Hampton Roads Rhinos 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 . 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 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 . 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 shop , 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 . Proposed arena . In November 1996 , Shinn announced that his preferred site for an arena would be in Downtown Norfolk 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 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 .