The 2021–22 SPHL season was the 18th season of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The playoffs concluded on May 3, 2022 with the Peoria Rivermen defeating the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in 4 games in the President's Cup Finals, claiming their first President's Cup.
League business After playing a shortened 2020–21 season with only five teams, the league returned with all ten clubs from the 2019–20 season and added an expansion team, the Vermilion County Bobcats.
Teams 2021-22 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 TaxSlayer Center 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 10, 2022. Team z–Knoxville Ice Bears 56 42 10 2 2 88 220 136x–Huntsville Havoc 56 41 13 1 1 84 194 124x–Peoria Rivermen 56 38 11 3 4 83 219 126x–Fayetteville Marksmen 56 40 14 1 1 82 197 140x–Quad City Storm 56 32 15 5 4 73 191 157x–Pensacola Ice Flyers 56 31 19 5 1 68 189 164x–Evansville Thunderbolts 56 28 26 2 0 58 162 155x–Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 56 23 24 4 5 55 176 181e–Birmingham Bulls 56 18 32 5 1 42 144 198e–Macon Mayhem 56 10 40 3 3 26 123 250e– 56 5 46 5 0 15 83 267 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 134,713 28 4,811 Knoxville 102,323 28 3,654 Pensacola 97,647 28 3,487 Roanoke 95,011 28 3,393 Fayetteville 80,640 28 2,880 Peoria 76,657 28 2,738 Birmingham 70,747 28 2,527 Evansville 70,678 28 2,524 Quad City 66,481 28 2,374 Macon 48,002 28 1,714 Vermillion County 41,770 28 1,492 League 884,669 308 2,872
Statistical leaders
Leading skaters The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Updated as of April 10, 2022.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMPeoria Rivermen 53 26 54 80 32 36Peoria Rivermen 47 28 43 71 40 151Huntsville Havoc 56 25 45 70 9 30Huntsville Havoc 54 29 34 63 17 24Peoria Rivermen 50 33 28 61 15 22Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 55 29 31 60 3 52Huntsville Havoc 56 27 33 60 35 16Knoxville Ice Bears 56 21 38 59 23 24Knoxville Ice Bears 46 27 31 58 5 37Pensacola Ice Flyers 50 15 42 57 22 22
Leading goaltenders The following goaltenders with a minimum 660 minutes played lead the league in goals against average. Updated as of April 10, 2022.
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 Huntsville Havoc 32 1,892 928 61 3 1.93 .934 22 8 2 Peoria Rivermen 43 2,446 1,161 83 5 2.04 .929 29 8 4 Fayetteville Marksmen 22 1,288 608 46 2 2.14 .924 17 4 1 Knoxville Ice Bears 24 1,394 659 51 2 2.20 .923 18 2 1 Fayetteville Marksmen 21 1,271 710 50 1 2.36 .930 16 4 1
Postseason For 2022, the format returned to the top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualifying for the playoffs.
Playoff bracket
Quarterfinals (1) Knoxville Ice Bears vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
(2) Huntsville Havoc vs. (7) Evansville Thunderbolts
(3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (6) Pensacola Ice Flyers
(4) Fayetteville Marksmen vs. (5) Quad City Storm
Semifinals (2) Huntsville Havoc vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
(3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (5) Quad City Storm
President's Cup Final (3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
Statistical leaders
Skaters The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Updated as of May 3, 2022.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMRoanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 9 7 5 12 10 4Peoria Rivermen 10 6 6 12 10 10Peoria Rivermen 10 6 5 11 3 6Peoria Rivermen 10 4 7 11 4 4Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 9 3 7 10 5 0Peoria Rivermen 10 3 7 10 0 12
Goaltenders The following goaltenders with a minimum 350 minutes played lead the playoffs in goals against average. Updated as of May 3, 2022.
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 Quad City Storm 6 357 173 14 0 2.25 .919 3 3 0 Peoria Rivermen 9 492 263 20 0 2.44 .924 6 3 0 Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs 8 386 167 18 0 2.80 .892 0 0 0
Awards Award Recipient(s) President's Cup Peoria Rivermen William B. Coffey Trophy(Best regular-season record) Knoxville Ice Bears Defenseman of the Year Jason Price (Knoxville) Rookie of the Year Marcel Godbout (Peoria) Goaltender of the Year Hunter Vorva (Huntsville) Coach of the Year Jeff Carr (Knoxville) Most Valuable Player Alec Baer (Peoria) Leading Scorer Award Alec Baer (Peoria)
All-SPHL selections Position First Team Second Team All-Rookie G Hunter Vorva (Huntsville) Eric Levine (Peoria) Kristian Stead (Knoxville) D Jason Price (Knoxville)Donald Olivieri (Fayetteville) Joe Sova (Quad City)Dylan Carabia (Pensacola) Dylan Carabia (Pensacola)Zach Wilkie (Peoria) F Alec Baer (Peoria)Alec Hagaman (Peoria)Sy Nutkevitch (Huntsville)Jacob Barber (Huntsville) Mac Jansen (Roanoke)Marcel Godbout (Peoria)Anthony McVeigh (Knoxville) Marcel Godbout (Peoria)Taylor Best (Fayetteville)Weiland Parrish (Pensacola) Carson Rose (Birmingham)
Milestones and records On January 22, 2022 – The Pensacola Ice Flyers defeat the Macon Mayhem 13–4 (record for most goals by one team)
References
External links Southern Professional Hockey League website