AHL GAME DAY: IceHogs vs. Admirals, Game 1

The Calder Cup Playoffs have arrived in Milwaukee, and the Admirals will open the postseason tonight when they host the Rockford IceHogs in Game 1 of their best-of-five series for a 7 p.m. CT puck drop at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

Nashville’s AHL affiliate will meet Chicago’s AHL club in the Central Division Semifinals after Rockford completed a two-game sweep in its first round of the postseason. Meanwhile, the Admirals have been practicing and preparing for almost two weeks after their Central Division championship delivered a first-round bye.

But now, after a final practice in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the Ads are more than ready to make their run at the Calder Cup.

“They're like a racing horse - they’re in that stable, and they're not allowed to go out,” Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor said of his team. “You’ve got to wait for that race, and it keeps getting delayed. So I'm sure they'll be excited to play it… Rockford has played a couple of games already. Our group, I’ll probably be trying to calm them down. I’m excited for [Game 1].”

Ten different players - forwards Fedor Svechkov, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Kieffer Bellows, Joakim Kemell and Jake Lucchini; defensemen Marc Del Gaizo, Spencer Stastney, Kevin Gravel and Ryan Ufko; plus goaltender Matt Murray - all saw at least one recall to Nashville over the course of the 2024-25 campaign. Now, those players, as well as the rest of the Ads, are eager to show what they’re capable of come playoff time.

“I think just everything this group's been through this year, just with all the injuries [in Nashville] and the call-ups…we have such a deep team,” Del Gaizo said. “I think this might be the deepest team we've ever had here, and we’ve had really good teams here. There's a lot of really good players that may or may not be in the lineup. I think depth is huge this time of year, because it’s physical. Injuries and stuff like that happen, so I think this is probably the deepest team we've had.”

“I'm glad that my season is not done yet, and I feel like I’ve got to help the team for a deep playoff push,” Svechkov said. “I hope we're going to win the [Calder] Cup, but we’ve got to get the first game, and we don't have to look forward that much. Just got to go step by step, and I hope we're going to be in a good spot.”

The Admirals were led by Preds Alternate Captain Ryan O’Reilly’s brother, Cal, who recorded 38 assists and 49 points this season, followed by Lucchini with 21 goals and 45 points. Both Kemell (19g-21a) and Wiesblatt (15g-25a) tallied 40 points apiece for Milwaukee.

In net, Murray led the way with 28 wins and a .932 save percentage in 43 games played during his first season with the Ads. The goaltender recently signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Preds to remain with the organization through 2026-27.

Game 1 of the best-of-five series between the Admirals and IceHogs is set for 7 p.m. CT tonight at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena with Game 2 coming on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT, also in Wisconsin.

Visit MilwaukeeAdmirals.com for more information on how to watch and listen, and stay tuned to NashvillePredators.com for coverage from Milwaukee for Games 1-2.