The 2022–23 SPHL season was the 19th season of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The Peoria Rivermen won their fifth William B. Coffey Trophy during the regular season, while the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs earned their first President's Cup, defeating the Birmingham Bulls in four games.
League business The same 11 teams from the 2021–22 season returned. The Vermilion County Bobcats officially ceased operations on February 9, 2023.
Teams 2022-23 Southern Professional Hockey League Team City Arena Birmingham Bulls Pelham, Alabama Pelham Civic Center Evansville Thunderbolts Evansville, Indiana Ford Center Fayetteville Marksmen Fayetteville, North Carolina Crown Complex Huntsville Havoc Huntsville, Alabama Von Braun Center Knoxville Ice Bears Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville Civic Coliseum Macon Mayhem Macon, Georgia Macon Coliseum Pensacola Ice Flyers Pensacola, Florida Pensacola Bay Center Peoria Rivermen Peoria, Illinois Carver Arena Quad City Storm Moline, Illinois Vibrant Arena at The MARK Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs Roanoke, Virginia Berglund Center Vermilion County Bobcats Danville, Illinois David S. Palmer Arena
Map of teams
Regular season
Standings As of April 8, 2023. Team z–Peoria Rivermen 57 39 14 3 1 82 217 137x–Birmingham Bulls 57 37 16 2 2 78 217 162x–Huntsville Havoc 56 34 19 2 1 71 197 162x–Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 56 32 19 3 2 69 185 161x–Evansville Thunderbolts 56 32 22 2 0 66 172 165x–Knoxville Ice Bears 57 32 22 1 2 67 221 199x–Fayetteville Marksmen 56 26 22 8 0 60 155 166x–Pensacola Ice Flyers 57 26 25 3 3 58 183 190e–Quad City Storm 57 23 32 1 1 48 136 183e–Macon Mayhem 57 13 39 4 1 31 166 257e– 30 4 24 2 0 10 59 126 indicates team has clinched William B. Coffey Trophy (regular season champion) and a playoff spot indicates team has clinched a playoff spot indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention Attendance Team Total Games Average Huntsville 154,362 28 5,513 Pensacola 130,024 28 4,644 Roanoke 124,569 28 4,449 Knoxville 119,522 28 4,269 Fayetteville 96,608 28 3,450 Peoria 91,930 28 3,283 Quad City 87,318 28 3,119 Evansville 87,052 28 3,109 Birmingham 80,812 28 2,886 Macon 44,999 28 1,607 Vermillion County 9,635 18 535 League 1,026,831 298 3,446
Statistical leaders
Leading skaters The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Updated as of April 10, 2023.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMKnoxville Ice Bears 46 34 45 79 +6 44Pensacola Ice Flyers 57 26 43 69 −12 83Knoxville Ice Bears 49 27 39 66 −7 16Huntsville Havoc 56 18 45 63 +10 16Peoria Rivermen 53 24 37 61 +20 202Huntsville Havoc 56 22 39 61 +12 26Birmingham Bulls 38 27 33 60 +24 18Huntsville Havoc 55 23 33 56 +4 31Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 56 16 38 54 −2 76Pensacola Ice Flyers 57 15 39 54 −3 15
Leading goaltenders The following goaltenders with a minimum 1,320 minutes played lead the league in goals against average. Updated as of April 10, 2023.
GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss
Player Team GP TOI SA GA SO GAA SV% W L OT Evansville Thunderbolts 23 1,352 793 51 2 2.26 .936 15 8 0 Peoria Rivermen 34 1,771 804 68 5 2.30 .915 17 8 4 Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 42 2,313 1,036 97 2 2.52 .906 24 12 4 Quad City Storm 40 2,145 1,139 96 3 2.69 .916 14 22 1 Birmingham Bulls 33 1,979 985 90 1 2.73 .909 24 7 2
Postseason For 2023, the format returned to the top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualifying for the playoffs.
Playoff bracket
Quarterfinals (1) Peoria Rivermen vs. (8) Pensacola Ice Flyers
(2) Birmingham Bulls vs. (7) Fayetteville Marksmen
(3) Huntsville Havoc vs. (6) Knoxville Ice Bears
(4) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs vs. (5) Evansville Thunderbolts
Semifinals (1) Peoria Rivermen vs. (4) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
(2) Birmingham Bulls vs. (3) Huntsville Havoc
President's Cup Final (2) Birmingham Bulls vs. (4) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
Statistical leaders
Skaters The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Updated as of May 2, 2023.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMRoanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 9 6 5 11 4 4Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 9 3 7 10 6 8Birmingham Bulls 10 6 3 9 0 8Birmingham Bulls 9 5 4 9 4 8Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 8 1 8 9 7 19
Goaltenders The following goaltenders with a minimum 350 minutes played lead the playoffs in goals against average. Updated as of May 2, 2023.
GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss
Player Team GP TOI SA GA SO GAA SV% W L OT Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 9 552 266 20 1 2.18 .925 7 2 0 Birmingham Bulls 6 388 172 15 1 2.32 .913 3 0 3
Awards Award Recipient(s) President's Cup Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs William B. Coffey Trophy(Best regular-season record) Peoria Rivermen Defenseman of the Year Zach Wilkie (Peoria) Rookie of the Year Austin Alger (Fayetteville) Goaltender of the Year Trevor Gorsuch (Evansville) Coach of the Year Craig Simchuk (Birmingham) Most Valuable Player Justin MacDonald (Knoxville) Leading Scorer Award Justin MacDonald (Knoxville)
All-SPHL selections Position First Team Second Team All-Rookie G Trevor Gorsuch (Evansville) Kevin Resop (Quad City) Nick Latinovich (Macon) D Zach Wilkie (Peoria)Rourke Russell (Knoxville) (tie)Nick Neville (Peoria) (tie) Taylor Brierley (Birmingham)Dominic Procopio (Huntsville) Rourke Russell (Knoxville)Taylor Brierley (Birmingham) F Justin MacDonald (Knoxville)Michael Gillespie (Birmingham)Garrett Milan (Pensacola) Alec Hagaman (Peoria)Dean Balsamo (Knoxville)Sy Nutkevitch (Huntsville) Austin Alger (Fayetteville)Brandon Harrogate (Evansville)Kolten Olynek (Pensacola)
References
External links Southern Professional Hockey League website