Admirals, Predators Extend Affiliation for Four Years
March 24, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Admirals Owner and CEO Harris Turer and Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced today that the two clubs have extended their affiliation agreement for four years, taking the long-standing partnership through the 2028-29 season.
"We are thrilled to extend this very successful partnership between our two organizations for another four seasons," said Turer. "Beginning with David Poile and now continuing with Barry and [Nashville Assistant GM and Milwaukee GM] Scott Nichol, the Predators staff is committed to putting a winning team on the ice in Milwaukee while also developing players for the next level. Since I bought the team in 2005, the road to Nashville has truly gone through Milwaukee and we are proud of all the Admirals Alumni who have found success with the Predators."
Since joining forces with the Predators, the Admirals have accumulated a 1058-679-31-111-122 record, good for a .594 points percentage. The Ads have won six Division Titles, two conference crowns and won the Calder Cup Championship in 2004. Milwaukee became the first team in AHL history to record 40 or more wins in 10 straight seasons and since 1998, they have 16 40-win campaigns, including a Western Conference high 47 last year.
In addition, the Ads have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in 22 of the 25 seasons that the playoffs have been conducted, including their spot in 2025 which happened on Sunday afternoon. The Ads have made it to the Western Conference Finals each of the past two seasons, the first time in team history they have done so.
"On behalf of the Predators organization, including our Assistant GM and Milwaukee GM Scott Nichol, we are excited to continue our well-established and prosperous affiliation with the Admirals for another four years," Trotz said. "Under the leadership of Harris Turer and his ownership group and Jon Greenberg and his front office staff, the Admirals have fostered a winning culture with an emphasis on player development on and off the ice, helping our young men become prepared to take the next step at the NHL level. We are proud of our longstanding relationship with Milwaukee - one of the longest affiliations in our sport - and this commitment to the future will create an even stronger bond between our two franchises and fanbases."
Counting this season the Admirals have accumulated the second-most points in the AHL, behind only Hershey, since joining the league in 2001-02 after 24 seasons in the IHL.
The Predators and Admirals have functioned as affiliates since Nashville's inception in 1998-99, the third longest active streak in the AHL, and 215 players have skated for both teams, including 12 during the 2024-25 campaign. Additionally, nine of Milwaukee's head or assistant coaches have graduated to the NHL level, including current Preds Assistant Coach Todd Richards, Columbus Blue Jackets Head Coach Dean Evason and Blue Jackets Assistant Coach Scott Ford and Toronto Maple Leafs Associate Coach Lane Lambert.
Many of Nashville's core franchise players spent time with the Admirals, including Pekka Rinne, the only players in Preds history to have his jersey retired. The three-time Vezina Trophy finalist spent his first three seasons in North America with the Ads from 2005-08, while fellow Finn and perennial Vezina candidate Juuse Saros played 62 games for Milwaukee over parts of three seasons as well. In addition, Nashville Team Captain Roman Josi got his professional start in Milwaukee from 2009-10, while Filip Forsberg, the only player in Predators history to pot 40 goals in a season, had 34 points (15g-19a) for the Ads in 2013-14.
Eight of the 14 players to skate in at least 50 games for Nashville this season also spent time with the Ads including Forsberg, Josi, Saros, Colton Sissons, Michael McCarron, Cole Smith, and Luke Evangelista.
In just the past two seasons an impressive 21 players have traveled the Road to Nashville. Those players include Zach L'Heureux, Fedor Svechkov, Marc Del Gaizo, Adam Wilsby, Nick Blankenburg, Vinny Hinostroza, Denis Gurianov, Jake Lucchini, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Joakim Kemell, Kieffer Bellows, Juuso Parssinen, Phil Tomasino, Mark Jankowski, Liam Foudy, Jordan Gross, Spencer Stastney, Egor Afanasyev, Kevin Gravel, Roland McKeown, and Yaroslav Askarov.
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2025
- Emmitt Finnie Reassigned to Grand Rapids - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Abbotsford Canucks Sign Jackson Kunz to a One Year AHL Contract - Abbotsford Canucks
- Jan Bednar Reassigned to Toledo - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Syracuse Crunch Loan Forward Spencer Kersten to Orlando Solar Bears - Syracuse Crunch
- Kendall Coyne Schofield Bobble Giveaway this Saturday - Rockford IceHogs
- Rangers Recall F Nicolas AubÉ-Kubel from Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Less Than 600 Tickets Remain for this Saturday's "Battle of Ontario" Finale against Toronto - Belleville Senators
- Admirals, Predators Extend Affiliation for Four Years - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wolf Pack Weekend Recap: March 24th, 2025 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Gushchin Named Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week - San Jose Barracuda
- San Jose's Danil Gushchin Named Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Senators Sitting Sixth After Busy Three-In-Three Weekend - Belleville Senators
- Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Forward Cooper Flinton to Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract - Syracuse Crunch
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
