 He was drafted from Harvard in the sixth round, 176th overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators.After graduating from College, Maki signed a two-year entry level contract with the Predators and was reassigned to American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.During the 2008–09 season, Maki was named as the Admirals winner for the AHL man of the year award.