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]

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

League changes

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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

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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
Team GP W L OTL GF GA Pts Pts% Att.
Danbury Hat Tricks 46 31 12 3 212 158 94 .681 1,169
Elmira Enforcers 48 32 13 3 200 149 96 .667 3,077
Watertown Wolves 48 25 21 2 191 182 74 .514 847
Mentor Ice Breakers 48 15 30 3 147 196 48 .333 652
Delaware Thunder 45 13 31 1 165 206 39 .289 499
Western Division
Team GP W L OTL GF GA Pts Pts% Att.
Carolina Thunderbirds 46 35 6 5 217 106 108 .783 2,831
Port Huron Prowlers 46 32 14 0 211 166 92 .667 1,036
Danville Dashers 47 26 18 3 172 150 79 .560 1,034
Columbus River Dragons 46 24 21 1 191 183 67 .486 3,046
Battle Creek Rumble Bees 48 1 45 2 94 304 5 .035 353
  Qualified for playoffs

Playoffs

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

References

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  1. ^ a b "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.