Entering last year's draft ranked second among all International Skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final report, Kemell was favored by many to go as high as seventh overall. Instead - likely due to some unexpected early picks -
Kemell landed with Nashville at 17th overall
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"He has been great, and I'm not going to say it was a surprise, because our amateur scouts targeted and drafted him, and they saw the skill and the compete in him," Ads General Manager Scott Nichol said. "In the first sample size that we've had, he's done great, and the American League is not an easy league to play in."
After the draft, Nashville quickly signed Kemell to a three-year ELC before sending him back to the Finnish Liiga's JYP for another season of development.
In his sophomore campaign, Kemell struggled to duplicate his offensive success from the year prior, posting just 15 points (12g-3a) in 43 games. In his fourth World Junior Championship appearance, he recorded four points (2g-2a) before Team Finland was eliminated from the tournament.
"He didn't have a great year, but it was probably really good for his growing pains and learning how to deal with a little adversity," Nichol said. "So he came over and we didn't really know what to expect from him. And we knew he was a super competitive guy, but for coming onto a new team and for a young guy coming in and not really knowing anybody, he's really just taken the opportunity that he's been handed and he's done really well with it."
Kemell entered his first AHL campaign with some clear developmental advantages, too.
In contrast with the Canadian juniors' age range of 16 to 21-year-old players, 10 of Liiga's 15 clubs feature rosters with an average age of 25 years or older.
Kemell, who entered his first Liiga campaign at 17 years old, spent two full seasons regularly competing against skaters several years - if not decades - older.
"That's huge, because he's fighting for his ice time there against older players and more established players in the Finnish league," Nichol said. "So now he comes here and it's the same thing. He's fighting for his ice time here against older players that have been here a while too."
That experience playing against much older opponents seems to have not only given Kemell an unrelenting competitive drive, but a hard-nosed, physical edge as well.
"He plays a heavy game for a 19-year-old kid," Nichol said. "He's really hockey strong, he's strong on his skates, he doesn't get knocked over too often and he's not scared to reverse shoulder. And that's a great quality to have for a kid who's only played 14 games in the American Hockey League."
If those 14 games can offer any indication of what's to come, Kemell could be a threatening offensive presence for Milwaukee in the postseason.
"This young man's got a lot of compete, a lot of jam, a lot of push back and he's taken second fill to no one here, whether it's physically or how he's gone about his business," Taylor said. "We have to take a deep breath and understand that he is only 19, but his compete and his energy and his willingness to stare people in the eye and play the right way is at an elite level. And there's lots of good qualities outside of his stats and his offensive abilities that tell me he's going to have a good future."
Catch the Admirals postseason action starting Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. CT as Milwaukee takes on the Manitoba Moose in Game One of the AHL's Central Division Semifinals at Canada Life Centre. Fans can tune in to postseason action by purchasing an AHLTV Playoffs All-Access subscription or by following the @MKEAdmirals social media channels.
