Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)

The Norfolk Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play for the 2015-16 season. Based in Norfolk, Virginia and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers for 2015-16 and 2016-17 and switched to the Nashville Predators for the 2017-18 season, the team plays its home games at the Norfolk Scope.

The Admirals replaced the American Hockey League team of the same name, which played from the 2000–01 season until the end of the 2014–15 season, after which they moved to San Diego, California to become the newest incarnation of the San Diego Gulls.

History
On January 29, 2015, the Anaheim Ducks announced that they would be moving their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, to San Diego as one of five charter member's of the AHL's new Pacific Division. The next day, the Edmonton Oilers announced that their outgoing ECHL team, the Bakersfield Condors (who will be supplanted by a new Bakersfield Condors of the AHL), will move to Norfolk and take on the Admirals name and logo.

Admirals hockey in Norfolk actually began in the ECHL, where the Hampton Roads Admirals played from 1989 until 2000, when the ownership group purchased an AHL franchise license, changed the name to the Norfolk Admirals, and began play as an AHL expansion team starting with the 2000-01 season. The original ECHL Admirals' run was very successful, winning three Kelly Cups in 1991, 1992 and 1998 respectively, an ECHL record which has since been tied by the Alaska Aces and the South Carolina Stingrays.

2017-18 Affiliation with Nashville
As part of becoming a Nashville Predators affiliate for the 2017-18 season, the team changed its logo on June 1, 2017 droping the red from the team colors and adjusting the blue and yellow to match the Predators colors. A nautical rope is featured around the outside of the logo, embracing yet another tie to the naval region. The original 1989 Hampton Roads Admirals logo remains in tact in the center of the new crest, however the navy blue and gold colors have been reversed. Five stars signify grade of Fleet Admiral, which was given to the highest-ranking officer in the US Navy.