Crunch, Admirals Change Affiliates

This year’s Calder Cup winning team will be relocating for the next season, as the Tampa Bay Lightning – previously affiliated with the Admirals – have agreed to an affiliation with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.

Other than the obvious question of “What comes next?”, the most important result of this affiliation change is the fact that the Norfolk Admirals will be raising a Calder Cup Champions banner in October…. with a team on the ice that didn’t win it.

Just a little awkward, right? Perhaps the AHL will agree to raise the banner at a game featuring the ‘new’ Admirals roster facing off against the championship roster – that way, the Lightning minor leaguers who earned the banner will be together to see it raised.

The Admirals have yet to announce a new NHL affiliation; that information is expected to be released shortly.