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The Norfolk Admirals were a professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
team that played in the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...
. They became affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks after being dropped from the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...
following their 2012 AHL championship season. The Admirals played in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia B ...
at the Norfolk Scope. For the 2015–16 season, the Admirals moved to
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
to become the newest version of the San Diego Gulls as part of the AHL's efforts to create a Pacific Division. The
Bakersfield Condors The Bakersfield Condors are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Bakersfield, California. The team is owned by and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The Condors play their hom ...
from the
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
moved to Norfolk for the 2015–16 season and also use the name
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals has been the name of two professional ice hockey franchises: *Norfolk Admirals (AHL), a team which played in the American Hockey League from 2000 to 2015 *Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) The Norfolk Admirals are a professional ice hocke ...
.


History

The market was previously home to: * Tidewater Wings (1971–1972 AHL) * Virginia Wings (1972–1975 AHL) * Hampton Gulls (1974–1977 SHL, 1977–1978 AHL) * Hampton Aces (1978–1981 NEHL) * Hampton Roads Gulls (1982–1983 ACHL) *
Hampton Roads Admirals The Hampton Roads Admirals were a professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena from 1989 until 2000, when the owners purchased an expansion American Hockey Le ...
(1989–2000
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
) The original team ownership, Mark Garcea and Page Johnson (owners of the
Hampton Roads Admirals The Hampton Roads Admirals were a professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena from 1989 until 2000, when the owners purchased an expansion American Hockey Le ...
franchise in the East Coast Hockey League), sought and gained admission to the American Hockey League as an expansion franchise for the 2000–01 season with an affiliation agreement with the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
. On May 26, 2004, the franchise was purchased by Ken Young after the original owners had put it up for sale. The team name pays homage to the area's long naval history. Norfolk was one of two franchises in the AHL named the Admirals, sharing the nickname with the Milwaukee Admirals. The Milwaukee franchise transferred from the defunct International Hockey League, and were allowed to keep their previous moniker. Norfolk's geographically closest rivals were the
Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg. The current Bears club has played in the American Hockey League since the 1938–39 season maki ...
,
Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league aff ...
, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Admirals had two
mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...
s, a dog named Salty and a rabbit named Hat Trick. On March 19, 2007, the Blackhawks announced that their affiliation with the Admirals would end after the 2006–07 season. On March 29, 2007, the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...
officially announced the Admirals as their new affiliate. On June 14, 2012 Tampa Bay announced their separation from the 2012
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its curr ...
champions in favor of the Syracuse Crunch. Later in that month owner Ken Young announced he had closed a five-year agreement with the Anaheim Ducks.


2011–12 season

During the 2011–12 season, the Norfolk Admirals, coached by Jon Cooper, set a professional hockey record for the longest winning streak, winning their 28th consecutive game on April 15 against the
Adirondack Phantoms The Adirondack Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms were based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center an ...
. The streak far surpassed the previous AHL record of 17 straight wins set by the
Philadelphia Phantoms The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During sched ...
in 2004–05, as well as the pro hockey record of 18 games set by the
Peoria Rivermen Peoria Rivermen is the name of four minor league hockey clubs: *Peoria Rivermen (IHL), named as such 1984–1996, formerly the Peoria Prancers 1982–1984 * Peoria Rivermen (ECHL), 1996–2005 *Peoria Rivermen (AHL), 2005–2013 *Peoria Rivermen (S ...
of the original International Hockey League in 1991. The streak garnered international media attention for the Admirals and the American Hockey League, including highlights on NHL Network and ESPN's '' SportsCenter''. The 28-game streak included 15 home games and 13 road games. The win streak started on February 10 against Adirondack. Before their 3-2 OT win against Binghamton on April 14, the previous 20 games were all won in regulation. As of October 20, 2012, the Admirals had won 32 regular season games in a row dating back to the 2011–12 season. The winning streak translated into a deep playoff run for the Admirals, where they would win 15 of 18 playoff games, including back to back four game sweeps in the Eastern Conference and Calder Cup Finals. On June 9, 2012, the Admirals captured their first ever Calder Cup with a 6–1 win over the Toronto Marlies. Prior to the 2012–13 season, the Admirals and the Syracuse Crunch parent NHL organizations swapped teams. As a result, the Admirals failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs while the Crunch made it to the Calder Cup Finals.


Relocation

On January 6, 2015, it was announced that the Admirals would move to an unknown location on the west coast, likely close to their NHL affiliate, after the franchise was purchased by the Anaheim Ducks. On January 29, 2015, the Ducks confirmed the Admirals' relocation to San Diego to become the newest incarnation of the San Diego Gulls. The Admirals were replaced in Norfolk with the relocated Bakersfield Condors franchise of the
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
. The new team retained the Admirals name and logo but were affiliated with the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
.


Players


Team Captains

*
Aaron Downey Aaron Douglas Downey (born August 27, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Downey played 13 seasons of professional ice hockey and played 243 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Ch ...
, 2000–2001 * Ajay Baines, 2002–2006 * Craig MacDonald, 2006–2007 * Dan Jancevski, 2007–2008 *
Zenon Konopka Zenon Konopka (born January 2, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Also known as "Zenon the Destroyer", Konopka played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Ottawa ...
, 2008–2009 *
Ryan Craig Ryan F. Craig (born January 6, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and current assistant coach with the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League. Prior to retirement, he was the captain of the Cleveland Monst ...
, 2009–2010 *
Chris Durno Christopher Scott Durno (born October 31, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche. Playing career As a youth, Durno played in the 1994 Quebec Internation ...
, 2010–2011 *
Mike Angelidis Mike Angelidis (born June 27, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who last played with HCB South Tyrol in the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Tampa Bay Light ...
, 2011–2012 *
Nate Guenin Nathaniel Lawrence Guenin (born December 10, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career Guenin played high school hockey in the Pittsburgh suburb of Hopewell. ...
, 2012–2013 *
Garnet Exelby John Garnet Exelby (born August 16, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Atlanta Thrashers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was particularly known for his aggressive s ...
, 2013–2014 * Dave Steckel, 2014–2015


Notable alumni

NHL alumni of the Norfolk Admirals include:


2010 Stanley Cup Finals

In the
2010 Stanley Cup Finals The 2010 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2009–10 season, and the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawk ...
, sixteen former Admirals competed for the championship. Bryan Bickell, Dave Bolland,
Troy Brouwer Troy Brouwer (born August 17, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). T ...
,
Adam Burish Adam Mark Burish (born January 6, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. He is currently an analyst covering Blackha ...
, Dustin Byfuglien, Corey Crawford,
Jake Dowell Jacob Charles Dowell (born March 4, 1985) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. Playing ...
, Colin Fraser, Jordan Hendry, Duncan Keith,
Danny Richmond Daniel "Danny" Richmond (born August 1, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who most recently played for Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is the son of former NHL defenseman, Steve Richmond. ...
,
Brent Seabrook Brent Seabrook (born April 20, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman under contract for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played fifteen seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks, who selected him ...
,
Jack Skille Jack Skille (born May 19, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, and the Vancouver C ...
, and Kris Versteeg were on the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
active roster. Michael Leighton and Lukas Krajicek played for the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
.


Team records


Season-by-season results


Single-season records

:Goals:
Troy Brouwer Troy Brouwer (born August 17, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). T ...
, 41 (2006–07) :Assists: Martin St. Pierre, 72 (2006–07) :Points: Martin St. Pierre, 99 (2006–07) :Penalty minutes:
Zack Stortini Zachery Stortini (born September 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger and current assistant coach with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edm ...
, 299 (2013- 2014) :Wins: Corey Crawford, 38 (2006–07) :GAA: Craig Anderson, 1.94 (2002–03) :SV%: Craig Anderson, .923 (2002–03)


Career records

:Career goals: Brandon Bochenski, 81 :Career assists: Marty Wilford, 141 :Career points:
Blair Jones Blair Jones (born September 27, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning, taken 102nd overall at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and played five seasons within the Lightning organization b ...
, 185 :Career penalty minutes:
Shawn Thornton Shawn Thornton (born July 23, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player of the National Hockey League (NHL). An enforcer throughout his career, he won two Stanley Cups with the Anaheim Ducks (2007) and the Boston Bruins (2011). ...
, 1198 :Career goaltending wins:
Dustin Tokarski Dustin Michael Tokarski (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of th ...
, 80 :Career shutouts: Michael Leighton, 18 :Career games: Ajay Baines, 409


References


External links


Norfolk Admirals official websitePilotOnline.comThe Internet Hockey Database - Norfolk AdmiralsThe Voice of the Fans since 1997
{{Defunct AHL Ice hockey teams in Virginia Ice hockey clubs established in 2000 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2015 Anaheim Ducks minor league affiliates 2000 establishments in Virginia 2015 disestablishments in Virginia Sports in Norfolk, Virginia Chicago Blackhawks minor league affiliates Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliates