Every city team has its arch rival the team that is your bitterest foe for the Chicago Wolves it is the Milwaukee Admirals. Most Wolves fans would be hard pressed to say anything positive about the Sadmrials as we call them.(The team was named after an washing machine for pity's sake!) Yet we pack up our cars and head north for road trips to the Bradley Center one of the AHL greatest houses to watch them play our Wolves. Usually after a fine meal at Turner's Restaurant we carefully don our teams colors and join the sometimes hostile crowd at the BC to watch the always exciting match when the Wolves and the Admirals meet up.
For the last two years we have seen the Milwaukee coach Claude Noel place most of his hopes on Pekka Rinne a 6'5" 26 year old Finn out of the Finnish Elites. Not only is Rinne pleasure to watch in goal he is a photographers dream, expressive eyes and the grace of a ballet dancer. Last year during the off season he sustained an injury that resulted surgery to his left catching shoulder. Pekka did not start the 06' AHL season until an early February meeting with the Rochester Americans. For that game he was a shadow of his former self, obviously slow on the left. His defence although haplessly letting in goal after goal always kept their fragile goalie protected. Noel wisely kept him between the pipes and kept starting him until he was back in playoff form by April.In time for the first round playoff meeting with the Wolves for the sweep that sent the Admirals back home calling their favorite courses for tee times.
PowderhornhockeyPekka Rinne is a goalie that has come back from an injury quickly and with courage that might have ended many careers. In watching him in goal for two years he always seems the gentleman and I have never seen a cheap shot from his stick. Whether Rinne's futures lies in the NHL or back in the Elites may only good thing happen to this young man.
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