Hampton Gulls

The Hampton Gulls were a professional team based in Hampton, Virginia and were a farm team for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. The Gulls were a member of the Southern Hockey League for three seasons from 1974–75 to 1976–77, and the American Hockey League for one season in 1977–78. John Brophy was the team's coach for all four seasons.
In 1974, the Fayetteville Arsenal, and expansion team in the SHL, failed to secure home ice and scheduled dates. The Arsenal wound up as the Hampton Gulls just as the season opened. The Gulls were able to secure plenty of available dates at the Hampton Coliseum, because the Virginia Wings of the AHL had changed their home arena across the Hampton Roads bay in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Gulls played three winning seasons in the SHL, and were the league's regular season champions in 1977. When the league folded after that season, the Gulls were approved as an expansion franchise in the AHL. Due to the financial strain in the higher league, the Gulls were unable to complete the 1977–78 schedule, folding on February 10, 1978. 
Minor professional hockey would return five seasons later in 1982–83, as the Hampton Roads Gulls of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League.
This market was previously home to:
* Virginia Wings (1972–1975 of the American Hockey League)
The franchise was replaced by:
* Hampton Roads Gulls (1982–1983 ACHL)
* Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL (1989–2000)
* Norfolk Admirals of the AHL (2000 – present)
==Yearly results==
* Hampton Gulls 1974–1977 (Southern Hockey League)
* Hampton Gulls 1977–1978 (American Hockey League)
Season 	League	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Winning Pct (%)	Goalsfor	Goalsagainst	Standing
1974–75	SHL 	72 	43 	28 	1 	87 	0.604 	323 	262 	2nd overall
1975–76	SHL 	72 	33 	23 	16 	82 	0.569 	262 	234 	2nd overall
1976–77	SHL 	50 	32 	16 	2 	66 	0.660 	198 	152 	1st overall
1977–78	AHL 	46 	15 	28 	3 	33 	0.359 	142 	171 	5th South
==External links==
*SHL statistics - hockeydb.com
*AHL statistics - hockeydb.com
Category:American Hockey League team
Category:American ice hockey teams