This is my third year covering the Admirals, whether it be on the radio or in one of my blogs. In that time, there has been one player in particular that I could never seem to say enough good things about. And then I watched that one player get put on waivers by the Predators organization, which was closely followed by his signing with the Atlanta Thrashers. And now, I feel like everytime I watch this player, he has his hands in the air celebrating another goal or assist for his new team.
Ahh yes. Rich Peverley...
Peverley is a true testament as to what happens with hard work and a little elbow grease, and proves that even the undrafted kids can go the distance and play in the NHL. After 4 years at St. Lawrence University in the NCAA, Peverley played a season in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. The following season, he played with the ECHL's Reading Royals for 11 games. After scoring 4 goals and 11 asissts in those first 11 games, he caught the eye of the Milwaukee Admirals and spent the remainder of the season in the AHL. Two seasons later, Rich earned his first call up to the NHL with Milwaukee's parent club, the Nashville Predators.
And if you don't mind, I'd like to jump ahead to the present day, as I'm too young to have high blood pressure problems and talking about his departure from Nashville might send me into cardiac arrest...
Pevs recently signed a two-year/2.6 million dollar contract with the Thrashers, and boy did he earn every penny of it. In 56 games he's played with Atlanta since being claimed off waivers last season, he's tallied 58 points. As of today, he's ranked 9th overall in points in the NHL, and is on pace to destroy last years 33 point season between Nashville and Atlanta. **shakes head**
Preds beat writer John Glennon wrote a piece (click here to read it) on Peverley for the Tennessean and has some nice comments from Thrashers head coach John Anderson (who coached the Chicago Wolves while Peverley played with the Admirals). According to Anderson, he recalled Peverley's offensive prowess from the time he coached against him in the AHL. He saw an enormous talent in Pevs that Nashville turned a blind eye to.
What irritates me the most about the whole situation is that I've been barking for Nashville to bring a power forward on board that'll put some offensive numbers up. Peverley has become just that, how? Because he's gotten some consistent ice time and has the confidence of an organization behind him. And to think Nashville put him on waivers, as in they didn't get anyone or anything in return for him!
When Hockey Guy was training our black lab, he'd put her snout right in the mess she made to show her what she did so she wouldn't go it again. Can someone put Nashville's snout in Peverley's 56 points? It worked for the pup... maybe it'll work for the Preds...