The Southern Hockey League (abbreviated SHL) is a defunct low-level professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

league. It operated in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

for one season, 1995–1996, with teams in the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. It was originally named the

Sunshine Hockey League The Sunshine Hockey League (SuHL) was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 to 1995. The league was based in Florida and consisted of five teams in its inaugural 1992–93 Sunshine Hockey League season, 1992–9 ...

, but changed its name after expanding outside of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. The league only played one season. The Huntsville Channel Cats, along with the planned 1996–97 expansion teams

Columbus Cottonmouths The Columbus Cottonmouths were three separate professional ice hockey teams based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes and played their home games at the Columbus Civic Center. In 2017, the third franchise suspended operations af ...

, Macon Whoopee, and Nashville Nighthawks, joined the

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...

following the SHL's demise.

Final standings

Regular season

Playoffs

External links

1995-96 Southern Hockey League Standings
at HockeyDB.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Hockey League (1995-1996) Defunct ice hockey leagues in the United States 1995–96 in American ice hockey by league