2022-23 FPHL season

This is the 2022-23 Federal Prospects Hockey League season. This is the league's 13th season.
==Membership Changes==
On July 31, 2021 the Elmira Enforcers announced that they would reluctantly be taking a leave of absence from the league due to issues involving the management of and the arena being open at all for the 2021-22 season.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/enforcers-address-2021-2022-season/n-5727433On April 27, 2022 the league announced the return of a team to Elmira, New York for the 2022-23 season with a new team taking the name the Elmira Mammoth.https://www.pressconnects.com/story/sports/2022/04/27/elmira-returns-federal-prospects-hockey-league-elmira-mammoth/9542736002/
The league would announce the addition of the Biloxi, Mississippi based Mississippi Sea Wolves for the 2022-23 season. The team will be based out of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.https://www.mississippiseawolves.com/news/mississippi-sea-wolves-l-l-c-and-mississippi-coast
On April 29, 2022 the Motor City Rockers who were originally intended to begin play in 2020 issued a post on their website announcing that they are to begin play for the 2022-23 season. The team will be based out of the Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Michigan. The team is being lauched under a different ownership group from the one originally announced in 2020.https://www.mcrockershockey.com/news/new-ownership-group-picks-up-motor-city-rockers-ho
An expansion team to be based out of the Raising Cane's River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is to be added to the league for the 2023-24 season without any formal announcement from the league.https://www.brprohockey.com/news/baton-rouge-makes-first-staff-hire A formal announcement was made on April 11, 2023.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/baton-rouge-joins-fphl/n-5945234 On July 13th the announcement was made that the team will be called the Baton Rouge Zydeco.https://www.brprohockey.com/news/baton-rouge-zydeco-a-melody-of-louisiana-s-rich-cu
The league will be adding a team based out of the 5,300 seat Appalachian Exposition Center in Wytheville, Virginia for the 2023-24 season.https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/11/07/new-pro-hockey-team-headed-wythe-county-with-redevelopment-apex-center/
In late March 2023 the operators of the Delaware State Fair Centre Ice Arena announced they would not be renewing the lease for the Delaware Thunder for next season. The team's fanbase was working on a petition to try to get the lease renewed.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-5941534 On June 19th the team filed for dormancy for the 2023-24 season.https://www.federalhockey.com/news/delaware-thunder-file-for-dormancy
On May 12, 2023 the management of the First Arena in Elmira, New York sent notification to the Elmira Mammoth that their lease was being terminated.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/steve-donner-responds-to-recent-headlines/n-5962079 By May 26th, the team decided not to contest the decision.https://www.weny.com/story/48974312/mammoth-sports-and-entertainment-to-surrender-first-arena A replacement team is going into the First Arena replacing the former Elmira Mammoth team another FPHL team announced on June 19th that it had hired a head coach, Tyler Gjurich, and an assistant coach M.J. Maerki.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/elmira-announces-coaching-staff/n-5977524 On July 8, 2023 the team was announced as being named the Elmira River Sharks.https://www.federalhockey.com/news/elmira-welcomes-the-river-sharks
==Teams==
===Continental Division===
Team 	Home arena 	Capacity	City 	Joined League
Carolina Thunderbirds 	LJVM Coliseum Annex 	4,000 	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	2017
Columbus River Dragons	Columbus Civic Center 	10,000 	Columbus, Georgia 	2019
Mississippi Sea Wolves	Mississippi Coast Coliseum	9,150 	Biloxi, Mississippi 	2022
Motor City Rockers 	Fraser, Michigan 	3,300 	Big Boy Arena 	2022
Port Huron Prowlers 	McMorran Place 	3,400 	Port Huron, Michigan 	2015
===Empire Division===
Team 	Home arena 	Capacity	City 	Joined League
Binghamton Black Bears	Visions Veterans Memorial Arena	4,710 	Binghamton, New York	2021
Danbury Hat Tricks 	Danbury Ice Arena 	3,000 	Danbury, Connecticut	2019
Delaware Thunder 	Centre Ice Rink 	700 	Harrington, Delaware	2019
Elmira Mammoth 	First Arena 	3,784 	Elmira, New York 	2022
Watertown Wolves 	Watertown Municipal Arena 	2,000 	Watertown, New York 	2010
==Standings==
===Continental Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Carolina Thunderbirds 	56	40	12	4 	278	176	117
Columbus River Dragons	56	40	11	5 	255	150	116
Motor City Rockers 	56	32	18	6 	220	198	97
Port Huron Prowlers 	56	28	24	4 	232	231	86
Mississippi Sea Wolves	56	17	35	4 	199	304	51
===Empire Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Danbury Hat Tricks 	56	44	7 	5 	251	156	129
Binghamton Black Bears	56	36	15	5 	285	195	110
Watertown Wolves 	56	20	32	4 	160	217	57
Elmira Mammoth 	56	14	35	7 	162	270	48
Delaware Thunder 	56	9 	43	4 	166	311	29
Note: Three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win, one for an overtime loss, none for a regulation loss.
==Commissioner's Cup==
The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds area best-of-three. The final round is best-of-five.
===Quarterfinals=== 
*Carolina Thunderbirds defeated Port Huron Prowlers 2 games to none 
*Columbus River Dragons defeated Motor City Rockers 2 games to none 
*Danbury Hat Tricks defeated Elmira Mammoth 2 games to none
*Binghamton Black Bears defeated Watertown Wolves 2 games to none
===Semifinals===
*Carolina Thunderbirds defeated Columbus River Dragons 2 games to 1 
*Danbury Hat Tricks defeated Binghamton Black Bears 2 games to 1
===Final===
*Danbury Hat Tricks defeated Carolina Thunderbirds 3 games to 2
==References==
Category:2023 in hockey
Category:Federal Hockey League seasons