Evangelista Eager for Calder Cup Playoffs Debut After Success with Preds

From his first campaign with the Milwaukee Admirals, to a nod to the AHL All-Star Classic and an eventual call-up to the Nashville Predators, Luke Evangelista couldn't have dreamed up a better year.
"I think the most important part was getting some games up in Nashville, just to get used to the pace and see what works and what doesn't at that level and knowing what to expect for the future," he said. "But overall, I think you could definitely say that this has been the biggest year for my development, for sure."
If everything had gone according to plan, Evangelista likely wouldn't have seen a minute of game action with Nashville this season. But the injury-plagued Preds needed to fill some holes, and in late February the 21-year old winger received the life-changing call.

In 24 games, Evangelista brought the same offensive firepower he turned heads in Milwaukee with, and earned his place in Nashville's lineup - concluding his major-league stint with 15 points (7g-8a), three multipoint outings and a +7 rating.
To the young forward, the experience was much more than a collection of stats - even with each game carrying the weight of postseason implications.
"At the end of the day, I was just living a lifelong goal and a lifelong dream," Evangelista said. "I was just trying to soak in every second and enjoy it all. And we had a really great run up there. We were winning a lot more games than I think people expected us to, and we were playing some really meaningful games, winning some really tight matches. I just had a blast there."
On Friday, Evangelista will add another feather in his cap as he joins the Admirals - and eight Preds teammates - in his first trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The upcoming experience, according to Evangelista, is just the latest in a series of opportunities to grow as a young hockey player.
"I think the reason Nashville wanted to send all of us down was just to get that taste of a deep run in pro hockey," Evangelista said. "I haven't really had too much playoff experience. Even in juniors, I didn't play too many rounds. So I'm really looking forward to this and we've got a great group of guys and a lot of talent in that locker room. So, I think we'll make a deep run and hopefully it'll be a really good experience for all of us moving forward."
With Evangelista concluding his AHL season just six points away from leading all league rookies in assists - despite appearing in 22 fewer contests than the league leader - the Admirals will no doubt look to the young winger to answer the bell during their best-of-five series against the Manitoba Moose and beyond.
Carrying the momentum of NHL experience with him, Evangelista is ready to prove himself once more in brand new territory.
"For all us young guys that got our first little taste of NHL action, I think coming back down to the AHL for playoffs is a huge confidence boost for all of us," Evangelista said. "We got our feet wet in the NHL, and we're coming back to a league that we're already familiar with. I think you'll see a lot of confidence and a lot of guys just playing really comfortable hockey. And hopefully, that experience up there translates down here and helps us make as deep of a run as we possibly can."
Catch Evangelista and the rest of the Admirals in postseason action starting Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. CT as Milwaukee takes on Manitoba 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

.