The 2016–17 SPHL season was the 13th season of the
Southern Professional Hockey League
The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) 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 mid ...
(SPHL).
League business
Team changes
*The dormant
Mississippi Surge
The Mississippi Surge were a professional hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League that began play in the 2009–10 season and folded on May 2, 2014. Playing for five seasons, the Surge was based in Biloxi and home games were played ...
franchise was purchased and relocated to
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is lo ...
, and became the
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are a professional ice hockey team and a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Based in Roanoke, Virginia, the Rail Yard Dawgs play their home games at Berglund Center.
History
The Rail Yard Dawgs are t ...
.
*The
Evansville Thunderbolts
The Evansville Thunderbolts are a minor league ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The team plays at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The team replaced the Evansville IceMen of the ECHL.
History
During the 2015†...
from
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
, join the SPHL as an expansion team replacing the former
Evansville IceMen
The Evansville IceMen were a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Evansville, Indiana. The franchise was originally a member of the United Hockey League before it merged into the Central Hockey League in 2010. The franchise has won four po ...
of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The E ...
.
*The
Louisiana IceGators suspended operations because renovations to the
Cajundome
The Cajundome is a 13,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in Lafayette, Louisiana on the South Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It is home to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's and women's basketball programs in addition t ...
were not going to be complete in time for the regular season.
Regular season
Standings
Final standings
:
‡ William B. Coffey Trophy winners
: Advanced to playoffs
Attendance
President's Cup playoffs
Playoff bracket
Finals
:
''Home team is listed first.''
Awards
All-SPHL selections
References
External links
Southern Professional Hockey League website
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 Sphl Season
Southern Professional Hockey League seasons
Sphl