Milwaukee Admirals

Lore & Background

The Admirals began in 1970 as an amateur club called the Milwaukee Wings, sponsored by the Wisconsin Citizens Benefit Association. They lost their first game 17–7 to the Madison All-Stars on January 25, 1970, but won their first game five days later. After the first season, the team was sold to investors, and one investor, Erwin J. Merar, renamed the team the 'Admirals' after a brand of appliances sold in his store. They played independently until joining the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 1973, winning the USHL championship in 1976. In 1977, they joined the International Hockey League (IHL) when the USHL became a strictly amateur league, and appeared in the IHL's Turner Cup finals once (1983), losing to Toledo. When the IHL ceased operations in 2001, the Admirals joined the AHL along with five other IHL franchises. They were allowed to keep their nickname despite the presence of the Norfolk Admirals because Milwaukee had used it since 1970. The team won its first Calder Cup in 2004, sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the finals. In 2006, they won their second division title and reached the Calder Cup finals again, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games. The Admirals were purchased in June 2005 by a group led by Harris J. Turer, including Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio. The team unveiled a new logo and color scheme in 2006, and another new logo in 2015 that won SportsLogos.net's Best New Primary Logo of the Year. In 2016, they signed a 10-year contract to play at the Panther Arena. During the 2023-24 season, they set a franchise record of 19 consecutive wins, the second-longest winning streak in AHL history as of 2024.

Reader's Guide

The Milwaukee Admirals are significant as a long-standing AHL franchise with a history dating back to 1970, originally as an amateur team. They have been the top-level affiliate of the Nashville Predators since that team's founding in 1998, and the article notes a reverse affiliation between the two cities' baseball franchises (Nashville Sounds are Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers). The team's 2004 Calder Cup victory is a highlight, achieved with a rare postseason run where they needed one fewer game to eliminate opponents in each subsequent series. The Admirals also made history in 2023 when defenseman Luke Prokop became the first openly gay player to debut in the AHL. Their 19-game winning streak in the 2023-24 season is a notable franchise and league achievement. The team's mascot, Roscoe, created in 1998, has been 'called up' to the NHL to fill in for the Nashville Predators' mascot Gnash. The Admirals have also contributed to the community by paying all full-time employees during the 2020-21 season when they opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally called the Milwaukee Wings and renamed the Admirals after a brand of appliances sold in owner Erwin J. Merar's store.
• The Admirals won the Calder Cup in 2004 by sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the finals.
• Defenseman Luke Prokop made his AHL debut with the Admirals on November 17, 2023, as the first openly gay player in league history.
• The Admirals set a franchise record of 19 consecutive wins during the 2023-24 season, the second-longest winning streak in AHL history as of 2024.