The official start to the 2008 Norfolk Admirals hockey season is still a couple weeks away, but don’t tell the players. They’ve been training hard all summer long in hopes of advancing their careers. For the first time in years Admirals training camp opened up this week at the home barn. Not at Chilled Ponds in Chesapeake, but at Norfolk Scope. Nobody is more happy about being at Scope than the guys that tote the equipment back and forth.

Twenty nine players were invited to camp. Thirteen players are either under contract with the Admirals or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Being under contract is nice, but it doesn’t guarantee a spot on the team. So that means they have to make an impression on new head coach Darren Rumble. Rumble said that he remembers being nervous at the beginning of his early training camp days. He also said that the teams first scrimmage was a big sloppy, but that was to be expected.

This being the start of camp, the players were put through a gut wrenching, leg burning skating workout. It was easy to see which players were in shape at the end of practice when they did the “bag drill.” Fifteen laps around the nets in under 4 minutes. Not once, but twice! Made me yearn for the days when I was in training!

The new scoreboard and end zone video boards look really cool and I saw some fresh paint on the barn floor, so you Admiral fans are not going to recognize the place! Yea right! With the parting shot in place, just want to say, I’m looking forward to seeing the new team in place and working on a winning season. See you at the game.

Chris