Southern Professional Hockey League

The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midwestern United States.

Southern Professional Hockey League
Most recent season or competition:
2019–20 SPHL season
SportIce hockey
Founded2004
CommissionerDoug Price[1]
No. of teams10
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		Huntsville Havoc
(2019)
Most titlesKnoxville Ice Bears (4)
Official websitewww.TheSPHL.com

The Huntsville Havoc are the most recent President's Cup champions.

History

The SPHL's history traces back to three other short-lived leagues. The Atlantic Coast Hockey League started play in the 2002–03 season. After its only season, the ACHL dissolved with member teams forming the nucleus for two rival leagues, the South East Hockey League and the World Hockey Association 2. After one season the SEHL and WHA2 disbanded, with their surviving teams rejoining with two expansion teams to form the SPHL, commencing with the 2004–05 season.

In 2009, the SPHL saw a large expansion with three new franchises, in Biloxi, Mississippi,[2][3][4] Lafayette, Louisiana[5] and Pensacola, Florida.[6][7] In 2010, the league added an expansion team in Augusta, Georgia, another former long time ECHL market.[8] For the 2011–12 season, the league added two-time Central Hockey League champions, the Mississippi RiverKings.[9][10] For the 2013–14 season, the league lost the Augusta RiverHawks but also expanded northward with two franchises in Illinois: the Bloomington Thunder, a team also moving from the CHL, where they were known as the Bloomington Blaze, and the Peoria Rivermen, who were replacing an American Hockey League team of the same name in their market.[11] In 2015, the Augusta franchise returned and relocated to Macon, Georgia as the Macon Mayhem.

In November 2014, Shannon Szabados became the first female goaltender to win an SPHL game, when the Columbus Cottonmouths defeated the Fayetteville FireAntz 5–4 in overtime.[12] In that same game Erin Blair and Katie Guay became the first female officials to referee an SPHL game.[12]

At the end of the 2015–16 season, the Louisiana IceGators announced a one-year leave of absence for renovations to their arena but never returned. The IceGators' franchise was sold and reactivated as the Quad City Storm in 2018. Then in 2016, the dormant Mississippi Surge franchise was relocated to Southwest Virginia to become the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. One of the inaugural SPHL teams, the Columbus Cottonmouths, suspended operations in 2017 after failing to find a buyer while an expansion team called the Birmingham Bulls were accepted into the league as the tenth team. Following the 2017–18 season, the Mississippi RiverKings suspended operations while the league searched for new owners.[13] With the acceptance of the Quad City Storm, the league was able to remain at ten teams for the 2018–19 season.

The Knoxville Ice Bears are the most successful team in SPHL history, having won four William B. Coffey Trophy championships as the regular season champions, and four President's Cup championships.

Teams

Current
Team City Arena Capacity Founded Joined Head Coach
Birmingham Bulls[14][15] Pelham, Alabama Pelham Civic Center 3,500 2017 Jamey Hicks
Evansville Thunderbolts Evansville, Indiana Ford Center 9,000 2016 Jeff Bes
Fayetteville Marksmen Fayetteville, North Carolina Crown Coliseum 8,920 2002 2004 Jesse Kallechy
Huntsville Havoc Huntsville, Alabama Von Braun Center 6,037 2004 Glenn Detulleo
Knoxville Ice Bears Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville Civic Coliseum 5,937 2002 2004 Jeff Carr
Macon Mayhem Macon, Georgia Macon Coliseum 7,182 2010[lower-alpha 1] Ryan Michel
Pensacola Ice Flyers Pensacola, Florida Pensacola Bay Center 8,150 2009 Rod Aldoff
Peoria Rivermen Peoria, Illinois Carver Arena 9,919 2013 Jean-Guy Trudel
Quad City Storm Moline, Illinois TaxSlayer Center 9,200 2009[lower-alpha 1] Dave Pszenyczny
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs Roanoke, Virginia Berglund Center 8,672 2009[lower-alpha 1] Dan Bremner
Teams currently in the SPHL
Note
  1. Relocated franchise

Timeline
Birmingham Bulls (SPHL)Evansville ThunderboltsPeoria Rivermen (SPHL)Bloomington Thunder (SPHL)Mississippi RiverKingsMacon MayhemAugusta RiverHawksPensacola Ice FlyersRoanoke Rail Yard DawgsMississippi SurgeQuad City StormLouisiana IceGators (SPHL)Richmond Renegades (SPHL)Twin City CyclonesFlorida SealsWinston-Salem Polar TwinsMacon TraxKnoxville Ice BearsJacksonville BarracudasHuntsville HavocFayetteville MarksmenColumbus CottonmouthsAsheville Aces

Defunct and relocated teams

Key rule differences

As per minor leagues, there are some rule differences between the SPHL and the NHL (and even the ECHL and the AHL, the two official developmental leagues regulated by the Professional Hockey Players' Association).

  • A team may dress eighteen regular players to a game. Two players dressed for the game will be goaltenders.
  • A mouthpiece is required for all players except the goaltender.
  • No curvature of stick limitations as in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL.
  • Shootouts are five players. After five different players have made an attempt, teams may reuse anyone including those who have previously attempted in later rounds, even using the same player in consecutive rounds if desired.

Champions

President's Cup

Awarded to the league playoff champion.

Season Winner Runner Up
2005Columbus CottonmouthsMacon Trax
2006Knoxville Ice BearsOrlando Seals
2007Fayetteville FireAntzJacksonville Barracudas
2008Knoxville Ice BearsJacksonville Barracudas
2009Knoxville Ice BearsFayetteville FireAntz
2010Huntsville HavocMississippi Surge
2011Mississippi SurgeAugusta Riverhawks
2012Columbus CottonmouthsPensacola Ice Flyers
2013Pensacola Ice FlyersHuntsville Havoc
2014Pensacola Ice FlyersColumbus Cottonmouths
2015Knoxville Ice BearsMississippi RiverKings
2016Pensacola Ice FlyersPeoria Rivermen
2017Macon MayhemPeoria Rivermen
2018Huntsville HavocPeoria Rivermen
2019Huntsville HavocBirmingham Bulls
2020Not awarded due to season cancellation
Team Titles
Knoxville Ice Bears4
Huntsville Havoc3
Pensacola Ice Flyers3
Columbus Cottonmouths2
Fayetteville FireAntz1
Macon Mayhem1
Mississippi Surge1

William B. Coffey Trophy

Originally known as the Commissioner's Cup, the regular season championship trophy was renamed in honor of league co-founder Bill Coffey during the 2007–08 season.[25]

Season Winner Title
2004–05Knoxville Ice Bears1
2005–06Knoxville Ice Bears2
2006–07Columbus Cottonmouths1
2007–08Knoxville Ice Bears3
2008–09Knoxville Ice Bears4
2009–10Mississippi Surge1
2010–11Mississippi Surge2
2011–12Augusta RiverHawks1
2012–13Fayetteville FireAntz1
2013–14Pensacola Ice Flyers1
2014–15Peoria Rivermen1
2015–16Peoria Rivermen2
2016–17Macon Mayhem1
2017–18Peoria Rivermen3
2018–19Peoria Rivermen4
2019–20Not awarded due to season cancellation
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See also

References
  1. "Doug Price Appointed Commissioner of the Southern Professional Hockey League". OurSportsCentral.com. January 17, 2019.
  2. Giardina, A.J. (April 9, 2009). "Local investors may bring another hockey team to the coast". WLOX-TV. Archived from the original on 2009-04-12. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
  3. Press release (April 30, 2009). "Biloxi to join SPHL". SPHL.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  4. "Coast Hockey announces new team name". The Sun Herald. June 17, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  5. Foote, Kevin (May 15, 2009). "IceGators to skate again; join the discussion". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  6. Blakeney, Jason (April 30, 2009). "Hockey's Back!". Pensacola News Journal. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  7. Blakeney, Jason (May 9, 2009). "Commentary: New team, new name, new opportunity". Pensacola News Journal. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  8. "Hockey Returning To Augusta, GA In 2010". TheSPHL.com. February 3, 2010. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  9. "Mississippi RiverKings Join SPHL For 2011–2012 Season". Press release. Southern Professional Hockey League. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  10. Van Tuyl, Chris (13 June 2011). "Mississippi RiverKings announce change to Southern Professional Hockey League". Memphis Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  11. Pope, Thomas (May 16, 2013). "Two Illinois teams join SPHL; Augusta out next season". The Fayetteville Observer. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  12. "Shannon Szabados becomes first female goalie to win in Southern Professional Hockey League". NHL.com. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  13. "Mississippi Riverkings suspend operations for 2018-19 season, will seek new ownership". Commercial Appeal. May 24, 2018.
  14. "Pelham council approves ice arena lease for professional hockey team". WBRC. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  15. Walsh, Lauren. "Former Birmingham Bulls owner sets sights on Pelham for professional hockey team". ABC 33/40. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  16. Lee, David (May 14, 2013). "Augusta RiverHawks won't play next season". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  17. "SPHL Approves RiverHawks' Move To Macon, GA For 2015–2016 Season". The SPHL. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  18. "Cottonmouths to suspend operations for next season". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. May 3, 2017.
  19. "Florida Seals cease operations". Press release. January 5, 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  20. Gates, Nick (June 21, 2009). "Murray liking SPHL expansion". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  21. "SPHL adding Quad City for 2018-2019 season". SPHL. May 23, 2018.
  22. "Surge Hockey Operations to Suspend Indefinitely". Press release. May 2, 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  23. "Renegades Officially Done". Press release. May 2, 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  24. "Cyclones To Cease Operations". Press release. March 24, 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  25. "History of the SPHL". SPHL.com. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
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