The Virginia Wings 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 based 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 ...

of the greater

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic ...

area. They were an affiliated farm team of the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...

, and a member of 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 ...

for three seasons from 1972–73 to 1974–75. The Wings were previously known as the Tidewater Wings for the 1971–72 season. Their cross-state rivals in the AHL were the Richmond Robins. The Wings won the

John D. Chick Trophy The John D. Chick Trophy is presented annually to the American Hockey League team that has the best record in the Pacific Division. The award is named after John Chick, who served as vice president and treasurer of the American Hockey League. Pr ...

as South Division champions of the regular season in 1974–75, which turned out to be their final season. After the Wings ceased operations, the Hampton Gulls would represent eastern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

at the AHL level for the 1977–78 season. The Wings franchise was granted suspension status until 1975, and then voluntarily withdrew from the league in 1976. After the Wings ceased operations, professional hockey returned to the Hampton Roads metropolitan area numerous times: * Hampton Gulls (1974–1977 SHL), (1977–1978 AHL) * Tidewater Sharks (1975–1977 SHL) * 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 ...

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 ...

(1989–2000) *

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 ...

of the AHL (2000–15) *

of the ECHL (2015–present)

Yearly results

Playoffs

External links

Virginia Wings
- hockeydb.com Ice hockey teams in Virginia Sports in Norfolk, Virginia Defunct American Hockey League teams Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Ice hockey clubs established in 1971 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1975 1971 establishments in Virginia 1975 disestablishments in Virginia {{Virginia-sport-team-stub