Nashville, Tenn. (May 3, 2023) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the team has extended its affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals through the 2024-25 season.
“We are happy to continue our longstanding and successful partnership with the Milwaukee Admirals for another two seasons,” Poile said. “We say all the time that the road to Nashville goes through Milwaukee, and that couldn’t have been more true this season. The winning culture and tradition that has been cultivated in Milwaukee for so many years – led by Harris Turer and his ownership group; President Jon Greenberg and his front office staff; and GM Scott Nichol and Head Coach Karl Taylor – has resulted in a professional, high-level environment for our players in the system that we are able to reap the benefits from. With our two organizations working together, we are positive that this partnership will continue to be valuable for both of our teams and passionate fans.”
The Predators and Admirals have functioned as affiliates since Nashville’s inaugural season in 1998-99, with 172 players appearing in at least one game for both teams. Additionally, eight of Milwaukee’s head or assistant coaches have graduated to the NHL level, including current Predators Assistant Coach Todd Richards, who served in the same role with the Admirals from 2002-06.
Many of Nashville’s current core players previously spent time in Milwaukee, led by All-Star goaltender Juuse Saros and six of the Predators’ top-10 point scorers in 2022-23. Saros, a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2021-22, earned a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 and a nod to the AHL All-Star Classic in 2016-17; Captain Roman Josi suited up in 74 games for the Admirals from 2010-12; Filip Forsberg, Nashville’s all-time leading goal scorer, played his first full season in North America with Milwaukee in 2013-14; Colton Sissons captained the Admirals in 2015-16; and young talents such as Tommy Novak, Cody Glass and Juuso Parssinen have all gone through Milwaukee on their paths to the NHL.
Further showcasing the organization’s depth, a total of 15 players appeared in a game for both Nashville and Milwaukee in 2022-23: Forwards Egor Afanasyev; Luke Evangelista, Mark Jankowski, John Leonard, Michael McCarron, Novak, Parssinen, Zach Sanford, Kiefer Sherwood and Philip Tomasino; defensemen Kevin Gravel, Jordan Gross, Roland McKeown and Spencer Stastney; and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
The Admirals reached the Calder Cup Playoffs for the 17th time in their AHL history this season after finishing second in the Central Division with a 41-24-5-2 record (89 points). In addition to the 15 players on NHL contracts who helped Taylor’s squad reach the playoffs, several others signed, drafted or acquired by Nashville saw game action, including forwards Anthony Angello, Jimmy Huntington, Joakim Kemell, Simon Knak, Jachym Kondelik, Navrin Mutter, Markus Nurmi, Isaac Ratcliffe and Austin Rueschhoff; defensemen Marc Del Gaizo and Adam Wilsby; and goaltender Devin Cooley.
A model of consistency in the AHL, Milwaukee has qualified for the postseason in five of the last six seasons it has played and was on track to make it in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the campaign, winning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as regular-season champions. Prior to 2014-15, the Admirals made the playoffs in 12 consecutive seasons, winning the Calder Cup in 2004 and reaching the final in 2006.
