season after playing 209 games over the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Griffins. The 6-2, 200-lb blueliner helped the Ducks top the Admirals in seven games in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs last season, one year after he was part of the Cincinnati squad that stretched the Admirals to seven games in the first round of the 2004 playoffs.

LEADER OF THE PACK...Head Coach Claude Noel returns for his third season behind the Admirals' bench. The Kirkland, ONT native has led the Admirals to back-to-back 100-point seasons for the first time in franchise history. Also back for Milwaukee is Assistant Coach Todd Richards. Richards returns for his fourth season with the club after serving as an assistant under Peter Horachek in 02-03.

STARTING WELL...Milwaukee Admirals rookie goaltender Pekka Rinne made the first two starts of his professional career this past weekend. While the Kempele, Finland native lost both games, he performed well, allowing four goals in the two contests and stopping 54 of 58 shots thrown his way. Rinne was particularly stellar on Friday night versus Manitoba, allowing only one goal, but taking the loss when Moose Goaltender Wade Flaherty shutout the Ads.

NEW RULES, 05-06...For the second straight season the American Hockey League has implemented significant changes in the rules to help increase scoring and improve the flow of the game. The two-line pass, a pass from the defensive zone across the blue and red lines, will now be legal and the blue lines have been moved four feet towards center ice creating 64-foot attack zones. In addition, the goaltenders equipment will be trimmed, including a one-inch reduction in the width of the leg pads, as well as smaller maximum sizes in the blocking glove, upper-body protector and pants.

PATROLLING THE BLUE LINE...Two young Nashville prospects will help to anchor the Admirals blue line this season. Kevin Klein and Shea Weber were both drafted in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, with Klein going in the 37th slot and Weber following not far behind as the 49th selection. In his rookie season last year, Klein scored four goals and had 12 assists for 16 points in 65 games with the Admirals. Weber begins his first professional season after leading Kelowna to the WHL Championship last year and being selected as the league's playoff MVP.

OVER THE AIR AND ON THE WEB... The Admirals have a new flagship radio station this season in Milwaukee's ESPN Radio 1510 AM (days)/1290 AM (nights). Kyle Schultz is back for his third season as the voice of the Admirals. His descriptions of the games can also be heard live on the internet at www.milwaukeeadmirals.com. Also new this season is a weekly one hour hockey magazine that will air on AM 1290 every Tuesday from 6 pm -7 pm. Kyle Schultz will host the program that will feature interviews with Admirals coaches and players as well as previews of upcoming Admirals games.

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