It’s a cold winter night in Norfolk, and droves of fans are lining up outside of Scope decked out in the familiar blue, white and yellow of the Admirals. A walk into the cavernous arena seems more cozy when surrounded by a raucous crowd cheering on net-bulging shots and sparring melees along the boards. It’s a scene that is reminiscent of past glory, when the team won three titles in an eight-year span in the 1990s.
The fans again have something to cheer about now as the Norfolk Admirals have quietly been putting together a strong start to the season. They’re currently second in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference North Division, four points behind leader Adirondack with a 14-9-2-1 record.
“The crowds have been louder, said head coach Jeff Carr. “We’re more competitive this season and we’re giving them something to cheer for. We absolutely love our fans — some of the best in the league.”
The Admirals are well on their way to surpassing their win total of 21 from last season. They’re currently third in the conference in goals scored (87), fifth in the league in power-play percentage (26.0) and first in penalty-kill percentage (86.2) — a vast improvement from the previous year, when they finished 24th in the league in goals scored (203), 24th in power-play percentage (16.0) and 25th in penalty-kill percentage (77.0).
The Admirals had previously finished in the bottom two of the division standings since rejoining the ECHL in the 2015-16 season.
“We’ve had a really good start to the season,” team captain Mathieu Roy said. “We have a young team that wants to win games. “I’m playing with two young guys on my line — it’s kind of funny because I’m almost double their age.
“It’s good to show them the way. I’m enjoying my time right now, especially winning and showing those kids the ropes.”
Roy leads the Admirals with 11 goals and 12 assists. The two players he mentioned playing on the same line with are Justin Robidas, who’s second on the team with nine goals and 13 assists, and Carson Golder, who has registered 12 goals and nine assists.
“Last year, I was one of the oldest in the league and you get here — I’m playing with a 37-year-old and get to play against older players,” said Robidas, who is a ’21 fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes who previously starred in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “It’s a big adjustment. The guys here are bigger, stronger and obviously older.”
The trio have combined for 15 of the team’s 20 power-play goals. Golder, also in his rookie season on an AHL contract with the Manitoba Moose — a minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets — has fired in eight when on the ice with a man-advantage.
Another seven players have registered double figures in points, including last year’s leading scorer, Ryan Foss.
“Our line, we all have each other’s back and our power play (lineup) is doing great,” Roy said. “But if we don’t have a good night, I think we have guys that can put the puck in the net and that’s what we’ve been doing all year. All four lines can create some offense and that’s huge for a team.”
Added Robidas: “We’ve got great depth, and our four lines can contribute. We have a little bit of everything, some skill and some grit. We’re pretty well balanced and that’s why a lot of guys can contribute on the scoreboard.”
The current three-game skid to the Reading Royals is the Admirals’ longest losing stretch this season and coincides with the loss of the two rookie goalies they started the season with — Thomas Milic and Yaniv Perets, who were called up the ranks by their respective clubs, Winnipeg and Carolina. Both ranked in the top 10 in goals-against average. Perets was promoted to the Hurricanes on Dec. 16. Milic, also among the leaders in wins and shutouts, was brought up to Manitoba six days later.
“We’re trying to figure things out,” Robidas said of the mini-slump. “We lost our two goalies and that doesn’t help. We just got to go back to the basics and try and have fun again.
“It’s a long season and, obviously, there’s going to be some rough patches. But I think we have the group to be able to dig us out of these situations.”
Coach Carr said that despite their early-season success, there are things to work on. He pointed out that the Admirals lead the league in penalty minutes and are amongst the leaders in power-play and penalty-kill — something that is unsustainable.
“The margin of error gets tighter as the season progresses,” Carr said. “We need to get back to playing desperate hockey — winning wall battles, making friends with the referees and re-writing our identity that plays hard-nosed hockey whistle to whistle.
“And not taking stupid penalties in crucial points of the game.”
The attendance figures at Scope are averaging almost 3,000 per home game this season in an arena with a reported capacity of 8,701. But judging by the crowd noise, it feels like it’s double that.
“Any time we score a goal or we need that energy, the crowd’s behind us,” Roy said. “It’s very loud out there. It’s fun and you can feel it.
“We have a lot of good hockey still to give them and we’re fighting for a playoff spot. That’s the ultimate goal.”
