MILWAUKEE — The fifth-longest winning streak in the history of the American Hockey League belongs to the Milwaukee Admirals, and if the past month and a half is any indication, there’s no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Currently, Brew City’s hometown hockey team has yet to lose a game in 2024, and has won 19 of their last 20 contests, most recently their 15th in a row 5-2 against the Chicago Wolves at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in front of over 8,400 fans. Admirals President Jon Greenberg tells me as the streak has grown, so has the team’s following.
“We certainly have people’s attention,” says Greenberg. “When I see people out in public they’re like ‘Wow you guys are doing great!’ ‘How many is it in a row now?’ That added attention has certainly led to some attendance growth.”
During the streak, the attendance has averaged 4,298 fans per game, bolstered by several Saturday night contests with more than 8,000 people; for the season the team’s 5,744 fans a night is the team’s highest since 2015-16.
The longest streak in league history was set by, ironically, a separate Admirals team. During the 2011-12 season the Norfolk Admirals went on an unprecedented 28-game roll:
Had the Ads not dropped a New Year’s Eve contest against Rockford, they’d currently be at 20. Greenberg says it’s certainly in the realm of possibility as the team prepares for a three-game road trip starting Saturday in Manitoba. “This is a good hockey team, they’re doing special things, and hopefully that continues for the next several months.”
For many in Milwaukee, sports streaks are linked with food giveaways, specifically with burgers from George Webb given out after the Milwaukee Brewers won 12 in a row both in 1987 and 2018. So many have asked Greenberg “Where are the burgers???”. He says there are some things in the works behind the scenes should the streak continue.
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“We’ve been in contact with our partners, and we’re trying to find something that makes sense,” Greenberg says. “We’re open to new ideas, maybe it’s someone that’s not a partner and do something fun that would attract attention. We’re certainly open to all of those conversations.”
The next home game for the Admirals will be February 24th against Chicago, which could theoretically be number 19 in the streak.
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