2009–10 SPHL season

2009–10 SPHL season
League Southern Professional Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Regular season
Season champions Mississippi Surge
Season MVP Rob Sich (Fayetteville)[1]
Top scorer Kevin Swider (Knoxville)
Playoffs
Finals champions Huntsville Havoc
  Finals runners-up Mississippi Surge

The 2009–10 Southern Professional Hockey League season was the sixth season of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The season began October 22, 2009, and ended April 17, 2010, after a 56-game regular season and a six-team playoff. The Huntsville Havoc captured their first SPHL championship.

Preseason

The Richmond Renegades[2] and Twin City Cyclones[3] franchises folded during the off-season. The Louisiana IceGators,[4] Mississippi Surge,[5] and Pensacola Ice Flyers[6] joined the league, after each of those markets had recently lost an ECHL team.

Regular season

Final standings

Team[7] GP W L OTL GF GA Pts
Mississippi Surge‡ 56 34 14 8 210 165 76
Huntsville Havoc 56 31 16 9 199 178 71
Fayetteville FireAntz 56 31 22 3 231 213 65
Knoxville Ice Bears 56 30 23 3 228 199 63
Pensacola Ice Flyers 56 25 23 8 176 205 58
Columbus Cottonmouths 56 22 27 7 171 207 51
Louisiana IceGators 56 23 31 2 175 223 48
‡ William B. Coffey Trophy winners
     Advanced to playoffs

Attendance

Team Total Games Average
Fayetteville 102,243 28 3,651
Huntsville 98,365 28 3,513
Pensacola 96,804 28 3,457
Knoxville 91,304 28 3,260
Columbus 78,331 28 2,797
Mississippi 74,223 28 2,650
Louisiana 54,779 28 1,956

President's Cup playoffs

  1st Round 2nd Round Finals
                                               
1  Mississippi Surge 5 4 4 6 x  
6  Columbus Cottonmouths 2 5* 2 2 x    
    1  Mississippi Surge 2 2 2
  2  Huntsville Havoc 3 3 3
  3  Fayetteville FireAntz 7 5 3  
4  Knoxville Ice Bears 1 6** 4*  
4  Knoxville Ice Bears 1 1 x
 
  2  Huntsville Havoc 5 3 x  
5  Pensacola Ice Flyers 3 1 4
  2  Huntsville Havoc 1 5 5*  

* indicates overtime game.

Finals

All times are local (CDT)

April 14, 2010
7:30 pm		 Huntsville 3 – 2
 Mississippi Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS
Attendance: 1,988
April 15, 2010
7:30 pm		 Huntsville 3 – 2
 Mississippi Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS
Attendance: 2,025
April 17, 2010
7:30 pm		 Mississippi 2 – 3
 Huntsville Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL
Attendance: 4,541

Awards

The SPHL All-Rookie team was announced March 25, 2010, followed by the All-SPHL teams on March 26, Rookie of the Year on March 29, Coach of the Year on March 30, Defenseman of the Year on March 31, Goaltender of the Year on April 1, and MVP on April 2.[8]

President's Cup: Huntsville Havoc
Coffey Trophy: Mississippi Surge
League MVP: Rob Sich (Fayetteville)[1]
Rookie of the Year: Jesse Biduke (Fayetteville)[9]
Defenseman of the Year: Steve Weidlich (Mississippi)[10]
Goaltender of the Year: Bill Zaniboni (Mississippi)[11]
Coach of the Year: Steffon Walby (Mississippi)[12]

All-SPHL selections

1st Team All-SPHL[13]

Canada F Chris Leveille (Fayetteville)
Canada F Rob Sich (Fayetteville)
United States F Kevin Swider (Knoxville)
Canada D Mark Van Vliet (Knoxville)
Canada D Steve Weidlich (Mississippi)
United States G Bill Zaniboni (Mississippi)
2nd Team All-SPHL[14]

Canada F Lorne Misita (Pensacola)
Canada F Michael Richard (Mississippi)
Canada F Matt Zultek (Mississippi)
Canada D Kevin Harris (Knoxville)
Canada D Jeff White (Huntsville)
Canada G Ian Vigier (Columbus)

All-Rookie Team[15]

Canada F Jesse Biduke (Fayetteville)
Canada F Jesse Cole (Columbus)
Canada F Levi Lind (Columbus)
Canada D Mark Hinz (Pensacola)
Canada D Dean Petiot (Huntsville)
Canada G Mark Sibbald (Huntsville)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Fayetteville's Rob Sich Voted SPHL Most Valuable Player". Press release. April 2, 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  2. ↑ "Renegades Officially Done". Press release. April 30, 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  3. ↑ "Cyclones To Cease Operations". Press release. March 24, 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  4. ↑ "Hockey Returns to Lafayette". Press release. May 17, 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  5. ↑ "Coast Hockey Announces New Team Name". Press release. June 17, 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Pensacola Ice Flyers Will Play This Year". Press release. July 15, 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "SPHL Standings". Pointstreak.com. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  8. ↑ "Postseason Awards Schedule Announced". Press release. March 22, 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  9. ↑ "Fayetteville's Jesse Biduke Named Rookie of the Year". Press release. March 29, 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  10. ↑ "Mississippi's Steve Weidlich Named Defenseman of the Year". Press release. March 31, 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  11. ↑ "Mississippi's Bill Zaniboni Named Goaltender of the Year". Press release. April 1, 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  12. ↑ "Surge Head Coach Walby Wins Coach Of The Year Award". Press release. March 30, 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  13. ↑ "All-SPHL First Team Announced". Press release. March 26, 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  14. ↑ "All-SPHL Second Team Announced". Press release. March 26, 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  15. ↑ "SPHL All-Rookie Team Announced". Press release. March 25, 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2010.