Norfolk Scope Info Capacity: 8,994 (hockey) maximum capacity for other events: 13,800.
415 St Paul's Blvd.
Norfolk, VA 23510
Box Office: (757) 664-6464
Norfolk's Scope Cultural and Convention Center is convieniently located within easy walking distance from the waterfront area. The Scope Arena itself is shaped like a dome and includes the famous Chrysler Hall. This is one of Virgina's largest convention facilites. It has a nice 150 seat restaurant as well as 6 meeting rooms which can hold up to 400 people at a time. Parking costs are $2.00 on the outside lots and $3.00 inside the Scope parking garage.
In addition to Admirals ice hockey, the Norfolk Nighthawks play their Arena Football home games here. The Scope is also the site for various events such as: concerts, on-ice shows, the circus, and Old Dominion basketball.
2000 Admirals Roster
Ackerman, Chad 24 D
Adams, Gerad 5 D
Church, Brad 25 LW
Clapton, Marty 17 RW
Cruicksank, Curtis 35 G
Drapeau, Etienne 9 C
Ernest, Derek 21 D
Gillis, Ryan 23 D
Hamilton, Jason 14 RW
Johnson, Trevor 4 D
Kawolsky, Rick 27 RW
Lasak, Jan 29 G
Maltais, Dominic 31 RW
Omicioli, Mike 26 C
Parrish, Dwight 34 D
Pepperall, Colin 22 LW
Pitirri, Richard 19 C
Parco, John (C) 8 C
Russell, Bobby 11 RW
Stork, Dean 7 D
Taylor, Rod 18 LW
Head Coach: John Brophy
GM/Assistant Coach: Al MacIsaac
Certified Athletic Trainer: Kevin "Stu" Bender
Assistant Trainer: Steve Jobe
Equipment Manager: Scott Boggs Bud Ice Penguin wav
Riley/Kelly Cups (ECHL Champions): 1991, 1992, 1998
The Hampton Roads Admirals, (commonly referred to as "The Ads,") joined the ECHL in 1989, only the 2nd year of operation for the league. The Admirals made the playoffs in their inaugural season, but fell short in the first round of action when, leading the series two games to one over the Erie Panthers, Hampton Roads would drop the last two games of the series to suffer defeat at the hands of the Panthers, three games to two. The Blue and gold would rebound from that stunning lose to become a solid contender; winning back-to-back championships in 1991-92. The first cup win came against the Greensboro Monarchs in five games. The final game of the Riley Cup Finals was a hard fought, uphill battle, which included a triple overtime game 4 victory for the Admirals on the road in Greensboro. That game was televised and broadcasted throughout the Norfolk area, however a power outage caused a half hour intermission in the middle of the first period. The game lasted until 2:30 in the morning when the Ads finally scored and captured the elusive Riley Cup. Hampton Roads would experience the same cup winning sensation the following year as the Ads, swept the Louisville Icehawks in 4 games, for their second straight straight Riley Cup championship. In the beginning of the club's history, Ads standout star players included: David Buckley, Trevor Jobe, Mike Flanagan, Alain Raymond, Jody Praznik, Harry Mews, Billy Nolan, Shawn Snesar, Brendan Curley, Kelly Sorensen and Ron Pascucci.
The Admirals franchise gave birth to some of the newest generation of NHL stars such as: Olaf Kolzig, Byron Dafoe, Trevor Halverson, Andrew Brunette, Patrick LaLime, Steve Poapst, Ryan Mulhern, Serge Aubin, Rick Kowalsky and Aaron Downey, who are all well known through the upper minor and NHL levels. ECHL all-stars like Rod Taylor, Victor Gervais, Brian Martin, Murray Hood, Dennis McEwen, Randy Pearce, Chris Phelps and Dominic Maltais have played a key role in the team's success as an elite minor league franchise. In 1993-94, Taylor the Admirals team Captain, scored 88 points (54 goals, 34 assists) and in 1994-95, he registered 78 points (38 lamplighters, 40 helpers).
The third Cup may have really well been the ultimate prize for Ads fans. The Admirals entered the 1998 playoffs seeded dead last in the 1998 Northern Conference, after clinching a playoff berth in their final regular season contest. One of the highlights that year was the incredible Admirals comeback against the Roanoke Express in the Conference semifinal. Roanoke took a 2 games to 0 lead in the series early, but Hampton Roads would respond by winning the next 3 games, all very close and full of drama and tension, to win the series 3 games to 2 and advance further into the postseason. The Ads prevailed, by storming through the playoffs and stunning the highly favored Pensacola Ice Pilots in the Kelly Cup finals, capturing the third cup in franchise history. A huge factor was the outstanding play of Admirals goaltender Sebastien Charpentier who racked up a total of 14 wins in the 1998 postseason. Current Admirals like Joel Poirier, Chad Ackerman, Dan Ceman, Jason Saal, Marty Clapton haven't missed a beat, when it came to following in the footsteps of their previous Admiral predecessors. Louis Bedard, one of the most notorious enforcers in the ECHL, has the second longest current streak in the ECHL of earning penalty minutes in consecutive games, the season?hird longest thus far. Bedard was tied for second in the league with 27 majors and recorded 114 PIM?n his last 14 games in the 1999-00 season. Much of the franchise's remarkable success has to be due to the ambition and perseverance of Admirals General Manager Al MacIsaac. Nova Scotia native is embarking on his eighth year with the franchise. He was an anchor on the blue line of the Admirals 1992 Championship squad and is now entering his sixth season as Assistant Coach and fourth as General Manager of Hockey Operations. In addition to his current, top-notch administrative and recruiting efforts with the Blue & Gold; as a player, he is the proud owner of a Memorial Cup Championship Ring (Guelph, 1986) and a Calder Cup AHL Championship Ring (Cape Breton Oilers, 1993), to go along with his two rings earned with the Admirals (1992, 1998). MacIsaac, a member of the 1986-87 OHL Guelph Platers who won the Memorial Cup, was recently inducted into the Guelph Hall of Fame on February 4, 2000.
A solid, elite fan base and pressure from the city of Norfolk is prompting a switch to the AHL in 2000. Admirals ownership had hoped to keep the ECHL team operating in the Hampton Roads area, but negotiations had proven futile. Relocation for the Ads seemed very possible. Rumored destinations included Memphis, and Atlantic City among others to bring forth a new era of ice hockey in the new millineum. The 1999-00 season was dubed the "Farewell Tour," as the Admirals played their final season as a member of the ECHL. The Admirals clinched a playoff berth as the Richmond Renegades defeated the Charlotte Checkers, 5-2, to ensure the Blue and Gold a place in the postseason. The Blue and Gold prevailed at their final regular season game ever at the Scope, as the Admirals closed out the regular season with a, 4-1, home victory over arch nemesis Richmond Sunday, April 2, and, earning the fourth seed in the 1999-2000 playoffs, and would host the fifth seeded Huntington Blizzard in the first round. The Admirals closed out the first round of playoff games with a victory at Huntington, taking the Blizzard three games to one in the best of five series. After being shutout, 4-0, in Game 1 April 5th, the Blue and Gold rebounded for an impressive, 7-1, win over the Blizzard Friday, April 7. With a, 6-4, victory last night in West Virginia, the Blue and Gold took a two games to one lead in the series. The Admirals shutout the Trenton Titans, 1-0, last night at Scope to begin the second round of the ECHL playoffs. The Trenton Titans however would come storming back to win the series, thus eliminating the Admirals from the 2000 Kelly Cup Playoffs and ending a prominent 11 year chapter of Admirals hockey in the ECHL. On wednesday, June 14, 2000 the official announcement about the much anticipated fate of the team was made by Admirals owners Mark Garcea and Page Johnson. The new look Norfolk Admirals, as affiliates of the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), will commence play this fall at Norfolk Scope in the American Hockey League (AHL). The schedule for the fall of 2000 will consist of 40 home games,and 40 road contests, equaling a total of 80 in all. In addition, the Blackhawks promised to provide Norfolk with 20 of the top prospects in the Chicago organization as well as a head coach for the upcoming AHL season. The selected coach would turn out to be 34 year old Trent Yawney, a former player and assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks.
We are very excited to have Chicago on board as we move into the American Hockey League,with marked majority owner Garcea. The Blackhawks are one of the original six clubs in the NHL and have a storied history. We are looking forward to bringing a higher caliber of hockey to Hampton Roads and continuing the tradition of quality hockey in the area.-Al MacIsaac Admirals who advanced to the NHL:
Aubin, Serge Colorado Avalanche
Bissett, Tom Detroit Red Wings
Brunette, Andrew Washington/Nashville/Atlanta
Dafoe, Byron Washington/L.A./Boston
Downey, Aaron Boston
Duffus, Parris Hampton Roads Phoenix
Gagnon, Dave Hampton Roads Detroit
Halverson, Trevor Washington
King, Scott Detroit
Kolzig, Olaf Washington
Lalime, Patrick Pittsburgh/Ottawa
Morissette, Dave Montreal
Mulhern, Ryan Washington
Poapst, Steve Washington
Valiquette, Steve NY Islanders |
