Admirals Insider 2.0 - New President, No Election Necessary.

NORFOLK, VA. - Yesterday was an eventful one in Admirals country due to the hiring and introduction of team president Michael Santos, so Admirals Insider had to take a back seat. Have no fear though; we're here with a special Tuesday edition.

THIS PAST WEEK (+1) IN ADMIRALS HOCKEY: (Monday, October 31 - Tuesday, November 8)

It was another tough weekend for the crew as the Florida Everblades continued their impressive start to the season, earning both wins in the series.

Friday night the home team jumped out to a 1-0 lead but Alex Ranger struck for his first of the year to set the slate back to even as both sides split for the opening intermission. Ranger's tally was a determined second effort, however it would be the only tally the squad would get all evening. Thanks to three goals in the second frame the Everblades were able to put the nail in the coffin, earning the 4-1 win. Goaltender Eetu Laurikainen was pulled after the fourth goal due to misjudging a stop that led to an easy finish for Matt Berry on a rebound, the first time this season the Fin was yanked. Connor Knapp was impressive in relief, stopping all 14 sent his way and earning the start in Saturday's tilt.

Unfortunately night two didn't fair too much better as Florida prevailed 3-1. After 40 minutes of hockey the home team had a 3-0 lead and a shots advantage of 36-14. Certainly it has been a tough start to the season for the Admirals but Florida is another team to watch this year. Depending on how many call-up's they have over the course of this season, the current roster they are touting could certainly take them very fair. I.E., they still haven't lost in regulation a month into the season. The highlight for the Ads came when forward Jaedon Descheneau, one of three newcomers this weekend, earned his first professional goal in the third period when he deflected home a blast from Sam Noreau. Descheneau was joined by Darik Angeli (acquired in a trade with Florida on Wednesday) and Troy Power (signed from free agency last Monday), in making their team debut on the road.

Off-the-ice, the team hired a new President yesterday! Michael Santos joins the organization with 27 years of experience, including working for the National Hockey League itself. Santos' office will be at Norfolk, he will be at all home games and yes, you will have the chance to introduce yourself and meet him. The organization officially welcomed him yesterday with a gathering at aLatte Cafe on Granby Street and Mr. Santos has immediately assumed his duties. This is an exciting move for both the business and on-ice side of the Admirals and we hope you are able to all meet Michael soon.

LOOKING AHEAD: (Tuesday, November 8 - Monday, November 14)

The team begins a five game home stand on Friday, their second longest of the entire season. Manchester and Atlanta are in town Friday and they'll both present a tough test to the boys in blue and gold (and red and yellow and white, okay, you get it.)

Manchester comes in at 5-4-0-1, third in the north behind Adirondack and Reading. Justin Agosta is a name you'll want to keep an eye out for this weekend in the black sweaters. The defenseman who dawns #12 is tied for the league-lead in plus/minus at +10, so good things are happening when he is on the ice. He spent last year with Florida and was a big add for the Monarchs blue line. Additionally, a hot start against Manchester is a MUST. The team is 5-0-0 when leading after two periods, so the Admirals will have to strike early to gain success, something that has not come easy for Norfolk. On the other side of the coin, both Darik Angeli and Troy Power, two of the newest faces for the Admirals, both spent last season in Manchester. We shall see if that provides a little extra spark in their home debut.

Saturday night the Atlanta Gladiators come to town and as of today, hoist a 5-4-1-1 record. Whoever defends the cage for the Admirals is going to have their work cut out for them and will be a facing a team that leads the league in goals scored (42). Brock Higgs (#21) has led the charge for Hotlanta with 14 points in 11 games, something that isn't overly surprising considering he had 42 points in 69 games last year. Yes, these two teams met in preseason but that's such a distant memory and both teams have had roughly a 75% roster turnover rate since then, but if you care, the Glads took that game 7-4.

What did we learn? Two more tough battles await the Admirals this weekend.

THIS WEEKEND'S PROMOTIONS:

Friday is Military Appreciation Night, which includes $11 tickets at the door for those with a Military ID. If you have a group of 15 or more, give us a buzz at the office (757-640-1212) and we'll hook you up at just $9 a ticket.

Saturday is Super Hero Night. Tidewater Comicon will be here to take some pictures pregame and have some fun. If you are a firefighter, first responder, police officer, teacher, or anything that you believe qualifies yourself as a local hero, bring your badge or ID and you are eligible for $11 tickets at the door as well.

ADMIRALS LEADERS (SKATERS):Goals: Domenic Alberga and Nick MacNeil (2)Assists: Aaron Harstad (3)Points: Aaron Harstad, Josh Brittain and Nick MacNeil (3)Power Play Goals: Domenic Alberga (1)Shorthanded Goals: N/A+/-: Jeff DiNallo and Troy Power (-1)Penalty Minutes: Gabriel Verpaelst (34)

ADMIRALS LEADERS (GOALIES):Games Played: Eetu Laurikainen (6)Wins: Eetu Laurikainen (1)Losses: Eetu Laurikainen (4+1)Minutes: Eetu Laurikainen (331)Goals Against Average: Connor Knapp (2.39)Save Percentage: Connor Knapp (.929)

SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T KNOW:Now for the fun part! Three-parter today.

1) New President Michael Santos was in former Admirals head coach Jon Cooper's wedding. How cool is that?

2) Mr. Santos was also part of the group that created what we know as today's NHL All-Star Weekend Skills Competition.

3) Admirals media is continuing to make moves. The new website is close to completion, but in the mean time, we're thrilled to announce we've partnered with DASH, Digital Auction Showdown.

Some of you right now are probably wondering, what the heck is DASH? Grab your phone, head to the App Store or Android Marketplace, or whatever it is you may have and just search "DASH Auction". It's free, seriously. DASH is a sports memorabilia auction app designed to enhance a fan's experience before, during and after a game and allows fans to get the most authentic memorabilia and team experiences right from their mobile device.

We've got some super cool things here in the office that we've been hanging on to and it's time we make them available to you. A few weeks ago on Brophy Night we gave away a John Brophy bobble head that we originally gave away years ago and it led to many fans asked where it came from and why we just had stuff like this stored away. It was a great and valid question, so we're going to change that.

These are going to be one-of-a-kind items and experiences that you'll have the chance to add to your Admirals collection. We have original and authentic stuff from the Hampton Roads Admirals days, unique and new experiences that will allow you to be closer to the team than ever and even a signed Corey Crawford (yes, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford) Admirals jersey. A lot of what you'll be bidding on is stuff that there is only one quantity of. Once that signed Crawford jersey goes, we don't have another. That's it. So again, head to the place where you download apps, grab "DASH Auction" and get ready for some fun.

*Okay but what if I'm an Admirals fan that lives in California these days*

Not a problem at all. We'll ship your winnings to you.

*How do I bid on the stuff?*

It's like eBay, just without the fees and stuff. You enter a credit/debit card and DASH handles all the charges. They've got staff available that can answer any other of your questions as well.

This should be a great new venture for us and we're all excited to be partnering with the DASH crew. We're intending on getting our first auction up within the next week.

Until then!