Milwaukee Admirals facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milwaukee Admirals |
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| City | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1970 (As an amateur team) |
| Home arena | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena |
| Colors | |
| Owner(s) | Group headed by Harris Turer |
| General manager | Scott Nichol |
| Head coach | Karl Taylor |
| Captain | Kevin Gravel |
| Media | WVTV-DT2 "My 24" The Big 920 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel AHL.TV (Internet) |
| Affiliates | Nashville Predators (NHL) Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1970 | Milwaukee Wings |
| 1970–present | Milwaukee Admirals |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 AHL (2003–04, 2019–20) |
| Division Championships | 1 USHL (1976–77) 4 IHL (1982–83, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96) 7 AHL (2003–04, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2023–24) |
| Conference Championships | 2 (2003–04),(2005–06) |
| Calder Cups | 1 (2003–04) |
| Playoff championships | 1 USHL title (1975–76) |
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are the top team linked to the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Nashville Predators.
The team started playing in 1970. They were first an amateur team called the Milwaukee Wings. After their first season, they changed their name to the Admirals. They played on their own until 1973, when they joined the United States Hockey League (USHL). In 1977, the Admirals moved to the International Hockey League (IHL) when the USHL became a league for younger players. When the IHL closed down in 2001, the Admirals joined the AHL.
Contents
The Admirals' Journey: A Hockey History
Early Days as an Amateur Team
The Admirals first played ice hockey in the winter of 1970. They were an amateur club known as the Milwaukee Wings. Their first game was on January 25, when the Madison All-Stars beat them 17–7. Five days later, they won their first game, defeating the Milwaukee Winter Club 10–8. They finished that first season with 8 wins and 7 losses.
The next year, the team was sold to a group of investors. One of the investors, Erwin J. Merar, owned an appliance store. The team was renamed the "Admirals" after a brand of home appliances sold in Merar's store.
Joining the United States Hockey League
For the 1973–74 season, the Admirals joined the United States Hockey League (USHL). Their first season in a league was not very good. They finished last in their division, winning only 11 games, losing 35, and tying two.
The Admirals won the USHL league championship in 1976. They won seven games in a row in the league's playoffs. After that season, former Chicago Blackhawks announcer Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley Pettit, bought the team.
Time in the International Hockey League
For the 1977–78 season, the Admirals joined the International Hockey League (IHL). This happened because the USHL was changing to a league only for amateur players. The Admirals reached the IHL's Turner Cup finals only once, in 1983. They lost to Toledo in six games.
Success in the American Hockey League
In 2001, the IHL stopped operating. The Admirals, along with five other IHL teams, joined the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was allowed to keep its name even though another team, the Norfolk Admirals, was already in the AHL. This was because Milwaukee had used the name since 1970, long before the Norfolk team started.
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The Admirals won their first Calder Cup in 2004. They beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the finals. Before the finals, Milwaukee won a tough seven-game series against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Then, the Admirals defeated the Chicago Wolves in six games to reach the conference finals. Next, they beat the Rochester Americans four games to one. Milwaukee then swept the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to win the Calder Cup. They won each series needing one fewer game than the last.
In June 2005, a group of investors bought the Admirals. This group was led by Harris J. Turer. It also included Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and other sports figures. The Brewers then became the only uniform sponsor for the Admirals. The Admirals now wear a Brewers logo patch on their jerseys.
The Admirals won their second division title in the AHL in 2006. They secured the title on the last day of their season by winning against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
In the 2006 Calder Cup playoffs, Milwaukee won a close seven-game series against the Iowa Stars. They then swept both the Houston Aeros and Grand Rapids Griffins. This sent them to their second Calder Cup final series. However, the Admirals lost in six games to the Hershey Bears.
On August 1, 2006, the Admirals showed off a new logo and changed their team colors. They went from red and blue to black, white, and light blue. They used this logo until 2015. In 2015, the Admirals revealed another new logo. It kept the light blue color from 2006 but changed black to navy blue. The skeleton design was also kept. The hat on the skeleton's head was a nod to the Admirals logos used from 1976 to 1997. This new logo was very popular. It was named SportsLogos.net's 2015 Best New Primary Logo of the Year.
On March 16, 2016, the Admirals' owner, Harris Turer, announced a 10-year contract. This contract brought the Admirals back to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena for the 2016-17 AHL season. This deal also included a $6.4 million investment to improve the arena. The Admirals contributed two million dollars, and the rest came from the Wisconsin Center District.
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The team won its second regular season championship in the 2019–20 season. This season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to ongoing rules during the pandemic, the Admirals chose not to play in the 2020–21 AHL season. After the Admirals announced their season was canceled, the team owners said that all their full-time employees would still be paid.
On November 17, 2023, defenseman Luke Prokop made his AHL debut for the Admirals.
During the 2023-24 season, the Admirals set a new team record. They won 19 games in a row. This is also the second-longest winning streak in AHL history as of 2024. The winning streak started on January 5, 2024, and lasted until February 25.
All About the Admirals Team
Where the Admirals Have Played
The Milwaukee Admirals have been part of different hockey leagues over the years:
- 1970–1973: Played independently (not part of a league)
- 1973–1977: Joined the United States Hockey League
- 1977–2001: Played in the International Hockey League
- 2001–present: Currently in the American Hockey League
Their NHL Connection
The Admirals have been the top team linked to the Nashville Predators since that team started in 1998. This means that players who are developing for the Predators often play for the Admirals first.
"I like to say that for our players, the road to Nashville runs through Milwaukee and a look at our roster illustrates this. (T)his is the kind of environment that we want our prospects to develop in."
It's interesting that the baseball teams in these two cities have a reverse connection. The Nashville Sounds baseball team is the top minor league team for the Milwaukee Brewers.
For one season, in 2006–07, the Admirals also had a special agreement with the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers used five different teams in the AHL to help their players. This included the Milwaukee Admirals. This arrangement only lasted one season.
Roscoe: The Team Mascot
In 1998, when the Admirals updated their team look, they created a new mascot named Roscoe. Roscoe is a "sea dog" type of animal. He has bright orange fur and a nose shaped like a hockey puck. He wears a bicorne admiral's hat and an Admirals jersey with the number 98. This number shows the year Roscoe joined the Admirals team.
Sometimes during breaks in the game, Roscoe rides a Zamboni. This Zamboni is made to look like a pirate ship. When Roscoe meets fans, he sometimes takes souvenir hockey pucks from them and balances them on his nose.
In 2014, the Nashville Predators' mascot, Gnash, got hurt. Roscoe was "called up" to the Predators and the NHL. He joined other mascots to entertain fans in Nashville while Gnash got better.
Team Captains
- Neil Meadmore, 1987–88
- Peter Bakovic, 1988–1991
- Gino Cavallini, 1994–1996
- Tony Hrkac, 1996–97
- Jeff Nelson, 1997–1999
- Marc Moro, 1999–2001
- Andy Berenzweig, 2002–03
- Ray Schultz, 2003–04
- Tony Hrkac, 2004–05
- Greg Zanon, 2005–06
- Sheldon Brookbank, 2006–07
- Alex Henry, 2007–08
- Nolan Yonkman, 2008–2010
- Brett Palin, 2010–11
- Scott Ford, 2011–12, 2013–14
- Mike Moore, 2012–13
- Joe Piskula, 2014–15
- Colton Sissons, 2015–16
- Trevor Smith, 2016–2018
- Jarred Tinordi, 2018–2020
- Cole Schneider, 2021–2023
- Kevin Gravel, 2023–present
Retired Numbers
The Milwaukee Admirals honor special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Phil Wittliff | C | 1973–1977 | April 3, 1977 |
| 14 | Fred Berry | C | 1980–1984, 1985–1987 | December 27, 2003 |
| 14 | Mike McNeill | C | 1992–1998 | December 27, 2003 |
| 20 | Darren Haydar | RW | 2002–2006 | February 21, 2020 |
| 26 | Tony Hrkac | C | 1994–1997, 2003–2005 | March 14, 2008 |
| 27 | Danny Lecours | LW | 1975–1984, 1985–1986 | January 4, 1987 |
| 44 | Kevin Willison | D | 1981–1984, 1985–1986 | February 28, 2004 |
| 44 | Gino Cavallini | C | 1993–1996 | February 28, 2004 |
Team Records
Top Single Season Records
These are the best individual player records for one season:
- Goals: Danny Lecours, 75, (1982–83)
- Assists: Dale Yakiwchuk, 100, (1982–83)
- Points: Dale Yakiwchuk, 138, (1982–83)
- Penalty minutes: Don Gibson, 381, (1992–93)
- Goals Against Average (GAA): Connor Ingram, 1.92, (2019–20)
- Save Percentage (SV%): Connor Ingram, .933, (2019–20)
Top Career Records
These are the best individual player records over their entire time with the Admirals:
- Career goals: Danny Lecours, 445
- Career assists: Fred Berry, 379
- Career points: Danny Lecours, 814
- Career penalty minutes: Ken Sabourin, 1233
- Career goaltending wins: Rich Sirois, 119
- Career shutouts: Brian Finley, 11
- Career games: Danny Lecours, 641
