Admirals to Honor Wittliff Friday
Published on October 11, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
Milwaukee, WI - In recognition of his 30-plus years as a member of the organization, the Milwaukee Admirals will honor recently retired Executive Vice-President/General Manager Phil Wittliff this Friday, October 13th when the Admirals take on the Chicago Wolves at 7:00 pm at the Bradley Center.
All fans in attendance at the game, which has been dubbed "Phil Wittliff Night," will receive a placard commemorating Wittliff's career with the Admirals. There will be a tribute to him during the first intermission that will feature American Hockey League President Dave Andrews, Nashville Predators Executive Vice-President/General Manager David Poile, and Admirals Principal Owner Harris Turer. In addition, Phil Wittliff Jr.'s band, PJ Whitehorse, will entertain fans in the east atrium prior to the game.
Wittliff's 34-year career with the Milwaukee Admirals included almost every possible role in the organization, from player to coach to public relations director. Since ending his fifth stint as head coach on May 8, 1997, Wittliff has focused on his front office duties of executive vice president and general manager.
He was instrumental in the successful efforts to establish the Milwaukee Admirals as the top developmental affiliate of the Nashville (NHL) Predators prior to the 1998-99 season and was at the helm of the organization when the team captured the 2004 Calder Cup Championship, their only league title to date.
As head coach, Wittliff compiled a 378-280-45 (35) regular season record which is tops in team history. He is the only coach in franchise history to take the Admirals to the Turner Cup Finals (1982-83) and he led the club to the playoffs in every season he was behind the bench.
Wittliff began playing for the Admirals in 1972. One of the most prolific scorers in franchise history, Wittliff received many accolades for his accomplishments as a player, including two United States Hockey League scoring championships and USHL Rookie of the Year honors. During four of the seasons he played, he also filled the role of public relations director for the team.
After his retirement as a player in 1977, the University of Notre Dame graduate took an administrative position with the Admirals. Wittliff learned all facets of the hockey business and was promoted to executive vice president and general manager in 1980.
The Admirals became the first IHL team to function as a top NHL affiliate when Wittliff secured the Admirals affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1984. The team would later become the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
A near fatal traffic accident near Tomahawk, Wisconsin in January of 1988 sidelined Wittliff for the remainder of the 1987-88 season. By the following season, however, the Port Huron, Michigan native was back at his duties in the Admirals' front office.
During the 1992-93 season, the Admirals opted to operate independently from an NHL affiliation, and two seasons later Wittliff was once again behind the bench. His final coaching stint included three more winning seasons and three more playoff appearances.
Fans can purchase tickets for Friday, or any other game, by calling Ticketmaster at (414) 276-4545 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Season tickets for the 2006-07 season are on sale now starting at just $135. For more information or to order season tickets fans can call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550.
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