Meet the admirals: The players

GOALIES

No. 31 Karri Ramo

Age 22; 6-2, 192; born, Asikkala, Finland.

- Highly touted prospect being groomed to be a No. 1 NHL goalie

- As a kid, he spent his first nine years of soccer playing every position except goalie. In year 10, he found his calling.

 

No. 56 Mike McKenna

25, 6-1, 200; St. Louis.

- Solid fourth-year pro who made his AHL debut in Norfolk in January 2006

- Card-carrying member of ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts). Has ridden more than 200 roller coasters in 50 different parks.

No. 1 Riku Helenius

20, 6-3, 203, Palkane, Finland

- Another much-ballyhooed netminding prospect, expected to eventually get regular work at ECHL Augusta

- Won the Directorate Award given to the top goaltender at the 2006 U-18 World Championships.

 

DEFENSEMEN

No. 2 Matt Smaby

23, 6-5, 222; Minneapolis.

- Physical blueliner who played 58 games with Norfolk and 14 more with Tampa Bay last year.

- Was a teammate of Pittsburgh Penguins phenom Sidney Crosby at the hockey powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota.

No. 5 Andrew Hutchinson

28, 6-2, 200; Evanston, Ill.

- 2007-08 AHL Defenseman of the Year with Hartford.

- Has two children - 2-month-old Avery and 2-year-old Cole - with his wife of three years, Andrea.

No. 7 Ty Wishart

20, 6-5, 203; Comcox, B.C.

- Rated third among all prospects in the Tampa Bay organization by boltprospects.com.

- Has scaled 5,200-foot Mt. Washington in British Columbia. Also attended the same high school - Highland Secondary - as "actress" Pamela Anderson.

No. 8 Jay Rosehill

23, 6-3, 215; Olds, Alberta.

- "Middleweight" enforcer who can also play forward.

- Brought back 100 cigars from his week-long vacation in Cuba over the summer.

No. 17 Brent Henley

28, 6-6, 258; Coquitlam, B.C.

- "Heavyweight" enforcer with 126 penalty minutes in 26 games at IHL Fort Wayne last year.

- Describes his prized possession as "a big, black, chrome, really loud custom Yamaha motorcycle."

No. 22 Scott Jackson

21, 6-4, 215; Salmon Arm, B.C.

- Former second-round draft pick by St. Louis in 2005.

- Spent three years in the 4-H youth organization.

No. 24 Jeff May

21, 6-2, 200, Richmond, B.C.

- Steady, stay-at-home type on the ice.

- Grew up on a farm and still spends summers tending to dairy cattle and helping grow cranberries for Ocean Spray.

No. 25 Andy Rogers

22, 6-5, 217; Calgary, Alberta

- First-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2004.

- Has "Ilse" tattooed on his right wrist. That's the name of his mother, who passed away when he was 17.

No. 41 Daryl Boyle

21, 6-1, 200; Lethbridge, Alberta.

- Earned a contract after an impressive late-season stint with the Admirals last season.

- Writes the initials B.C. on the tape over the knob of his stick in tribute to the daughter of the family he stayed with in junior hockey; she passed away.

No. 43 Justin Fletcher

25, 5-10, 190; Maryville, Ill.

- Split time between Norfolk and Rockford last season.

-n Holds the St. Cloud State career record for power play goals by a defenseman (15).

No. 44 Vladimir Mihalik

21, 6-7, 222; Presov, Slovakia

- Former first-round pick coming off a strong preseason with Tampa Bay.

- The tallest player in Admirals history and, for two days last weekend, the second-tallest player in the NHL.

 

FORWARDS

No. 9 Blair Jones

22, 6-3, 210; Central Butte, Saskatchewan.

- 2005 fourth-round pick said to be poised for a breakout season.

- Completes a crossword puzzle before every game.

No. 10 Radek Smolenak

21, 6-3, 210; Prague, Czech Republic.

- Talented left winger who has added intensity and toughness to his package.

- Favorite movie: "The Notebook." Says Smolenak: "I'm addicted to chick flicks."

No. 11 Bracken Kearns

27, 6-0, 199, Vancouver, B.C.

- "Off-the-charts" work ethic earned him an alternate captain's role with the Admirals last season.

- In 1996, Kearns was the top-ranked 15-year-old amateur golfer in Canada.

No. 12 Paul Szczechura

22, 5-11, 190; Belleville, Ontario

- Blossomed as an offensive force after joining the Admirals midway through the 2007-08 season.

- For three years in major novice hockey, Szczechura was coached by Walter Gretzky, father of NHL great Wayne.

No. 13 Pete Zingoni

27, 5-10, 183; Bridgeport, Conn.

- Gritty veteran had 20 goals in 66 games with Philadelphia a year ago.

- Taught himself to play guitar while playing in Germany during the NHL lockout season (2004-05). Is currently looking for teammates to jam with.

No. 14 Juraj Simek

21, 6-1, 189; Presov, Slovakia

- Left winger acquired earlier this week in a trade with Vancouver.

- Has dual citizenship in Slovakia and Switzerland.

No. 18 Chris Lawrence

21, 6-4, 217; Toronto.

- Former third-round pick saw his 2007-08 season ravaged by injuries.

- Has a scar extending from just above one earlobe completely around his head to just above the other earlobe after having reconstructive skull surgery at age 3.

No. 19 Justin Keller

22, 6-0, 181, Nelson, B.C.

- The lone Admiral to appear in the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic.

- Likes to play guitar during down time and is also an expert drummer.

No. 21 Wyatt Smith

31, 5-11, 205; Thief River Falls, Minn.

- Has appeared in 221 NHL games and more than 400 AHL contests.

- Played running back and safety and also kicked a 35-yard field goal for Warroad High School in Minnesota.

No. 26 Brandon Segal

25, 6-2, 210; North Delta, B.C.

- Ended the 2007-08 season as one of the Admirals' most productive players.

- Thanks to a mid-day trade, Segal warmed up with Portland and played for Norfolk in the same day last season.

No. 27 Brandon Bochenski

26, 6-1, 187; Blaine, Minn.

- Elite AHL sniper with 50-goal potential.

- Co-owner with wife Jennifer of Elodie, a retail clothing store in Minnesota. The couple is expecting their first child in April.

No. 28 Zenon Konopka

27, 6-1, 213; Niagara Falls, Ontario.

- Team captain. "One of the best guys you could have on a hockey club," according to ex-Admirals coach John Brophy, who also coach Konopka.

- Recently became the majority owner of a company that produces therapeutic grape seed oil.

No. 33 Brady Leavold

21, 5-11, 207; Port Coquitlam, B.C.

- Amassed 69 points in 67 games with Kelowna of the WHL last season.

- Has a 7-month-old daughter, Brooklyn. "When she started recognizing me and smiling, it was the best feeling in the world."