The Manitoba Moose completed the regular-season portion of their 2025-26 AHL schedule Saturday night with a 6-1 win in Iowa. They finish the season in fourth place in the Central Division with a 35-29-5-3 record.
The Moose will now meet the fifth-place Milwaukee Admirals (32-32-4-3) in a best-of-three series beginning Wednesday night (April 22) at 7 p.m. Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night (April 24). If a third and deciding game is required, it will be played on Sunday afternoon (April 26) at 2 p.m.
The winner will advance to play the Grand Rapids Griffins in a best-of-five quarterfinal round matchup.
Get breaking National news
Manitoba went 3-4-1 versus the Admirals in the eight-game regular season series , including 2-2 in the four games played in Winnipeg.
Team Captain Mason Shaw led the Moose in scoring with 15-29-44 while Samuel Fagemo added a team-high 19 goals. Thomas Milic turned in an all-star worthy performance between the pipes with a 2.64 goals against average, .905 saves percentage and a 20-13-6 record to go along with four shutouts.
Milwaukee had a pair of 40-plus point producers up front, with team scoring leader Jake Lucchini (17-32-49) and top goal scorer Cole O’Hara (19-25-44). Defence pair of Jordan Oesterle (14-32-46) and Ryan Lufko (11-33-44) also broke that 40-point plateau.
Matthew Murray was the Admirals No. 1 man in the crease with a 2.83 GAA, .904 SP, 22-22-2 record and four shutouts.
The two teams have met twice previously in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs with Milwaukee winning both times by 3-2 series margins in 2022, and 2023.
The Moose will be looking for their first playoff series victory since 2018 when they beat Grand Rapids 3-2 in Round 1 before being swept by Rockford in the Central Division final.
The upcoming series will be played in its entirety at Canada Life Centre, as well as being carried live on 680 CJOB.
Kelly, everybody has a grasp for the obvious. Yes this team has to get better. You talk about commitment, I agree, I think they have trouble assembling a group of players to support the core of the team. I think players have to be professional in their thinking. If you are a professional you go where you are paid to play. No trade clauses, limited trade partners and ability to say yes or no to trade create an obvious division among teams. How does a GM handle this? He needs the ability to manage the team without the players dictating where the want to play. Talking about commitment, something sticks with me about sports readers, and I like the Jets at Noon. But last year on the biggest game of the Jets playoffs, St Louis game seven in Winnipeg. And these two readers were not there to cover it, one. Was trying to get his one year old to bed and the other was driving back from Lethbridge. Does that sound like commitment?