CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- As the puck gets set to drop on another season for the Norfolk Admirals, a mix of returners and newcomers has eyes on turning things around on the ice.
The Admirals practiced Tuesday at Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake as they prepare for Friday's season opener at Savannah. Whether it's coaches, players or fans, there's no shortage of excitement around the rink.
"We had a long offseason," head coach and general manager Jeff Carr said. "Just so good to be back here. The guys rejuvenate so much energy into the building."
"This is what all of us live for," added defenseman Ian White. "We want to get out here, get the season going and do something that matters, something we all grew up doing and loving so we're all itching to get the season underway."
Norfolk will certainly be looking to get off to a better start than it did a year ago. The Admirals stumbled out of the gate, winning just six of its first 40 games before finding a little bit more success during the second half of the campaign. When the dust settled, the team finished with a record of 21-46-2-3. The 21 wins and 47 points were the worst in the ECHL.
"The start of last season was rough," White recalled. "Fortunately, halfway through, we were able to turn it around and play better coming down the stretch and now we've got something to prove."
"This was a 6-36 team and we actually settled in a roster and went .500 the back half of the year with kind of a makeshift roster," Carr noted. "Now we're all so thrilled that we're all collective this year."
Carr took over the team early last season and is entering his first full campaign as head coach and general manager. He pointed out that the current staff inherited some issues when they assumed their roles, but now they're all starting with a shared belief and goal.
"We have a lot more harder decisions this year I think," he said. "There's a lot of guys, a lot of stiff competition. They're tough problems to solve and we might not solve all of them right at the start, but they're good problems to have."
Norfolk is juggling returning players, rookies, futures picks, assignments from Carolina and players from Winnipeg, its new parent NHL organization. That gives them a large pool of talent coming in that they have to trim down. The team will have its opening game roster finalized Thursday.
The Admirals open their season Friday night at Savannah at 7:30 PM. Hockey fans in Hampton Roads can catch their first game at the Scope next Wednesday, October 25, at 7:05 PM against Worcester.
