Admirals announce captains


10/06/05 -AHL-NORFOLK, VA - Today, the Norfolk Admirals announced
that Ajay Baines will once again serve as team captain for the 2005-
06 season. Additionally, Quintin Laing and Shawn Thornton have been
named assistant captains for 2005-06.


Baines, 27, is in his sixth season with Norfolk, and has been named
captain for the fourth consecutive year. He became the third captain
in franchise history at the start of the 2002-03 season. The
Kamloops, BC, native is the Admirals' all-time regular season games
played leader with 377 games in a Norfolk uniform. Baines is second
in Admirals career goals (61), assists (103) and points (167).

Laing, 26, is also in his sixth season as an Admiral. He has served
as an assistant captain briefly over the past two years. A native of
Harris, SK, the winger has appeared in 284 Admirals career games,
posting 33 goals and 51 assists for 84 points. Laing made his NHL
debut in a three-game stint with the Blackhawks in 2004.

Thornton, 28, begins his fifth season with the Admirals. He was
first named assistant captain during the 2002-03 campaign, and has
since worn an ?A' on his uniform each season. Last year, the Oshawa,
ON, native appeared in his 500th AHL career game and became the
first Admiral to surpass 1,000 Norfolk career penalty minutes. He
begins the 2005-06 season in fourth place on the AHL's all-time PIM
leaders list with 2,231 PIM.

The Admirals begin their sixth AHL campaign with a pair of home
matches against East Division rival Bridgeport (NY Islanders) this
Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th at 7:15 p.m. each
night.

Norfolk Admirals
Release