The Norfolk Admirals have a new parent club, as the team has announced an affiliation with the Nashville Predators. The agreement, which will begin with the 2017-18 ECHL season, marks the end of the Admirals’ run as an affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.
“After a thorough process, the Nashville Predators are the perfect fit for the city of Norfolk and the Admirals. Their proven history of community outreach, innovative marketing, player development and winning is everything Admirals fans demand of us,” Admirals president Michael Santos stated.
Predators director of hockey operations Brian Poile represented the new parent club at the event and said, “As an organization, we’re a big believer in the direction the Admirals are headed. We love having committed relationships with our affiliates for a variety of reasons, not limited to only player development.”
The Milwaukee Admirals will continue to serve as the American Hockey League affiliate for the Predators, the bridge between Nashville and Norfolk.
Since their inception in 1998, 35 Predators have been ECHL alumnus, including players such as Tomas Vokoun, Vern Fiddler and Anthony Bitetto.
This announcement comes as the first of three major organizational changes this summer for the Admirals. A new logo and jerseys will be revealed prior to the season.
The Admirals will kick off their 2017-18 campaign in October, with the home opener coming on Friday the 27th against the South Carolina Stingrays.