10 years can seem like an eternity when you're rooting for your favorite team to win a championship. That certainly was the case for Norfolk Admirals fans who have been waiting for playoff hockey to return to Hampton Roads.
The drought ends Wednesday night when the Admirals host the Trois-Rivières Lions in Game 4 of the ECHL North Division semifinal series. Norfolk leads the series 2-1, and a packed and raucous Scope Arena could be the difference as the team looks to bring the title back to Virginia.
Despite not being home to a National Hockey League team, the commonwealth boasts a rich hockey tradition spanning decades. In Hampton Roads, the Tidewater Wings first took flight in 1971, beginning his nearly uninterrupted professional hockey operation in the area.
Since then, the region has seen several iterations of the Admirals (such is the nature of minor league sports), including winning the ECHL championship, the Kelly Cup, in 1991, 1992, and 1998. achieved success. And fans continue to celebrate the Admirals to this day. They were a remarkable team that won the title in 2011-12, setting a professional hockey record with 28 consecutive wins.
So when the Admirals, then playing in the American Hockey League, avoided elimination by defeating the St. John's IceCaps 3-2 in Game 5 of a best-of-seven series on May 13, 2014. There was good reason to believe. More playoff hockey was scheduled to be held at the Scope.
But that will be the last postseason action the rink will host until the puck drops Wednesday. Although the team came close several times, they were unable to advance to the playoffs. (To be fair, two of those seasons were affected by COVID-19.)
The team had an outstanding season under head coach Jeff Kerr, posting their first winning season since returning to the ECHL in 2015 and finishing second in the Eastern Conference North Division.
“We wanted to flip the culture on its head,” Carr told The Virginian-Pilot. “We've put a lot of effort into recruiting great people. Players who are going to jump over the boards for each other. That was the recipe we adopted.”
The strategy worked. It shows in his performance on the ice and in the stands. In March, Admirals sold out of scopes for the first time since 2019. That support is invaluable in the playoffs, as the crowd can lift the team's spirits in difficult moments.
This is a credit to the team's ownership, which has worked to grow its fan base through a variety of initiatives, including the “City Series” games, in which the team wears jerseys representing each of the other six cities in Hampton Roads.
Owner Patrick Kavanagh has also invested in the area's hockey culture. He bought the former Hampton Roads Iceplex in York County last year, invested in extensive renovations and renamed the facility Chilled Ponds to match the other rink in Chesapeake where the Admirals practice. did.
From adult athletes looking to lace up their skates, to youth tournaments showcasing regional talent, to entry-level options for those interested in the sport, these facilities are perfect for those in colder climates like Wisconsin, Michigan, or the U.S. It is crowded with sights similar to the climate link. Even in Ontario. The game is growing in Hampton Roads.
The Admirals hope to use that energy in the scopes to make a deep run in the playoffs. A win on Wednesday would allow the Admirals to clinch the series on Saturday. Two more home games (Sunday and May 1) will be played if needed. The winner of the series will face either the Maine Mariners or the Adirondack Thunder in the North Conference finals.
Playoff hockey is a thrilling roller coaster, and there's never a better time to ride it. Tickets start at $19 and can be purchased at norfolkadmirals.com.
While much of this year's buzz has focused on bringing the NHL's Washington Capitals to Virginia, the Hampton Roads hockey franchise looks set to make a splash in the postseason. That's possible thanks to this week's sold-out Scope.
