Hampton Roads Rhinos
| League | National Hockey League |
|---|---|
| Team history | Proposed expansion franchise in 1997 |
| Based in | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Arena | Unbuilt Downtown Norfolk arena |
| Colors | Teal, purple, blue |
| Owner(s) | George Shinn |
The Hampton Roads Rhinos were a potential National Hockey League expansion team that was to begin play in the late-1990s in Norfolk, Virginia. The franchise would have been under the ownership of George Shinn and play in a proposed $142 million arena to be constructed in Downtown Norfolk. After making a push to sell season tickets and reaching an agreement in principle to construct the arena, the NHL rejected the Norfolk bid for an expansion franchise in February 1997. By the following May, the prospect of a NHL franchise calling the Hampton Roads home ended with the relocation of the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh, North Carolina.
The prospect of attracting a NHL franchise to Norfolk was initially explored in the early 1990s. A NHL franchise became the best option in attracting a professional sports team to the region based on its lower expansion fee (approximately $50 million in 1994) and the success of the Hampton Roads Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In November 1994, the Hampton Roads Sports Authority released a report indicating the region could support a NHL franchise and that in order to attract one a 20,000 seat arena would have to be constructed as both the Norfolk Scope and Hampton Coliseum were too small to host a NHL team.
By 1996 George Shinn, owner of the then Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), indicated that he was looking to the Hampton Roads as a potential location for a NHL expansion team. Shinn met several times with local officials and indicated that he was looking at both Norfolk and Raleigh, North Carolina as potential cities to develop an expansion bid. Shinn indicated that if awarded as franchise it would be called the Rhinos with the team colors being teal, purple and blue. On November 1, 1996, Shinn officially submitted an application to the NHL for one of the four expansion franchise slots to play in Norfolk. At the time of application the Hampton Roads was the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a major professional sports franchise and was in competition with Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, Columbus, Hamilton, St. Paul, Oklahoma City and Raleigh for a franchise. At this time Shinn also indicated if an expansion franchise was not awarded to the city, he would look to relocate an existing franchise to Norfolk if an arena was constructed and season ticket sales were positive. Following the announcement of the bid, Shinn initiated a season ticket drive with the stated goal of selling 10,000 with deposits of $100 per ticket. Although season ticket sales only reached 5,160 sold of the stated goal of 10,000 by January 1997, Rhinos officials remained optimistic about their chances of securing an expansion franchise.
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