North East Professional Hockey League The North East Professional Hockey League ( NEPHL ) was a professional men ' s ice hockey league that had its only season in 2009 – 10 . League history . The league was announced on July 12 , 2009 , via americanprohockey . com and was to consist of teams in New Hampshire , Massachusetts , and Rhode Island ; with the possibility of adding a team in Danbury , Connecticut for the start of the season or the following season . The league was originally to consist of four teams , but the New England Pharaohs and Twin City Yeti , were forced into a hiatus due to a founding member having two major heart surgeries prior to the start of the season . The Boston Wings had announced entry into the league in July 2009 , but then decided to fold their franchise before the season began . The Rhode Island Storm , the only currently active founding member of the NEPHL , along with the New York Aviators decided to start the season alone and as a result the Connecticut C - Dogs were quickly added as a team prior to the beginning of the 2009 - 2010 season . The inaugural NEPHL season was originally slated for 44 games . This was modified for the first time to 30 games and again to 20 ( later 15 ) games due to financial concerns from the C - Dog and Storm franchises . With money problems mounting daily the Rhode Island Storm franchise demanded the season be shortened again to conclude the first week in January . A playoff structure was implemented where the win less Connecticut C - Dogs would play the Rhode Island Storm in a best 2 out of 3 playoff series with all three games to be played in Rhode Island because the C - Dogs canceled their ice time at their facility in East Haven , CT . Game 1 took place at the Boss Arena in Kingston , RI on January 2 , 2010 with RI winning 16 - 5 . Game 2 scheduled for the following night also in Kingston ended in a more bizarre fashion with a 1 - 0 forfeit win for the Storm . At game time only 2 members of the C - Dogs team ( neither of which were goalies ) had shown up at the arena ready to play . C - Dogs Owner and Head Coach Phil Esposito ( no relation to the NHL Phil Esposito ) did not bother to show up either . Esposito maintains he was in contact with Storm Head Coach Dave Monteiro multiple times telling him the chances are pretty good he would not be able to put a team together for game 2 . Both Monteiro and Storm General Manager Kirk McDonough vehemently deny there was any contact made by Esposito to their club warning them of his intention to not have a complete team available for the second playoff game . McDonough stated " If what Esposito is saying is true and he kept everyone in the loop about not being able to have a complete C - Dogs team available for Game 2 why did two of his players show up ready to play Game 2 and tell us nobody told them there was not going to be a game ? " With excited Rhode Island fans in attendance at the Boss Arena for Game 2 , The Storm owner Ed McDonough had no choice but to announce the forfeit . A rain of " Boos " poured from the stands surely directed at Esposito and his hapless C - Dogs franchise . In absence of a game the Rhode Island fans were treated to a skills type competition by the players , an autograph session as well as a free ticket to the following weeks second game of the championship series against the undefeated New York Aviators . With the series win over Connecticut it meant the Storm would advance to the best 2 out of 3 championship series against Rob Miller ' s undefeated New York Aviators . Game 1 was played on January 8 , 2010 in Brooklyn , NY at the Aviator Arena with New York winning 10 - 2 . Game 2 was played on Sunday evening January 10 , 2010 at the Boss Arena in Kingston on the Campus of the University of Rhode Island . A must win for the Storm in order to force a third game back in Brooklyn turned out to be an absolute annihilation by New York who won in a laugher 14 - 1 . In the first and potentially only season for the NEPHL the Aviators and Storm met in 7 contests . The Aviators outscored the Storm 71 to 8 in those games . The NEPHL , wrought with financial problems from the day they dropped their first puck , is down to two teams with the Connecticut C - Dogs ceasing operations with the forfeited playoff game vs . Rhode Island . The New York Aviators will apply to the Federal Hockey League The Rhode Island Storm will return to play in 2010 - 11 in some capacity they will need to find a new arena as the often contentious relationship between the Storm front office and the powers that run the Boss Arena came to a head recently as a lapse of security at the arena wound up in the Storm locker room being burglarized with three players jerseys stolen forcing the Storm starting goalie in the playoffs to wear a white jersey with no logo , number or name sewn on . As of early January 2010 , both the league website and Rhode Island Storm websites are inactive . On January 11 , 2010 , Jerry Deno announced on the C - Dogs facebook website : " " The NY Aviators have taken the NEPHL Championship 2 games to none in the best of 3 vs the RI Storm . I would like to thank all of our friends and fans who attended games in RI , NY , and Ct . I would also like to announce at this time that the Rhode Island Storm and the New York Aviators will be back next season with a stronger and more stabil league . Again Thanks and see you all in November " " On March 26 , 2010 the Aviators announced that they are joining the Federal Hockey League , a single - A professional ice hockey league .