2005–06 SPHL season
# 2005–06 SPHL season

The 2005–06 Southern Professional Hockey League season was the second season of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The regular season began October 21, 2005, and ended April 12, 2006, after a 56-game regular season and a six-team playoff. The Knoxville Ice Bears won their first SPHL championship.

## Preseason

The Asheville Aces, Macon Trax, and Winston-Salem Polar Twins all folded following the 2004–05 season. Replacing them were the Florida Seals and Pee Dee Cyclones.

A new playoff structure was announced, with the top seed and sixth seed playing each other in a best-of-5-game series, with the winner advancing to the championship. The second and fifth, and third and fourth seeds each play a best-of-3-game series, with the winners meeting in another 3-game series to determine the second finalist.

## Regular season

### Final standings

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Knoxville Ice $Bears^‡$ | 56 | 36 | 14 | 6 | 262 | 192 | 78 |
| Columbus Cottonmouths | 56 | 34 | 16 | 6 | 247 | 182 | 74 |
| Florida Seals | 56 | 32 | 17 | 7 | 211 | 174 | 71 |
| Fayetteville FireAntz | 56 | 31 | 19 | 6 | 224 | 175 | 68 |
| Huntsville Havoc | 56 | 32 | 21 | 3 | 203 | 186 | 67 |
| Pee Dee Cyclones | 56 | 16 | 33 | 7 | 201 | 307 | 39 |
| Jacksonville Barracudas | 56 | 15 | 39 | 2 | 183 | 315 | 32 |

    $^‡$ William B. Coffey Trophy winners
    Advanced to playoffs

### Attendance

| Team | Total | Games | Average |
| - | - | - | - |
| Fayetteville | 103,179 | 28 | 3,684 |
| Knoxville | 96,428 | 28 | 3,443 |
| Columbus | 90,518 | 28 | 3,232 |
| Huntsville | 87,871 | 28 | 3,183 |
| Florida | 57,538 | 28 | 2,054 |
| Jacksonville | 57,028 | 28 | 2,036 |
| Pee Dee | 40,626 | 28 | 1,450 |

## President's Cup playoffs

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Knoxville Ice Bears | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | x | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Pee Dee Cyclones | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | x | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Knoxville Ice Bears | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | x |
| 3 | Florida Seals | Florida Seals | Florida Seals | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | Knoxville Ice Bears | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | x |
| 3 | Florida Seals | Florida Seals | Florida Seals | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 3 | Florida Seals | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | x |
| 4 | Fayetteville FireAntz | Fayetteville FireAntz | Fayetteville FireAntz | 1 | 8 | 0 | | | | | | 3 | Florida Seals | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | x |
| 4 | Fayetteville FireAntz | Fayetteville FireAntz | Fayetteville FireAntz | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | Florida Seals | 4 | 5 | x | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | 5 | Huntsville Havoc | 2 | 3 | x | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Huntsville Havoc | Huntsville Havoc | Huntsville Havoc | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | Huntsville Havoc | 2 | 3 | x | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Columbus Cottonmouths | Columbus Cottonmouths | Columbus Cottonmouths | 1 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |

### (1) Knoxville Ice Bears vs. (6) Pee Dee Cyclones

The Knoxville Ice Bears and the Macon trax play at best of 5 round that will take the place of the first two playoff rounds. The other four teams will play a best of 3 game Quarter Final and Simi Final round.

| Game-by-Game | Game-by-Game | Score | Score | Knoxville goals | Pee Dee goals | Winning goalie |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | March 24 | at Pee Dee 5, Knoxville 4 | OT 3:50 | Jason Bermingham 2, K.J. Voorhees, Robbie Rangus | Justin Siebold, Brett Roat 2, Geoff Rollins, Edan Welch | Kelly Shields |
| 2 | March 25 | at Pee Dee 1, Knoxville 7 | | Kevin Swider 2, Robbie Rangus, Jason Bermingham, Curtis Menzul, Rob Miller, K.J. Voorhees | Steve Birch | James Ronayne |
| 3 | March 31 | at Knoxville 3, Pee Dee 1 | | K.C. Caudill, Jason Bermingham, Kevin Swider | Joel Petkoff | James Ronayne |
| 4 | March 31 | at Knoxville 6, Pee Dee 3 | | Jason Bermingham 5, Nathan Daly | Geoff Rollins, Justin Siebold 2 | James Ronayne |
| Knoxville win series 3–1 | Knoxville win series 3–1 | Knoxville win series 3–1 | Knoxville win series 3–1 | Bermingham 9, Swider 3, Voorhees 2, Rangus 2 | Siebold 3, Roat 2, Rollins 2 |

### Quarterfinals

    Note: game-winning goal scorer indicated in italics

**(2) Columbus Cottonmouths vs. (5) Huntsville Havoc**

| Game-by-Game | Game-by-Game | Score | Score | Columbus goals | Huntsville goals | Winning goalie |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | March 23 | at Columbus 1, Huntsville 4 | | Tim Green | Don Patrick, Mark Cole, Doug Merrell, Jesse Baraniuk | Matt Carmichael |
| 2 | March 25 | at Huntsville 3, Columbus 4 | 2OT 7:32 | Lorne Misita, Tom McMonagle, Mat Ponto,Ryan Haggarty | Jeff Dams, Chris Peach, Don Patrick | Chad Rycroft |
| 3 | March 28 | at Columbus 2, Huntsville 3 | | Craig Stahl, Tom McMonagle | Ryan Brown, James Patterson, Mike O'Sullivan | Matt Carmichael |
| Huntsville win series 2–1 | Huntsville win series 2–1 | Huntsville win series 2–1 | Huntsville win series 2–1 | McMonagle 2 | Patrick 2 |

**(3) Florida Seals vs. (4) Fayetteville FireAntz**

| Game-by-Game | Game-by-Game | Score | Score | Florida goals | Fayetteville goals | Winning goalie |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | March 24 | at Florida 2, Fayetteville 1 | | John Gurskis, Robert Sich | Kory Baker | Terry Denike |
| 2 | March 25 | at Fayetteville 8, Florida 1 | | Justin Keller | Rob Meanchoff, George Nistas 4, Nick Kormanyos, Dean Jackson, Scott Corbett | Chad Collins |
| 3 | March 28 | at Florida 1, Fayetteville 0 | | Robert Sich | | Terry Denike |
| Florida win series 2–1 | Florida win series 2–1 | Florida win series 2–1 | Florida win series 2–1 | Sich 2 | |

### Semifinals

    Note: game-winning goal scorer indicated in italics

**(3) Florida Seals vs. (5) Huntsville Havoc**

| Game-by-Game | Game-by-Game | Score | Score | Florida goals | Huntsville goals | Winning goalie |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | March 31 | at Florida 4, Huntsville 2 | | Steve Zoryk, Robert Sich 2, Nick Cammarata | Chris Peach, Jeff Dams | Terry Denike |
| 2 | April 2 | at Huntsville 3, Florida 5 | | Craig Miller, Nick Cammarata, Justin Keller, John Gurskis 2 | Luke Phillips, Jeff Dams, Jason DeGuehery | Terry Denike |
| Florida win series 2–0 | Florida win series 2–0 | Florida win series 2–0 | Florida win series 2–0 | Sich 2, Cammarata 2, Gurskis 2 | Dams 2 |

## Awards

The All-SPHL teams were announced March 21, 2006, followed by the MVP on March 22, Defenseman of the Year on March 23, Coach of the Year on March 24, Rookie of the Year on March 27, and Goalie of the Year on Match 28.

| President's Cup: | Knoxville Ice Bears |
| - | - |
| Commissioner's Cup: | Knoxville Ice Bears |
| League MVP: | Matt Carmichael (Huntsville) |
| Rookie of the Year: | Rob Sich (Florida) |
| Defenseman of the Year: | Mike Clarke (Fayetteville) |
| Goalie of the Year: | Terry Denike (Florida) |
| Coach of the Year: | Jerome Bechard (Columbus) |

### All-Star selections

* 1st Team All-Stars
* F Tim Green (Columbus)
* F Tylor Keller (Columbus)
* F Kevin Swider (Knoxville)
* D Ryan Aikia (Columbus)
* D Mike Clarke (Fayetteville)
* G Matt Carmichael (Huntsville)
* 2nd Team All-Stars
* F Jason Bermingham (Knoxville)
* F Dean Jackson (Fayetteville)
* F Edan Welch (Pee Dee)
* D Mat Ponto (Columbus)
* D Doug Searle (Knoxville)
* G Terry Denike (Florida)
