Milwaukee Admirals forward Joakim Kemell (25) fires a shot past Chicago Wolves defenseman Joel Nystrom (9) in a game Friday, April 18, 2025, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Nashville Predators needed a serious shot in the arm to finish off a pre-season that had them in a bit of a tailspin.
Joakim Kemell provided it in a big way in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena.
If there were any doubts as to whether the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Finnish winger has put himself on the Opening Night roster, he may have erased them with his performance Saturday. The Preds were in danger of falling into another lackluster spell until Kemell changed the game in a heartbeat.
The 21-year-old may not have scored a hat trick in terms of goals, but he did have a trio of big moments in the game: an overtime winning goal, a secondary assist on another, and a crunching hit on a player three inches taller that caused the Hurricanes to lose their composure.
After Carolina’s Sebastian Aho drew an unsportsmanlike misconduct penalty, Kemell got the puck at the blueline and passed to his right. Brady Skjei fed it back to Kemell, who tallied the golden goal on a one-timer at 4:44 of the extra frame. Skjei and Fedor Svechkov each picked up an assist.
Joakim Kemell speaks to the media following the 3-2 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 at Bridgestone Arena. Video Courtesy of the Nashville Predators
“I like to shoot, so I hit the net and I can score sometimes,” Kemell said after the game.
A modest assessment, to be sure. But it’s what Kemell did earlier that had everybody in Bridgestone Arena buzzing.
Kemell delivered a massive hit to 6-foot-2 Andrei Svechnikov at center ice, causing the Russian winger to lose his stick.
This obviously didn’t sit well with the Canes. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov took a swipe at Jonathan Marchessault, and Aho’s unsportsmanlike misconduct set up a 4-on-3 man advantage for the Predators. Kemell made the most of the opportunity on the next shift.
“I mean, just a part of me,” Kemell said of his hit on Svechnikov after the game. “I like to play hard and I like to hit. I mean, that was good timing. I don’t know what to say… Good hit, good goal.”
Predators center Ryan O’Reilly is a 17-year NHL veteran, yet he was amazed by the intensity of Kemell’s hit.
“That’s one of the harder hits I’ve seen in hockey, to be honest with you,” O’Reilly said. “In overtime, you never really see that. That was pretty special.”
Kemell contributed to the Predators’ goal that put them ahead 2-1 at 4:59 of the second period, earning a secondary assist on Tyson Jost’s first unofficial goal as a Predator since being claimed on waivers Oct. 1.
Kemell played on a line with Jost and Svechkov, which had several quality shifts throughout the game.
“I’ve seen a lot of things, but I don’t think I’ve seen a hit like that in 3-on-3,” Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. “Then, to get a goal after they were trying to get at him, was pretty fun to be a part of.”
Taken 17th overall by the Predators in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kemell provided the intensity when the team needed it the most. Whether it can carry over into the regular season remains to be seen, but it at least ended the pre-season on a positive note for the Predators, who have shown a propensity for lackluster play in their last three games.
“I hope we keep that feeling, because we worked really hard for that feeling (Saturday),” Brunette said.
A player is often judged by how he responds when something is on the line. In the case of Kemell, it’s a final roster spot.
With Luke Evangelista now signed and ready to join the team, that could affect Kemell securing a top-six forward spot. But Matthew Wood being placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury may have kept the door open for Kemell. Saturday’s performance could have made those final decisions easier for the Preds’ brass.
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