Norfolk Admirals: Game-day guide for Friday’s season opener at Scope
The Norfolk Admirals hit the ice tonight at Scope for the club’s first game since the 2019 season — a layoff of nearly 600 days. Here’s what you need to know:
What’s new?
The Admirals announced a new affiliation this summer with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. The Raleigh, North Carolina, franchise welcomed the ECHL Admirals to a development system that includes its top affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Norfolk’s previous NHL affiliates included Chicago, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Edmonton, Nashville and Arizona.
COVID policy
The Admirals will not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for fans at Scope, and masks are not required. The Admirals have implemented cashless transactions for merchandise, and touch-less payment options are available at concession stands.
Honoring Blake
Before tonight’s game, the Admirals will honor Blake Cullen, who purchased an expansion franchise he christened the Hampton Roads Admirals for the 1989-90 season and owned the team until 1996. Cullen, 85, died in March.
Got tickets?
Tickets for regular-season games start at $15 and are available at the Scope box office and on the Admirals’ and Ticketmaster websites.
Freebies and promos
Tonight, the first 5,000 fans at Scope will receive a free magnet schedule. Other notable promotions at Scope this season include: Teddy Bear Toss (Dec. 11), Pucks & Paws (Dec. 18), Virginia Slices Night (Jan. 9) and Pink in the Rink (Feb. 19).
On Virginia Slices Night, the Admirals will be rebranded for a night as the Virginia Slices Hockey Team, and the night will include limited-edition merchandise, specialty jerseys, a koozie giveaway and a special ticket package with pizza slices.
Virginia native
Looking for a Virginia native to root for? Kyle Rhodes, a 23-year-old defenseman from Powhatan, signed with the Admirals in August. Rhodes, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, spent the 2020-21 season with the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.
On the air
Every ECHL regular-season game, along with the league’s all-star game and playoffs, will stream on FloHockey.tv. A subscription is required. The Admirals’ radio broadcasts are available on smartphones via the Mixlr app from the Google Play or Apple app store, and on computers at mixlr.com/norfolk-admirals.
Weston DeWitt returns for his second season as the Admirals’ play-by-play broadcaster, and he’ll be joined on a rotating basis by Blaine McCormick and Pat Shetler, a former NHL referee and once a member of the Philadelphia Flyers’ broadcast team.
Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
