Osmundson, 25, a right wing who grew up in the Hampton Roads Whalers’ junior program and played in college in New York for Utica, began last season by playing 16 games with the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Huntsville Havoc.

Then he compiled nine goals and 20 assists in 43 regular-season games with the ECHL’s Admirals after being signed in midseason. He had two goals and two assists in eight playoff games.

His plus-20 rating in the regular season equaled the team’s best.

“Brandon came in on a call-up and provided a spark for our club,” Admirals general manager/coach Jeff Carr said in a team release. “As time went on, his spark turned into sustained energy and stability on the penalty kill and depth-center minutes.”

“I’m super-excited to be back home in Norfolk for the upcoming season,” Osmundson said in that release. “The team made significant improvements last year and we look to continue that into this season.”

Osmundson joined returnees Brady Fleurent and Josh McDougall in signing for the 2024-25 season as well as newcomer Pavel Padakin, who had 11 goals and 19 assists for Polish team GKS Tychy.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed in a release from the Admirals on Tuesday.

Carr, 39, led Norfolk to its first playoff berth in 10 years after the club’s winningest regular season since 2011-12. The Admirals had their first winning record since moving from the AHL to the ECHL in 2015-16 and won a first-round playoff series against Trois-Rivieres.

“The opportunity in continuing to help build a world-class team in a prominent pro hockey city was a no-brainer for me,” Carr said in a release. “Working side-by-side with our first-class ownership and affiliates to develop our players and bringing a winner to this city inspires me daily.”

Carr, a Wisconsin native, took over as Admirals head coach eight games into the 2022-23 season after a 1-7 start. The Admirals compiled an ECHL-low 47 points that season, finishing with 21 victories and finishing last in the North Division.

But in the 2023-24 season — Norfolk’s second as an affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose — the Admirals finished with 41 wins and 89 points and were second in the division.

“Our commitment to Hampton Roads remains unwavering as we focus on delivering top-tier entertainment with a competitive spirit,” Admirals owner and CEO Patrick Cavanagh said. “This multi-year agreement with Coach Carr underscores our dedication to creating unforgettable experiences while striving towards our championship-caliber goals.”

Carr began his coaching career in 2012 and was the SPHL Coach of the Year with the Knoxville Ice Bears in 2022. Carr was named an Admirals assistant coach in August 2022.

“I want to thank my wife and family for always supporting me on this hockey journey,” Carr said. “I’d also like to thank the Cavanaghs for the belief in bringing me here and extending for years to come. Most of all, I’d like to thank all the people that I get the pleasure to work with, which is the hockey operations and front-office staff, our historic fanbase, and most of all, the players that put in an incredible amount of effort into the Norfolk Admirals sweater.”

“The Norfolk Admirals are proud to continue our affiliation with the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose,” said Patrick Cavanagh, Admirals owner and Chief Executive Officer. “Our organizations share a commitment focused on winning and a constant emphasis on comprehensive development.”

The Admirals went 41-21-6-1 and advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs last season. The Jets and Moose also made their respective playoffs.

Manitoba prospects Carson Golder, Mark Liwiski, Thomas Caron, Simon Kubicek and Thomas Milic each saw time in Norfolk last season. Milic, a third-round pick of the Jets in 2021, went 11-3-2 with a 2.45 goals-against-average in 18 appearances with the Admirals.

Milic represented the Admirals at the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic.

“We’re looking forward to building off a successful first year together with both organizations aligning on developing players, winning in the regular season, and the playoffs,” said Jeff Carr, Admirals head coach and general manager.

Norfolk will open next season Oct. 18 against the Adirondack Thunder.

Filip Engaras scored three goals as the Thunder posted their fourth consecutive victory — after winning three straight on Norfolk’s home ice at Scope — to end the Admirals’ best season in a decade.

Norfolk, after a 21-win, last-place finish last season, was making the club’s first postseason appearance since 2014.

The Admirals won the first two games of the series in Glens Falls, and finished with a 32-29 shot advantage Tuesday night. But they couldn’t stop the momentum after Adirondack won Game 3 in Norfolk.

Norfolk coach Jeff Carr declined an interview request after the game.

The Thunder advance to play the Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference finals.

Engaras gave Adirondack an early lead on a rebound after Travis Broughman forced his way to the net and took a shot on goal. The Thunder led 1-0 just 2:05 into the first period.

Both teams had a number of chances throughout the rest of the frame, but the goaltending of Adirondack’s Isaac Poulter and Norfolk’s Yaniv Perets continued to be spectacular. The period ended with Adirondack in front 1-0.

The Admirals tied the game 5:12 into the second period. Brady Fleurent tapped home a loose puck in front on a power play to tie it at 1. Danny Katic and Denis Smirnov picked up assists on the play.

The Thunder dominated the remainder of the second period. Just two minutes later, Tristan Ashbrook received a cross-ice pass from Shane Harper and sent in a goal to give Adirondack a 2-1 lead. The Thunder then struck on the power play at 14:58 for a 3-1 lead when Engaras scored his second goal of the game.

Engaras and Harper added third-period goals within three minutes of each other to put away the Admirals.

ITS A LOUD HOUSE IN GLENS FALLS@ECHL pic.twitter.com/IpU1T1IaDE

— Adirondack Thunder (@ECHLThunder) May 15, 2024

Perets made 24 saves and Poulter had 31 saves.

Norfolk outshot Adirondack 13-7 in the final period.

Ryan Smith scored with less than five minutes remaining in the second period to power the Adirondack Thunder to a 5-2 win over the Norfolk Admirals at Scope and tie the series at two games apiece.

The Admirals, who had won the series’ first two games at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, New York, had just leveled the score at 2 just 75 seconds prior.

“It’s deflating,” Admirals coach Jeff Carr said. “The puck bounced in the slot; I feel bad for (Carson) Golder. He tried to clear it out, it bounced over his stick and they capitalized.”

Andre Ghantous gave Adirondack a 1-0 lead midway through the first period by snapping a shot past netminder Oskari Salminen, who rejoined the Admirals on Monday from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. It was just the second playoff appearance for Salminen, who recorded a Game 1 victory in the North Division semifinals against Trois-Rivières on April 17.

Smith, who also had the winning goal in overtime Wednesday, knocked in his first goal of the night five minutes before the first intermission to extend the lead to 2-0.

A little less than four minutes after the break, Admirals captain Mathieu Roy smashed in a goal on a power-play opportunity to cut the deficit to 2-1. With the period winding down, Brady Fleurent poke-checked the puck away from an Adirondack defender in the neutral zone. Carson Musser collected the loose puck and found Stepan Timofeyev, who fired in the equalizer at the 5:35 mark.

Then came Smith’s goal — his second of the game — off of a missed clearance, which quieted the crowd of 6,007 and sparked a run of unanswered goals for Adirondack.

Early in the third period, the Admirals couldn’t capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play. They were moving the puck around well in the offensive zone, but were unable to find that last unlocking shot on target.

“A lot of great chances and looks,” Carr said. “We liked the setup and we liked who we had on the ice — we just didn’t get the result that we wanted. That’s been the M.O. over the last two games.”

Shane Harper and Ryan Wheeler added a goal apiece for the final margin.

Game 5 is at 7:05 Saturday night at Scope. Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7 will be back in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We’ve got to come out and play better at the start,” Carr said. “We’ve got to inject a little more life in our lineup, take the body and play a little harder.”

Travis Broughman fought off an Admirals defender, circled around the back of the cage and slipped in a centering pass that found Smith crashing into the crease. Smith one-timed it in for the Thunder, who cut their series deficit to 2-1.

An announced crowd of 4,309 showed up at Scope in the series’ first game in Norfolk. Game 4 is at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Game 5 will be the same time Saturday, both at Scope.

The Admirals used their speed to swarm all over the ice and find themselves in good positions to score. They finished with a 55-29 advantage in shots in a loosely called game that featured just five penalties, which gave the Admirals a lone power play.

“I don’t know what more we can do as a hockey team,” Admirals coach Jeff Carr said. “Fifty-five shots — complete domination from top to bottom. We get one power play and it was tackle football out there. We’re going to have to flush it and move on.”

Erik Middendorf tipped in the first goal of the game with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the first period as Adirondack took advantage of a power play following Simon Kubicek’s high-sticking penalty. Shane Harper flung a pass into the crease to find Middendorf.

The goal came during a back-and-forth period in which both Darick Louis-Jean and Carson Golder drew cheers from a raucous crowd. The Admirals went into the first intermission with an 11-10 edge in shots and turned the intensity up a notch in the second period.

Josh McDougall pinged the puck off the post a little more than three minutes into the period, sparking a small flurry of shots back into the Adirondack crease.

Three minutes later, following a cross-checking penalty, the Admirals leveled the score at 1. Danny Katic snapped a shot on goal while skating through the crease from the left. Andrew McLean collected the rebound and slid a pass to an open Kubicek, who fired the puck home past Thunder netminder Isaac Poulter.

A BLAST FROM KUBI TIES US BACK UP@KubicekSimon scores his 2nd goal of the #KellyCup playoffs with that from the point to make it 1-1 at the Scope!!@ECHL | #AllHandsOnDeck pic.twitter.com/h2i92ocCOB

— x – Norfolk Admirals (@NorfolkAdmirals) May 9, 2024

The low-scoring, physical affair was markedly different from the previous two games, when both teams combined for 18 goals. The Admirals, who totaled seven goals in the third periods of Games 1 and 2, drew some groans from the crowd as both Brandon Osmundson and Brady Fleurent forced saves from Poulter in the final period of regulation.

Poulter finished with 54 saves, while Admirals counterpart Yaniv Perets stopped 27.

“You tell the guys to keep fighting through tackles and cross-checks,” Carr said.  “We’ll come back and know we have to overcome a lot of stuff that we shouldn’t have to.”

Perets, on an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, stopped 20 of 24 shots in a 7-4 victory Friday in Game 1 and then had 41 saves in a 5-2 victory the following night in Game 2.

“We’re still taking it one day at a time, like we have all season,” Admirals coach Jeff Carr said. “Following Yaniv’s performances over the weekend, we like where we’re at in the series, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Norfolk’s defense received an unexpected boost on Monday when the Winnipeg Jets reassigned goaltender Oskari Salminen from the Manitoba Moose to the Admirals. Salminen made 33 saves in a first-round playoff opener against Trois-Rivieres and in 12 appearances with the Admirals this season went 8-2-1 with a 2.82 goals-against-average.

Perets, though, has made seven postseason appearances for the Admirals with a 5-2 record. He’s recorded 195 saves with a 3.18 goals-against average.

The win and save totals rank second and fourth in the ECHL playoffs, respectively.

Perets “closed out the Trois-Rivières series and he’s had a great start to this one,” Carr said. “Adirondack has been throwing everything at him and he’s been getting better as the playoffs have been going on.”

A little more than a year ago, Perets won the NCAA hockey national championship with Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Three days later, on April 12, 2023, he signed with Carolina.

The return of Salminen illustrates another key factor in Norfolk’s success this season: team depth. Norfolk’s roster features 10 players with four or more points since the start of the playoffs. In the series against Adirondack, Thomas Caron led the Admirals with two goals in the first game, while Austen Keating had a goal and an assist to power them in Game 2. Both players, along with Danny Katic, Mathieu Roy, Keaton Jameson, Stepan Timofeyev and Carson Golder, have recorded points against the Thunder.

“Everybody has the next-man-up mentality,” Carr said. “Depth and conditioning have been strengths we’ve been working on all year that highlights everyone’s competitive side. They like sticking their noses in on the ice and getting dirty.”

The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday for Game 3, while Game 4 is on Friday at the same time. If necessary, Game 5 will also be at Scope at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Games 6 and 7 would be back at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, New York, next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The winner of the North Division finals advances to the Eastern Conference finals and will face the winner between the Florida Everblades and the Orlando Solar Bears. Florida currently leads the South Division finals 2-0.

Norfolk has a 5-3 overall record against the Adirondack Thunder, starting 1-3 in the regular season, but are currently on a four-game winning streak, including consecutive wins on March 23 and 24.

“They’re probably coming in with an eye-for-an-eye mentality,” Carr said. “We just need to keep the defense insulated on the back end by stalking them in the neutral zone and then use our speed against them on the counterattack.”

Game 3, North Division finals

Adirondack Thunder at Norfolk Admirals

When: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Scope

Tickets: Start at $19 on norfolkadmirals.com

Promotion: The Admirals are hosting a “Whiteout the Scope” and are asking fans to wear white for home games Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (if necessary).

The Admirals took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will return to home ice Wednesday night at Scope.

Game 3 is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Scope. The first 2,000 fans get an Admirals team poster, and the team is calling the game a “Whiteout.” Fans are encouraged to wear white to pay homage to Norfolk’s NHL affiliate, the Winnipeg Jets.

Norfolk, after scoring four times in the third period in Game 1, got goals from Austen Keating, Danny Katic and Mathieu Roy in the decisive period Saturday.

Yaniv Perets made 41 saves on 43 shots for the victory.

Keating and Thomas Caron finished with two points each.

“We played two huge games and going back home with two wins is huge,” Caron said.

The Admirals won despite being outshot 43-29.

“These types of series and games, there is so much respect between both teams,” Norfolk coach Jeff Carr said. “Playoffs in May are not over until the league says you have won four games. For us, we know we have a game Wednesday and we are playing a really tough opponent at home.”

The Admirals got on the board first. Keaton Jameson poked home a rebound on the power play 12:52 into the first period. Carson Golder and Keating continued their hot postseason by earning the assists on the play. The Admirals headed into the locker room with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first frame.

The Thunder scored halfway through the second period, with Yushiroh Hirano scoring for the second straight night.

The tie game would not last long as Brady Fleurent fed a pass to Stepan Timofeyev, who scored his third goal of the playoffs to give Norfolk a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.

As in Game 1, the third period carried the Admirals to a victory.

Tristan Ashbrook got the Thunder back even with a shot from the slot that beat Perets to tie the game at 2.

Norfolk responded with three straight goals to walk out of the Cool Insuring Arena up 2-0 in the series.

Katic took a rocket of a shot that beat Poulter for the first Admirals goal of the period. Ten minutes later, Keating scored his fourth goal of the playoffs to make it 4-2.

Just like in Game 1, captain Mathieu Roy scored an empty-netter. It came with just seven seconds remaining to seal the victory.

The Norfolk Admirals rallied behind a massive four-goal third period to come away with a 7-4 victory over the Adirondack Thunder. Carson Golder had one goal and four assists to lead Norfolk.

“Adirondack is a dangerous team. You look up and there were 14 shots on the board and four goals. They did a really good job coming off of a series against Maine,” Norfolk coach Jeff Carr said. “I just thought we dictated the pace and continued to wear them out the rest of the game and we capitalized on our chances.”

The Admirals got on the board first with a down-low pass from Golder to Thomas Caron, who tipped the puck past goalie Isaac Poulter just 2:01 into the game.

Norfolk wouldn’t lead for long as Adirondack’s Yushiroh Hirano earned his second goal of the postseason on a power play.

The first period also saw the physicality pick up, with the Thunder’s Zach Walker receiving a game misconduct and boarding call that gave Norfolk a five-minute power play. The Admirals’ Danny Katic put a huge hit on Colin Felix that earned him a boarding call for two minutes. The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.

The fireworks were just getting started. The second period got off to a quick start with Keaton Jameson scoring for the Admirals just 52 seconds in. The Thunder responded almost immediately with Ryan Wheeler burying a rebound in front.

Adirondack took its first lead of the game at 3-2 with 5:02 gone by in the second when Ryan Smith tipped in a long shot from the point.

The Admirals caught a break as Austen Keating had a wraparound attempt kicked into the Thunder net by defenseman Ryan Conroy, evening the game at 3.

With less than seven minutes to play in the second, Adirondack retook the lead in almost a mirror image of the Thunder’s third goal. Smith tipped in a long shot from Conroy to give them a 4-3 lead. Norfolk goalie Yaniv Perets yielded nothing else and finished with 20 saves.

The final frame sealed the deal for the Admirals. Norfolk, coming off almost a week of rest, put up four unanswered to close the game.

“The days off were huge. We are at the point right now where the last month of the year was the first pocket of time where we actually had some time to breathe a little,” Carr said.

GOLDY BLOCKER SIDE FOR THE LEAD@CGolder9 scores his 3rd postseason goal off this shot from the slot to give us the 5-4 advantage! A big start to the third period for Norfolk! @ECHL | #AllHandsOnDeck pic.twitter.com/v3qmhvBAxx

— x – Norfolk Admirals (@NorfolkAdmirals) May 4, 2024

Caron scored his second goal of the night to tie the game at 4 just 1:45 into the period. Golder and Stepan Timofeyev rattled off back-to-back goals to make it 6-4. The final tally came from team captain Mathieu Roy, who buried an empty-netter for his first goal of the playoffs.

THE CAPTAIN SEALS THE DEAL

Mathieu Roy nets his first postseason goal with this empty-netter to make it 7-4 Admirals! @ECHL | #AllHandsOnDeck pic.twitter.com/rUAysJkj82

— x – Norfolk Admirals (@NorfolkAdmirals) May 4, 2024

“We have been facing those guys all year and we know what they can do. We need to put this game behind us and come back for Game 2 and start over tomorrow,” said Roy, whose team beat the Thunder in five of eight regular-season games.

Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. Saturday before the series shifts to Scope, where the Admirals are planning “white-outs” for each game.

Norfolk has been awaiting its opponent since defeating Trois-Rivières 4-2 in a best-of-seven opening-round series. The Thunder — the top finisher in the ECHL Eastern Conference and North Division — outlasted Maine in the first round, winning Game 7 Wednesday night.

Norfolk and Adirondack will play Game 1 at 7 p.m. Friday and Game 2 at 7 p.m. Saturday in Glens Falls before the series shifts to Scope for three games: next Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. If necessary, the teams will play the final two games at Adirondack on May 14 and 15.

The Admirals and Thunder met eight times during the regular season (five in Glens Falls and three in Norfolk). The Admirals won five of those contests, including four at Adirondack’s Cool Insuring Arena.

1 vs 2 for the NORTH DIVISION FINALS! #AllHandsOnDeck

[ GET TICKETS: https://t.co/FZVGIO5p0H ] pic.twitter.com/qTqz7zudqf

— x – Norfolk Admirals (@NorfolkAdmirals) May 2, 2024

North Division finals

#1 Adirondack Thunder vs. #2 Norfolk Admirals

Game 1: Norfolk at Adirondack, Friday, May 3, at Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.

Game 2: Norfolk at Adirondack, Saturday, May 4, at Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Adirondack at Norfolk, Wednesday, May 8, at Scope, 7:05 p.m.

Game 4: Adirondack at Norfolk, Friday, May 10, at Scope, 7:05 p.m.

Game 5 (if necessary): Adirondack at Norfolk, Saturday, May 11, at Scope, 7:05 p.m.

Game 6 (if necessary): Norfolk at Adirondack, Tuesday, May 14, at Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.

Game 7 (if necessary): Norfolk at Adirondack, Wednesday, May 15, at Cool Insuring Arena, 7 p.m.