Hampton Roads Rhinos
Encyclopedia
The Hampton Roads Rhinos were a proposed National Hockey League
(NHL) expansion team
in the late-1990s to play in Norfolk
, Virginia
. The franchise would be 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 ended with the relocation
of the Hartford Whalers
to Raleigh, North Carolina
.
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.
With an agreement in principle for the construction of an arena, Shinn and the Rhinos ownership met with Gary Bettman
and other NHL officials in New York
to make their official pitch for one of the expansion franchises. Leaving the meetings, once though as being a long shot, some persons present for the Rhinos' presentation stated Hampton Roads had moved up as the fourth option for expansion with Columbus. Furthermore, Hartford Whalers
owner Peter Karmanos, Jr.
was so impressed with the presentation that he stated he would now consider moving the franchise to Norfolk if an expansion franchise was not awarded for the 1997-98 season. However, on February 19, 1997, the NHL turned down Shinn's bid to bring a franchise to Norfolk. The league stated the region's East Coast location, lack of political unity and relatively small size as being the factors leading to the league rejecting the Norfolk bid. Although Shinn indicated he would move an existing franchise if not granted an expansion franchise, the Whalers relocated to Raleigh and became the Carolina Hurricanes
in May 1997. The ability to attract an NHL team to Norfolk ended with this relocation as the Hurricanes would be in too close proximity to a Norfolk franchise.
between the Norfolk Scope
and the MacArthur Center
. The location was selected over a site adjacent to Harbor Park
and one adjacent to Regent University
in Virginia Beach due to its central location within the greater Hampton Roads
region. The final location for the proposed arena was to be in the block bound by St. Paul's Boulevard, Monticello and Brambleton Avenues, and would require the demolition of a then Howard Johnson hotel
. In January 1997, Shinn and area leaders came to an agreement as to how to finance construction of the arena.
The proposed facility would have had seating for approximately 20,000 spectators and a parking garage
for 1,000 vehicles at a cost of an estimated $143 million and be under the ownership of the Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority. Its construction costs would come from the sale of 30-year municipal bond
s issued by the Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority with an estimated annual debt payment of $8.8 million. The payments would come from a combination of taxes generated by the arena (estimated at $4.8 million), contributions from area localities ($2.3 million), rent from the Rhinos ($1 million) and arena naming rights
($700,000). The area localities contributing to the debt payment on the arena included the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake
, Portsmouth
, Suffolk
, Newport News
, Hampton
, Poquoson
, Williamsburg
and Franklin
, and counties of Isle of Wight
, York
, Gloucester
, Southampton
and James City
.
In mid-January, the Hampton Roads Partnership announced construction of the arena would generate an annual profit of $777,000. However by the end of the month, all of the respective mayors and county commissioners determined that votes would be delayed relevant to financing arena construction until the NHL awarded the Hampton Roads an expansion franchise. By mid-February the Virginia General Assembly
passed legislation allowing for some of the sales tax
generated by the proposed arena to be used in debt repayment. With the league rejecting the Norfolk expansion bid, the proposed arena was not constructed.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in the late-1990s to play in Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The franchise would be under the ownership of George Shinn
George Shinn
George Shinn is the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets as well the Charlotte Knights and Gastonia Rangers minor league baseball teams along with the Raleigh/Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. He purchased the Hornets for $32,500,000 in 1987...
and play in a proposed $142 million arena to be constructed in Downtown Norfolk
Downtown Norfolk, Virginia
As the traditional center of shipping and port activities in the Hampton Roads region, Norfolk, Virginia's downtown waterfront historically played host to numerous and often noxious port and shipping-related uses...
. 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 ended with the relocation
Relocation of professional sports teams
Relocation of professional sports teams is a practice which involves a sporting franchise moving from one metropolitan area to another, although occasionally moves between municipalities in the same conurbation are also included...
of the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
to Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
History
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 AdmiralsHampton Roads Admirals
The Hampton Roads Admirals were an American professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena....
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
Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope is a multipurpose culture, entertainment, convention and sports arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell...
and Hampton Coliseum
Hampton Coliseum
The Hampton Coliseum is a multi-use cultural, entertainment and sports arena in Hampton, Virginia. Construction on the arena began on May 24, 1968 and the venue opened in 1970 as the first large multi-purpose arena in the Hampton Roads region and the state of Virginia, opening a year prior to...
were too small to host a NHL team.
By 1996 George Shinn
George Shinn
George Shinn is the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets as well the Charlotte Knights and Gastonia Rangers minor league baseball teams along with the Raleigh/Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. He purchased the Hornets for $32,500,000 in 1987...
, owner of the then Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(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
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
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
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
was the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a major professional sports franchise and was in competition with Atlanta, Houston, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
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
Season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
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.
With an agreement in principle for the construction of an arena, Shinn and the Rhinos ownership met with Gary Bettman
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
and other NHL officials in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to make their official pitch for one of the expansion franchises. Leaving the meetings, once though as being a long shot, some persons present for the Rhinos' presentation stated Hampton Roads had moved up as the fourth option for expansion with Columbus. Furthermore, Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
owner Peter Karmanos, Jr.
Peter Karmanos, Jr.
Peter Karmanos, Jr. is the CEO of Compuware Corporation and owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, Plymouth Whalers and Florida Everblades hockey franchises...
was so impressed with the presentation that he stated he would now consider moving the franchise to Norfolk if an expansion franchise was not awarded for the 1997-98 season. However, on February 19, 1997, the NHL turned down Shinn's bid to bring a franchise to Norfolk. The league stated the region's East Coast location, lack of political unity and relatively small size as being the factors leading to the league rejecting the Norfolk bid. Although Shinn indicated he would move an existing franchise if not granted an expansion franchise, the Whalers relocated to Raleigh and became the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
in May 1997. The ability to attract an NHL team to Norfolk ended with this relocation as the Hurricanes would be in too close proximity to a Norfolk franchise.
Proposed arena
In November 1996, Shinn announced that his preferred site for an arena would be in Downtown NorfolkDowntown Norfolk, Virginia
As the traditional center of shipping and port activities in the Hampton Roads region, Norfolk, Virginia's downtown waterfront historically played host to numerous and often noxious port and shipping-related uses...
between the Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope is a multipurpose culture, entertainment, convention and sports arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell...
and the MacArthur Center
MacArthur Center
The MacArthur Center is a shopping center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is majority-owned and operated by the Taubman Company.-Mall Highlights:...
. The location was selected over a site adjacent to Harbor Park
Harbor Park
Harbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It has been rated the best minor league stadium by Baseball America. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International...
and one adjacent to Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
in Virginia Beach due to its central location within the greater Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
region. The final location for the proposed arena was to be in the block bound by St. Paul's Boulevard, Monticello and Brambleton Avenues, and would require the demolition of a then Howard Johnson hotel
Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's is a chain of hotels and restaurants, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with over 1,000 restaurants...
. In January 1997, Shinn and area leaders came to an agreement as to how to finance construction of the arena.
The proposed facility would have had seating for approximately 20,000 spectators and a parking garage
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
for 1,000 vehicles at a cost of an estimated $143 million and be under the ownership of the Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority. Its construction costs would come from the sale of 30-year municipal bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
s issued by the Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority with an estimated annual debt payment of $8.8 million. The payments would come from a combination of taxes generated by the arena (estimated at $4.8 million), contributions from area localities ($2.3 million), rent from the Rhinos ($1 million) and arena naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
($700,000). The area localities contributing to the debt payment on the arena included the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
, Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, Hampton
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
, Poquoson
Poquoson, Virginia
Poquoson is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula, in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 12,150 according to the 2010 Census...
, Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
and Franklin
Franklin, Virginia
Franklin is an independent city in Virginia. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton county for statistical purposes. The population was 8,582 in 2010.-History:...
, and counties of Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, York
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
, Gloucester
Gloucester County, Virginia
Gloucester County is within the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, the county was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it...
, Southampton
Southampton County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,570 people, 6,279 households, and 4,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
and James City
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
.
In mid-January, the Hampton Roads Partnership announced construction of the arena would generate an annual profit of $777,000. However by the end of the month, all of the respective mayors and county commissioners determined that votes would be delayed relevant to financing arena construction until the NHL awarded the Hampton Roads an expansion franchise. By mid-February the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
passed legislation allowing for some of the sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
generated by the proposed arena to be used in debt repayment. With the league rejecting the Norfolk expansion bid, the proposed arena was not constructed.