2019–20 FPHL season
LeagueFederal Prospects Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Number of teams10
Season championsCarolina Thunderbirds
Commissioner Cup playoffs
ChampionsNone
  Runners-upNone

The 2019–20 Federal Prospects Hockey League season was the tenth season of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) and the first with "Prospects" in the league's name. The regular season was an unbalanced schedule with the ten teams in the league playing somewhere from 56 to 60 games per team. On March 16, 2020, the league canceled the remainder of the 2019–20 season schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

League changes

Following the 2018–19 season, the league fully branded itself as the Federal Prospects Hockey League with a new FPHL logo.

The Danbury Hat Tricks were announced as an expansion team on May 7, 2019, with Ffrmer FHL player Billy McCreary was announced a general manager and head coach. The team is owned by DP 110 LLC, the same group that had recently purchased the Danbury Ice Arena.[2] In April 2019, the Columbus, Georgia, city council voted to award a five-year lease to Ignite Pro Hockey, LLC at the Civic Center. On May 21, 2019, the league awarded an expansion team to Columbus and was named the Columbus River Dragons.[3] The Delaware Thunder were announced as a member on May 29, 2019, owned by Delaware Pro Hockey LLC, an investment group led by Charlie Pens, who also served as the president and general manager of the team.[4] In June 2019, the league's schedule revealed a tenth team for the 2019–20 season based in Michigan.[5] On July 23, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees were announced.[6]

The league split the ten teams into two divisions of five with the Elmira Enforcers, Watertown Wolves, Mentor Ice Breakers, Danbury Hat Tricks and Delaware Thunder in the Eastern Division and the Columbus River Dragons, Battle Creek Rumble Bees, Port Huron Prowlers, Danville Dashers, Carolina Thunderbirds in the Western Division. The top four teams in each division would qualify to make the playoffs

Regular season

The Battle Creek Rumble Bees' 0–23–1 start to the season gave them the longest losing streak in professional hockey history that would hold up until the Delaware Thunder lost 26 straight in the 2022–23 season.[7] On March 16, 2020, the league canceled the remainder of the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Final standings:[8]

Eastern Division
TeamGPWLOTLGFGAPtsPts%Att.
Danbury Hat Tricks463112321215894.6811,169
Elmira Enforcers483213320014996.6673,077
Watertown Wolves482521219118274.514847
Mentor Ice Breakers481530314719648.333652
Delaware Thunder451331116520639.289499
Western Division
TeamGPWLOTLGFGAPtsPts%Att.
Carolina Thunderbirds463565217106108.7832,831
Port Huron Prowlers463214021116692.6671,036
Danville Dashers472618317215079.5601,034
Columbus River Dragons462421119118367.4863,046
Battle Creek Rumble Bees481452943045.035353
  Qualified for playoffs

Playoffs

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs were canceled as well.

References

  1. 1 2 "FPHL Cancels Remainder of 2019-20 Season". federalhockey.com. March 16, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ "FHL Returns to Danbury". federalhockey.com. May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ "News: The River Dragons Arrive in Columbus May 21 2019 - Ignite Sports and Entertainment". rdragons.com. May 21, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Professional hockey is coming to Delaware, meet the Delaware Thunder". The News Journal. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ "2019/2020 FPHL SCHEDULE". federalhockey.com. June 17, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Introducing your newest pro hockey team, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  7. ↑ "@MinorHero". Twitter. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Stats - Federal Prospects Hockey League". federalhockey.com. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
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