New look Admirals keeping busy

The Milwaukee Admirals have endured an extra long off season for the first time in a while but have used the time to advantage.

The Ads saw a string of 12-straight playoff appearances broken in the spring and have changed a lot in the off season, including its look.

Among the news out of Milwaukee in July was the announcement July 15 the team is changing its primary jersey logo. The team moved away from the fierce looking naval Admiral with the commodore type hat with blue, red and tan as the primary colors to a black, light blue and grey jersey with a smiling skeleton head.

the new logo is more of a head on version of a meaner looking skull.

According to the league website:

The new logo is an evolution of the Admirals last logo and features a more fierce and determined sailor. The sailor is accented by the upper portion of a naval uniform and a hat that was inspired by the one worn by the Admirals “Captain Crunch” logo from the late 70s and early 80s. The hat is adorned with an “A” composed by three bones.

The Admirals secondary mark, dubbed the M&A, is the letters “M” and “A” interwoven in bone script and connected with a hockey stick for the horizontal bar of the “A”.

The primary color of the new look now shifts to navy blue (Pantone 282) with the same Lake Michigan blue (Pantone 292) accents used with the previous logo and a gray outline.

The Admirals new jerseys will both feature the head of the sailor on the front of the with the M&A mark on both of the shoulders. The home sweater will be primarily white with navy blue sleeves, accented by Lake Michigan blue piping and a touch of gray separating the two blues. The road jerseys will be navy blue with Lake Michigan blue sleeves and white accents.

The Ads will continue use of their third jersey from previous seasons that featured the popular full body logo. The only difference is the black in the full body logo is replaced with navy.

Preds add Reinhart

The team has been busy changing it’s ‘on-ice look as well, beginning with a trade on Free Agency Day (July 1) that will likely see forward Max Reinhart suiting up for the Ads next season.

The Nashville club traded away a Conditional fourth round draft pick for 23-year-old defensive prospect Max Reinhart.

Drafted in the third round (64th Overall) by the Flames in the 2010 Entry Draft, Reinhart, a 6’1″ 185 lbs. forward from Vancouver returned to play for the next two seasons in the WHL with the Kootenay Ice. He made his pro debut with Abbotsford, playing one game at the end of the 2011-12 season, then split his time between Abbotsford/Adirondack and Calgary through the next two campaigns.

Last season Reinhart appeared in 69 games with Adirondack, collecting 39 points (15g, 24a) and also played four games with the Flames.

Allen signs two-way deal

The following day, Nashville added free agent defenseman Conor Allen, a 6’2″ 209″ defenseman from Chicago who had been playing in the New York Rangers’ system.

Allen played in the NAHL (St. Louis Bandits – 2008-09) and USHL (Sioux Falls Stampede 2009-10) before moving on to play three seasons of D1 hockey at U-Mass Amherst. He made his pro debut at the end of the 2012-13 season, playing one game with the Connecticut Whale and then split time betweeen the Hartford Whalers and parent Rangers through the next two seasons.

This past year, Allen scored 34 points (11g, 23a)  in 72 games in Hartford and added a goal and assist in a dozen playoff games. He also appeared in four games with the Rangers.

Allen signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Predators.

Cody Bass comes aboard

A few days later, AHL veteran Cody Bass joined the Predators with a one-year, two-way agreement.

Bass, a fourth round pick (95th Overall of the Ottawa Senators in 2005 has spent the bulk of his pro career in the AHL with brief NHL stints in Ottawa and Columbus as well.

A native of Owen Sound, ON, Bass returned to play in the OHL with Mississauga IceDogs and Saginaw Spirit, making his pro debut with nine games at Binghamton at the end of the 2005-06 season where he scored his first pro goal.

Last season Bass moved from the Jackets to the Black Hawks’ organization playing a full season in Rockford where the 6’0″ 212 lbs. forward collected 14 points (6g, 8a) in 61 games and then added another assist in an eight-game playoff run.

Kamenev coming to America

Earlier this month, the Preds announced 2014 Second Rounder (42nd Overall) Vladislav Kamenev signed a three-year entry level contract and planned to play in North America this fall.

This past season Kamenev played his second season with Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, collecting 10 points (6g, 4a) and he also contributed a goal and three assists in helping Russia to a Silver Medal showing at the World Junior Championship tournament.

A 6’2, 203 lbs. center/left winger, Kamenev will certainly need some time in Milwaukee, but will not doubt have the Predators keeping a close eye on his progress as well.

Bitetto returns

Also this month, the Predators announced defenseman Anthony Bitetto accepted a qualifying offer for a one-year, two-day contract with the Preds.

The 25-year-old 6’2″, 201 lbs. native of Island Park, NY was selected by the Predators in the Sixth Round (168th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, just as he was making the move from the USHL’s Indiana Ice to NCAA Division 1 Hockey, playing two seasons at Northeastern University.

The defenseman made his pro debut at the end of his second year appearing in a playoff game, then returned to play at both Cincinnati (ECHL) and Milwaukee the following season.

This past year, Bitetto appeared in 70 games with the Admirals collecting 30 points (4g, 26a) and also made his NHL debut playing seven games with Nashville in January and February.

Taylor Aronson back with Ads

Another returning defenseman, Taylor Aronson, also accepted a qualifying offer with the Predators this month and signed a one-year, two-way contract.

Selected in the Third Round (78th overall) by the Predators in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Aronson, a 6’1″ 185 lbs. native of Placentia, CA played one more season with Portland of the WHL before playing a full season of pro hockey the following season. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, Arson split time between Milwaukee and Cincinnati, then played a full season in Cincy before finally catching on in Milwaukee full time this past season.

In 73 games played with the Admrials, Aronson collected 32 points (3g, 29a) and earned a reputation as a good puck moving defenseman, valuable on the powerplay.

Join the Ads at the movie theater

The Admirals will be teaming up with the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts to put on an outdoor showing of a classic hockey movie, The Mighty Ducks, during the summer-long series called Peck Flicks.

The film will be shown at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, July 31st at the Peck Pavilion, and is free of charge.