FRI, OCT. 24, 2025 | 7:00 PM | TECH CU ARENA |  SAN JOSE, CA

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Milwaukee’s Best: For just the second time ever, and the first since the 2016-17 season, the Barracuda and Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators) will meet on Friday at Tech CU Arena. Friday’s matchup marks the first meeting between the two teams since Jan. 28, 2017. The Cuda are 1-1 all-time versus the Ads and 0-1 at home.

Wednesday Woes: The Barracuda dropped their second straight game and first at home, falling 6-3 to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday. After trailing 1-0 after 20, San Jose responded with three straight goals in the second from Anthony Vincent, Lucas Carlsson, and Kasper Halttunen to take a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the Firebirds answered with three straight of their own to take a 4-3 advantage heading into the final intermission. In the third, Coachella Valley added two more, including an empty netter, to seal the win. Jakub Škarek stopped 28 of 33 shots for San Jose, while Nikke Kokko made 24 saves for Coachella Valley.

Last Milwaukee Meeting: In the last meeting against the Milwaukee Admirals, the Barracuda picked up a 4-2 road win on Jan. 28, 2017, at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Kevin Labanc opened the scoring just 36 seconds in before the Ads tied it later in the first. In the second, Nikolay Goldobin and Tim Heed struck less than a minute apart to put San Jose up 3-1, but Milwaukee answered with a power-play goal from Frédérick Gaudreau to cut the deficit to one. Barclay Goodrow sealed the victory with a third-period goal, while goaltender Troy Grosenick earned First Star honors with 24 saves on 26 shots. Current Barracuda head coach John McCarthy finished the game with an assist and a +1 rating.

More Movement: The Barracuda assigned forwards Donavan Houle and Lucas Vanroboys to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder on Thursday. With the two assignments, the team’s forward group now stands at 16 skaters. A year ago, Houle spent the entire season with the Barracuda, dressing in 64 games and collecting 24 points (10+14=24). Vanroboys also spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Barracuda, posting 16 points (11+5=16) in 69 games. Both forwards have yet to see action this season.

About the Ads: The Admirals have reached at least the second round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. A year ago, Nashville’s top affiliate finished with the Central Division’s best regular-season record (40-21-5-6, 91 pts.), allowing the league’s third-fewest goals (184) and boasting the third-best penalty kill (85.7%). Goaltender Matt Murray ranked first in the league in wins (28) and save percentage (.932), and fourth in goals-against average (2.07). The Admirals are 1-0-1 through their first two games this season.

Connective Tissue: Both Egor Afanasyev and Jimmy Huntington are Admirals alumni. In his final season with Milwaukee in 2023-24, Afanasyev led the team in points (54), goals (27), shorthanded goals (5), and shots (189). Over his three years with the Ads, he skated in 187 games, totaling 113 points (52+61=113). Afanasyev was traded to the Sharks in the summer of 2024 for former first-rounder Ozzy Wiesblatt. Huntington spent parts of two seasons with the Admirals from 2021-23, collecting 51 points (16+35=51) in 85 games and helping Milwaukee, along with Afanasyev, reach the conference finals in 2024. On the other side, former Sharks and Barracuda goaltender Magnus Chrona enters his second year with the Admirals in 2025-26. Chrona, along with current teammate David Edstrom, was dealt to Nashville last August in the Yaroslav Askarov trade.