Nashville's AHL affiliate has an impressive roster - including Tomasino, Askarov, and Pärssinen - to start their season tonight.
The Nashville Predators have three regular season games under their belt. Now it's time for the AHL Milwaukee Admirals to kick off their season tonight. The Admirals boast a very talented roster making their 2022-2023 season one to keep an eye on.
The biggest and perhaps most surprising name on the roster in Milwaukee is Phil Tomasino. The 21 year old center played 76 games last season in the NHL for the Predators scoring eleven goals and 21 assists. Nashville head coach John Hynes speaks highly of Tomasino's game, but with a more robust roster at Predators training camp vying for similar positions, it was decided Tomasino would start the season with the Admirals.
Another star on Milwaukee's roster, and perhaps later this season on Nashville's, is Finnish center Juuse Pärssinen. Pärsinnen joined the Admirals for nine postseason games, scoring one goal and three assists at the end of 2021-2022. His high hockey IQ and quick reads on the ice in development, rookie, and training camps this summer impressed the Predators and Admirals coaching staffs.
This season fans will get a peek at 2020 first round draft pick Yaroslav Askarov in net in Milwaukee. The 6'4" Russian net minder will share time with Devin Cooley who started 24 game last season for the Admirals.
Another fan favorite Russian player looking to take his game to the next level in Milwaukee is Egor Afanasyev. The 21 year old winger has been focusing on physicality in his game. Afanasyev performed well in the NHL Prospect Showcase earlier this summer in Raleigh and wants to earn a chance for ice time in Nashville at some point this season.
These are just a few of the outstanding players head coach Karl Taylor and his staff will lead as they open the season tonight.
Milwaukee's centers include Pärssinen, Jimmy Huntington, Tommy Novak, Jachym Kondelik, Tommy Apap, and Mark Jankowski.
The wingers in Milwaukee are Tim Schaller, captain Cole Schneider, John Leonard, Navrin Mutter, Egor Afanasyev, Luke Evangelista, and Markus Nurmi.
The defensemen starting the season in Milwaukee are Roland McKeown, Jordan Gross, Marc Del Gaizo, Keaton Thompson, Kevin Gravel, Adam Wilsby, Luke Prokop, Spencer Stastney, and Xavier Bouchard.
The Admirals kick off their 2022-2023 season tonight against the Chicago Wolves at 7:00 pm CT. AHL opening weekend games can be streamed free on AHLTV.com.