NORFOLK, VA – Changing affiliations usually does not garner much notice because it usually happensduring the off-season. When it occurs in the middle of a season, it gets attention.
Tuesday afternoon, the NHL’s Nashville Predators and its AHL affiliate in Milwaukee announced the immediate termination of the teams affiliation with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Specific reasons were not given for the termination.
Late in the day on Tuesday, the termination was announced by the Norfolk organization:
The ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals today announced the organization is no longer affiliated with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. The team will remain in Norfolk and continue to have a strong presence in the community.
“The affiliation change announced today does not affect the normal daily operations of the team or the Admirals’ organization as a whole, but is a sign of the commitment this organization has to do whatever it takes to ensure the team’s success here in Hampton Roads,” said Chief Revenue Officer Trent Ferguson. “The only thing that drives our business and team decisions is our continued mission to create a shining organization that this area can be proud of.”
The decision does not affect the status of Head Coach Robbie Ftorek and his staff.
The Admirals will continue the season on the road in Jacksonville with a pair of games on Thursday and Saturday against the Icemen.
According to multiple published reports, the working agreement may have been strained when Norfolk fired team president Michael Santos earlier in November. Santos is considered to have been the driving force in bringing the Predators and Admirals together.
Defenseman Rick Pinkston and goalie Matt O’Connor, both of whom had spent time in Norfolk, were reassigned to the Atlanta Gladiators from Milwaukee as part of the change. Forward Trevor Mingoia was recalled by Milwaukee on Tuesday and is expected to be sent to Atlanta if he is reassigned by the AHL club back to the ECHL.
Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews
You must be logged in to post a comment.