Fixtures
| Date | R | Home vs Away | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/19 23:05 | 2 | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs Huntsville Havoc | View |
| 04/20 00:15 | 2 | Peoria Rivermen vs Evansville Thunderbolts | View |
Results
| Date | R | Home vs Away | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/18 00:30 | 2 | Huntsville Havoc vs Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 5-2 |
| 04/18 00:00 | 2 | Evansville Thunderbolts vs Peoria Rivermen | 2-7 |
| 04/14 00:15 | 3 | Peoria Rivermen vs Pensacola Ice Flyers | 6-1 |
| 04/14 00:05 | 3 | Birmingham Bulls vs Evansville Thunderbolts | 3-4 |
| 04/13 23:05 | 3 | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs Quad City Storm | 7-1 |
| 04/12 23:05 | 3 | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs Quad City Storm | 3-2 |
| 04/12 23:00 | 3 | Fayetteville Marksmen vs Huntsville Havoc | 2-7 |
| 04/12 00:05 | 3 | Pensacola Ice Flyers vs Peoria Rivermen | 2-3 |
| 04/12 00:00 | 3 | Evansville Thunderbolts vs Birmingham Bulls | 2-1 |
| 04/11 00:30 | 3 | Huntsville Havoc vs Fayetteville Marksmen | 3-1 |
| 04/11 00:05 | 3 | Birmingham Bulls vs Evansville Thunderbolts | 5-4 |
| 04/09 23:10 | 3 | Quad City Storm vs Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 3-2 |
Wikipedia - SPHL
The SPHL (formerly the Southern Professional Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey independent minor 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.
Following the 2022–23 season, the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are the reigning President's Cup champions. As of 2023, the Knoxville Ice Bears are the most successful team in SPHL history, having won five William B. Coffey Trophies as the regular season champions and four President's Cup playoff championships. The Peoria Rivermen have also won five William B. Coffey Trophies, while Pensacola has also won four President's Cups.
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, Lafayette, Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida. In 2010, the league added an expansion team in Augusta, Georgia, another former long time ECHL market. For the 2011–12 season, the league added two-time Central Hockey League champions, the Mississippi RiverKings. 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. 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. In that same game Erin Blair and Katie Guay became the first female officials to referee an SPHL game.
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. With the acceptance of the Quad City Storm, the league was able to remain at ten teams for the 2018–19 season.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019–20 season was curtailed and no champion was named. The following season, the league announced it would only play with five of the ten member teams due to pandemic-related capacity restrictions barring fans from attending games. During the season, the league approved of the Vermilion County Bobcats as a 2021–22 expansion team based in Danville, Illinois. The Bobcats folded after only a year and a half.
In 2023, the league rebranded to the orphaned initialism SPHL to reflect the fact that the league's footprint had expanded beyond the southern United States.
The tournament features a thrilling competition among teams from various cities across the southern states, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and more. The SPHL showcases the immense talent and passion for ice hockey in this region, providing fans with high-intensity games and unforgettable moments.
The tournament follows a regular season format, where teams compete against each other to secure a spot in the playoffs. The top teams from the regular season advance to the playoffs, where they battle it out for the coveted SPHL championship title.
The SPHL tournament is known for its fast-paced and physical style of play, captivating fans with its intense action on the ice. The players showcase their skills, speed, and agility, making every game a thrilling spectacle for both die-hard hockey enthusiasts and casual sports fans.
The tournament also serves as a platform for aspiring ice hockey players to showcase their talents and potentially earn opportunities to play at higher levels of professional hockey. Many players who have excelled in the SPHL have gone on to play in higher leagues, including the American Hockey League (AHL) and even the National Hockey League (NHL).
The SPHL tournament not only provides thrilling entertainment but also fosters a strong sense of community and camaraderie among fans and players alike. The passionate fan base creates an electric atmosphere in the arenas, cheering on their favorite teams and creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Whether you are a dedicated ice hockey fan or simply looking for an exciting sporting event to attend, the SPHL tournament promises to deliver an unforgettable experience filled with intense competition, skillful plays, and a vibrant atmosphere.