| League | National Hockey League |
|---|---|
| Team history | Proposed expansion franchise in 1997 |
| Based in | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Arena | Unbuilt Downtown Norfolk arena |
| Colors | Teal, purple, blue |
| Owner | George Shinn |
The Hampton Roads Rhinos were a potential National Hockey League expansion team that was to begin play in the late-1990s in Norfolk, Virginia. The franchise would have been 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 an NHL franchise calling Hampton Roads home ended with the relocation of the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh, North Carolina, less than 190 miles (310 km) southwest of Norfolk.