MONDAY FEATURE: 1-on-1 With AHL President/CEO Scott Howson

Consider signing up for a subscription so we can continue to bring you exclusive first-reports, prospect features and stories from around the American Hockey League (AHL).

Quick. Easy. Support original journalism!

Consider signing up for a subscription so we can continue to bring you stories like this one and many more.

Sign up today. Quick. Easy. Support original journalism -> http://www.insideahlhockey.com/subscribe

MILWAUKEE, Wisc - Earlier this month, the Milwaukee Admirals held their annual "Dog Day" event that allowed fans to bring their four-legged friends to Panther Arena when the Admirals played host to the Iowa Wild.

Among those in attendance that night was none other than the American Hockey League's "Top Dog," President and CEO Scott Howson, who took a few minutes to chat with Inside AHL Hockey about the state of the AHL as it starts to return to normalcy after a season unlike any other.

Here are a few highlights from that conversation:

Andrew Wagner (AW): You took over the role during an unprecedented challenge. Have things settled down a bit?

Scott Howson (SH): Last year was such a unique year and we were all dealing with it day-to-day. We didn't know what was going to happen the next week, the next month or even the next day. We were just getting up every day and dealing with it as best we could. It's a little bit different this year because there's a little more certainty, but things still come across my desk that are different. We'll get through it. We'll get through it and then we'll get back to some normalcy.

(AW): Several teams, including the Admirals, opted out of last season for pandemic-related reasons. What's it like having the full league back in action?

(SH): Obviously, it's great to see that. I was very proud of our league for getting through last year. We did what we had to do with the support of the NHL. We're not quite back to normal yet, but we're getting there. You can see it's a great crowd here in Milwaukee tonight so we'll just keep banging the drum and hopefully, we'll get completely back to normal.

AW: How has the AHL managed to avoid the types of widespread outbreaks that have often plagued teams in other leagues and sports?

(SH): Our players have been very careful and our vaccination rate is extremely high. It's really about keeping all of our players as safe as we can. Our protocols are all about keeping the product on the ice and keeping our coaches and our players safe and we're happy with the way it's gone so far. Obviously, you're going to have isolated cases and you have to deal with them but the difference this year, compared to last year when basically you had to shut the whole team down for a day or two until you figured it out, now, because everyone's vaccinated, as long as your symptom-free, you can sort of just isolate the cause of the case.

(AW): Has the on-ice product started returning to normalcy?

(SH): It really is. I've been to eight or 10 games and it's all been good. I talked to the officials before the game and asked them what's the difference (between this year and last). They said there's a definite difference. The players are more serious about it. It's more about the competition this year.

(AW): What does it mean to have not just a full roster of teams, but fans, too?

(SH): They're the bread-and-butter of the American Hockey League. We feel we bring a lot to our communities, so it's just great to see a crowd like this on a Saturday night. Everybody is having fun -- even the dogs!