Myrtle Beach, SC - The Southern Professional Hockey League concluded league meetings on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Board of Governors met on various items for the upcoming season, including the commencement of the 2008-2009 season training camp, various changes to league rules and regulations and playoff structure. Finally, a special visit from an ECHL representative allowed the Board of Governors a positive look at the possible future of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
The 2008-2009 SPHL training camp will officially begin on Sunday, October 12, 2008. Though the upcoming season's schedule is yet to be released, it is approximately twelve days prior to the expected season opening date.
A limited number of SPHL rules and regulations were changed during the league meetings, affecting various aspects of the SPHL game.
Short term contract signing will change in the upcoming season as five game tryouts have been eliminated. However, the league has made ten (10), three (3) game tryouts available to the teams for their use throughout the season.
A safety mandate has been made to the equipment for the SPHL players. Every player will be required to wear a visor at every game during the 2008-2009 season. Visors have been reported, in various other leagues that have mandated visors, to dramatically decrease, and even eliminate, the number of catastrophic eye injuries while playing hockey. “Our players are a real asset to the teams and the league. We want to ensure that we protect them as much as possible,” states Jerome Bechard, SPHL Chairman and Columbus Cottonmouths Head Coach and General Manager. He continues, “The players within this league hold enough respect for the game and each other that if there is a fight, the players will take their helmets (and visors) off.”
Mike Murray, SPHL Vice Chairman and Knoxville Ice Bears President/General Manager/owner, is also a proponent of the mandatory visor rule. “A player's safety is, first and foremost, the most important thing to us as a league, but we were also considering this from a business standpoint. We had to make sure that we look at this as it affects the league in terms of insurance,” asserts Murray.
Due to a change in league composition, the SPHL has changed the playoff structure. Only four teams will make their way into post season play. The number one seeded team will play the number four seeded team, and the number two seeded team, will play the number three seed, both in a best of five series. The winners of both series will advance to the finals, where the SPHL President's Cup Champions will be decided in a seven game series.
A visit from Rod Pasma, ECHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, provided an enlightening discussion of the challenges that developmental league hockey is facing, including the past and anticipated growth of the leagues. “We really appreciate Rod taking the time to share his thoughts with us. We had positive discussions with Rod and learned that similar challenges are being faced in all levels of hockey. I look forward to positive interaction with Rod and the ECHL in the future,” states Jim Combs, SPHL Commissioner.
The 2008-2009 SPHL season will kick off in October 2008.
