Milwaukee Admirals

Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
Founded	1970
Home ice	Bradley Center
Based in	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Colors	Cardinal red, navy blue, Vegas Gold, silver
League	American Hockey League
Head coach	Claude Noel
General manager	Phil Wittliff
Owner	Group headed by Harris Turer

The Milwaukee Admirals are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.

Founded: 1970-1971

Arena: Bradley Center (capacity 17,845)

Uniform colors: Cardinal red, navy blue, Vegas gold, silver.

Logo design: A stylized head of an 18th-century admiral.

Affiliates: Nashville Predators (NHL) Rockford IceHogs (UHL)

Division titles won: -

Regular season titles won: -

League championships won: 1 AHL (2003-04), 1 USHL (1975-76)

Local Media: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

History

The Admirals first took to the ice in the winter of 1970 as an amateur club known as the Milwaukee Wings. They lost their first game on January 25 when the Madison All-Stars beat them 17-7. They got their first win five days later when they defeated the Milwaukee Winter Club 10-8.

The next year the team was sold by the original owner Reed Fansher to a group of investors. One of the investors, Edwin J. Merar, owned an appliace store. The team was renamed the Admirals after a brand of refrigerators sold in Merar's store.

Beginning with the 1973–74 season the Admirals joined the newly formed United States Hockey League. Their first season in a league was not particularly successful as they ended the season in last place in their division. They won only 11 games, lost 35 games, and tied 2 games that season.

The Admirals won the USHL league championship in 1976, winning seven straight games in the league's playoffs. In the off-season, the team was purchased by former Chicago Blackhawks announcer Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley-Pettit.

For the 1977–78 season the Admirals joined the International Hockey League as the USHL was becoming a strictly amateur league. The Admirals appeared in the IHL's Turner Cup finals only once (1983), where they lost to Toledo in six games.

They stayed a part of the IHL until it joined the American Hockey League for the 2001–-02 season when the two leagues merged.

They won their first Calder Cup in 2004 when they defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The Admirals were purchased in June of 2005 by a group of investors, led by Harris J. Turer, including Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets.

The Admirals won their second division title as a member of the American Hockey League in 2006, clinching the title on the last day of their schedule with a win over the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Year-by-year record

American Hockey League

Year	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	PTS	Finish	Playoffs
2005-06	80	49	21	6	4	268	234	108	1st, West	(In Progress)
2004-05	80	47	24	5	4	247	207	103	2nd, West	Lost in round 1
2003-04	80	46	24	7	3	269	191	102	1st, West	Won Calder Cup
2002-03	80	43	25	8	4	276	237	98	4th, West	Lost in round 2
2001-02	80	37	31	7	5	250	236	86	Last, West	Out of Playoffs

International Hockey League

Year	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	PTS	Finish	Playoffs
2000-01	82	42	33	-	7	244	217	91	5th, Eastern	Lost in round 1
1999-00	82	37	36	-	9	222	246	83	5th, Eastern	Lost in round 1
1998-99	82	38	28	-	16	254	265	92	Last, Midwest	Lost in round 1
1997-98	82	43	34	-	5	267	262	91	3rd, Northwest	Lost in round 2
1996-97	82	38	36	-	8	253	298	84	4th, Midwest	Lost in round 1
1995-96	82	40	32	-	10	290	307	90	1st, Midwest	Lost in round 1
1994-95	81	44	27	-	10	317	298	98	1st, Central	Lost in Semifinals
1993-94	81	40	24	-	17	338	302	97	2nd, Midwest	Lost in round 1
1992-93	82	49	23	-	10	329	280	108	1st, Midwest	Lost in round 1
1991-92	82	38	36	-	8	306	309	84	3rd, East	Lost in round 1
1990-91	82	36	43	-	3	275	316	75	4th, West	Lost in round 1
1989-90	82	36	39	-	7	316	370	79	3rd, West	Lost in round 1
1988-89	82	54	23	-	5	399	323	113	2nd, West	Lost in Semifinals
1987-88	82	21	54	-	7	288	430	49	Last, West	Out of Playoffs
1986-87	82	41	37	4	0	342	358	86	3rd, West	Lost in 1st Round
1985-86	82	48	28	1	5	368	306	102	2nd, West	Lost in 1st Round
1984-85	82	25	52	5	-	292	389	60	Last, West	Out of Playoffs
1983-84	82	46	30	6	-	403	335	101	2nd	Lost in Semifinals
1982-83	82	43	30	9	-	407	312	98	1st, West	Lost in Finals
1981-82	82	41	34	7	-	385	351	91	2nd	Lost in 1st Round
1980-81	82	32	35	15	-	354	371	79	3rd, West	Lost in 1st Round
1979-80	80	29	41	10	-	327	402	0	3rd, South	Lost in 1st Round
1978-79	80	21	48	11	-	260	391	53	Last, South	Lost in 1st Round
1977-78	80	27	38	15	-	257	299	69	3rd, South	Lost in 1st Round

United States Hockey League (semi-professional)

Year	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	PTS	Finish	Playoffs
1976-77	48	23	23	2	-	231	241	48	1st, Southern	Lost in finals
1975-76	48	23	25	0	-	279	270	46	3rd, Southern	Won Championship
1974-75	48	18	30	0	-	241	288	36	3rd, Southern	Out of playoffs
1973-74	48	11	35	2	-	192	318	24	5th, Southern	Out of playoffs