# 2021–22 SPHL season

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 |

## Regular season
### Standings

As of April 10, 2022.
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| z–Knoxville Ice Bears | 56 | 42 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 88 | 220 | 136 |
| x–Huntsville Havoc | 56 | 41 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 84 | 194 | 124 |
| x–Peoria Rivermen | 56 | 38 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 83 | 219 | 126 |
| x–Fayetteville Marksmen | 56 | 40 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 82 | 197 | 140 |
| x–Quad City Storm | 56 | 32 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 191 | 157 |
| x–Pensacola Ice Flyers | 56 | 31 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 68 | 189 | 164 |
| x–Evansville Thunderbolts | 56 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 162 | 155 |
| x–Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 56 | 23 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 55 | 176 | 181 |
| e–Birmingham Bulls | 56 | 18 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 144 | 198 |
| e–Macon Mayhem | 56 | 10 | 40 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 123 | 250 |
| e–Vermilion County Bobcats | 56 | 5 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 83 | 267 |
z– indicates team has clinched William B. Coffey Trophy (regular season champion) and a playoff spot  x– indicates team has clinched a playoff spot  e– 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 | +/– | PIM |
| Alec Baer | Peoria Rivermen | 53 | 26 | 54 | 80 | 32 | 36 |
| Alec Hagaman | Peoria Rivermen | 47 | 28 | 43 | 71 | 40 | 151 |
| Sy Nutkevitch | Huntsville Havoc | 56 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 9 | 30 |
| Jacob Barber | Huntsville Havoc | 54 | 29 | 34 | 63 | 17 | 24 |
| Marcel Godbout | Peoria Rivermen | 50 | 33 | 28 | 61 | 15 | 22 |
| Mac Jansen | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 55 | 29 | 31 | 60 | 3 | 52 |
| Rob Darrar | Huntsville Havoc | 56 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 35 | 16 |
| Anthony McVeigh | Knoxville Ice Bears | 56 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 23 | 24 |
| Dean Balsamo | Knoxville Ice Bears | 46 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 5 | 37 |
| Weiland Parrish | Pensacola 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 |
| Hunter Vorva | Huntsville Havoc | 32 | 1,892 | 928 | 61 | 3 | 1.93 | .934 | 22 | 8 | 2 |
| Eric Levine | Peoria Rivermen | 43 | 2,446 | 1,161 | 83 | 5 | 2.04 | .929 | 29 | 8 | 4 |
| Jason Pawloski | Fayetteville Marksmen | 22 | 1,288 | 608 | 46 | 2 | 2.14 | .924 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| Kristian Stead | Knoxville Ice Bears | 24 | 1,394 | 659 | 51 | 2 | 2.20 | .923 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| Brent Moran | 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 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | | | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | President's Cup Final | President's Cup Final | President's Cup Final |
| 1 | Knoxville | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Roanoke | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Roanoke | 2 | | | 2 | Huntsville | 0 | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Roanoke | 2 | | | |
| 2 | Huntsville | 2 | | | 8 | Roanoke | 2 | | | |
| 7 | Evansville | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Evansville | 0 | | | | | | 8 | Roanoke | 1 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 8 | Roanoke | 1 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 3 | Peoria | 3 |
| 3 | Peoria | 2 | | | | | | | | | 3 | Peoria | 3 |
| 6 | Pensacola | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Pensacola | 1 | | | 3 | Peoria | 2 | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | Quad City | 1 | | | |
| 4 | Fayetteville | 1 | | | 5 | Quad City | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Quad City | 2 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarterfinals
#### (1) Knoxville Ice Bears vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

* Roanoke won series 2–1

#### (2) Huntsville Havoc vs. (7) Evansville Thunderbolts

* Huntsville won series 2–0

#### (3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (6) Pensacola Ice Flyers

* Peoria won series 2–1

#### (4) Fayetteville Marksmen vs. (5) Quad City Storm

* Quad City won series 2–1

### Semifinals
#### (2) Huntsville Havoc vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

* Roanoke won series 2–0

#### (3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (5) Quad City Storm

* Peoria won series 2–1

### President's Cup Final
#### (3) Peoria Rivermen vs. (8) Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

* Peoria won series 3–1

### 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 | +/– | PIM |
| Nick Ford | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 9 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
| Marcel Godbout | Peoria Rivermen | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Alec Baer | Peoria Rivermen | 10 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 6 |
| JM Piotrowski | Peoria Rivermen | 10 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| Mac Jansen | Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Alec Hagaman | Peoria 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 |
| Bailey Brkin | Quad City Storm | 6 | 357 | 173 | 14 | 0 | 2.25 | .919 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Jack Berry | Peoria Rivermen | 9 | 492 | 263 | 20 | 0 | 2.44 | .924 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Sammy Bernard | 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)