Western Professional Hockey League
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Ceased | 2001 |
| Replaced by | Central Hockey League (partial) |
| No. of teams | 18 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Last champion(s) | Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs |
| Most titles | Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (3) |
The Western Professional Hockey League (abbreviated WPHL) is a defunct minor professional ice hockey league.[1]
The WPHL operated from 1996 to 2001 with teams based in the southern United States, primarily Texas and Louisiana. The league started with six teams in the 1996–97 season and grew to 18 teams in 1999–00. After the 2000–01 season, the WPHL was bought out by the Central Hockey League. Former WPHL teams continued to play in the CHL until the 2012–13 season.
President's Cup winners
(Playoff champions)
- 1997 - El Paso Buzzards
- 1998 - El Paso Buzzards
- 1999 - Shreveport Mudbugs
- 2000 - Shreveport Mudbugs
- 2001 - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Governor's Cup
(Regular season champions)
- 1996-97 - New Mexico Scorpions
- 1997-98 - Fort Worth Brahmas
- 1998-99 - Shreveport Mudbugs
- 1999-00 - Central Texas Stampede
- 2000-01 - Tupelo T-Rex
Teams in alphabetical order
Location of historical Texas- and New Mexico-based WPHL teams, 1996–2001. Note teams were not necessarily contemporaneous with each other. For teams based east of Texas, see map below.
Location of historical WPHL teams based east of Texas, 1996–2001. Not shown: Arkansas GlacierCats (Little Rock, AR), Tupelo T-Rex (Tupelo, MS).
- Abilene Aviators 1998–2000
- Alexandria Warthogs 1998–2000
- Amarillo Rattlers 1996–2001
- Arkansas GlacierCats 1998–2000 (based in Little Rock, Arkansas)
- Austin Ice Bats 1996–2001
- Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs 2000–01 (based in Bossier City, Louisiana)
- Central Texas Stampede 1996–2001 (based in Belton, Texas)
- Corpus Christi IceRays 1998–2001
- El Paso Buzzards 1996–2001
- Fort Worth Brahmas 1997–2001
- Lake Charles Ice Pirates 1997–2001
- Lubbock Cotton Kings 1999–2001
- Monroe Moccasins 1997–2001
- New Mexico Scorpions 1996–2001 (based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico)
- Odessa Jackalopes 1997–2001
- San Angelo Outlaws 1996–2001
- Shreveport Mudbugs 1997–2000
- Tupelo T-Rex 1998–2001
- Waco Wizards 1996–2000
Teams that went to the Central Hockey League
- Amarillo Rattlers
- Austin Ice Bats
- Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Corpus Christi IceRays
- El Paso Buzzards
- Fort Worth Brahmas
- Lubbock Cotton Kings
- New Mexico Scorpions
- Odessa Jackalopes
- San Angelo Outlaws
Teams that were dissolved during the CHL merger
- Central Texas Stampede
- Lake Charles Ice Pirates
- Monroe Moccasins
- Tupelo T-Rex
Individual league awards
1996-97
- Coach of the year - Todd Brost, El Paso
- Most valuable player - Chris Brooks, Amarillo
- Scoring champion - Chris Brooks, Amarillo
- Most outstanding goaltender - Daniel Berthiaume, Central Texas
- Most outstanding defenseman - Jody Praznik, New Mexico
- Playoff most valuable player - Chris MacKenzie, El Paso
- All-star game most valuable player - Doug Smith, Central Texas
1997-98
- Coach of the year - Bill McDonald, Fort Worth Brahmas
- Most valuable player - Jamie Thompson, El Paso
- Man of the year - Jamie Thompson, El Paso
- Scoring champion - Carl Boudreau, San Angelo
- Rookie of the year - Sami Laine, Odessa
- Most outstanding goaltender - Kevin St. Pierre, Shreveport
- Most outstanding defenseman - Eric Ricard, New Mexico
- Playoff most valuable player - Billy Trew, El Paso
- All-star game most valuable player - Sylvain Naud, New Mexico
1998-99
- Coach of the year - Todd Lalonde, Waco
- Most valuable player - Chris Robertson, Corpus Christi
- Man of the year - Graeme Townshend, Lake Charles
- Scoring champion - Carl Boudreau, San Angelo
- Rookie of the year - Kory Cooper, Waco
- Most outstanding goaltender - Kory Cooper, Waco
- Most outstanding defenseman - Eric Brule, Abilene
- Playoff most valuable player - John Vecchiarelli, Shreveport
- All-star game most valuable player - Billy Trew, El Paso
1999-00
- Coach of the year - Brian Curran, Monroe
- Most valuable player - Ron Newhook, Central Texas
- Man of the year - Brad Haelzle, Amarillo and Scott Muscutt, Shreveport
- Scoring champion - Geoff Bumstead, Corpus Christi
- Rookie of the year - Dan Price, Austin
- Most outstanding goaltender - Matt Barnes, Central Texas
- Most outstanding defenseman - Arturs Kupaks, Lubbock
- Playoff most valuable player - Hugo Hamelin, Shreveport
- All-star game most valuable player - Dorian Anneck, Monroe
2000-01
- Coach of the year -Don McKee, Odessa
- Most valuable player - Jason Firth, Tupelo
- Man of the year - Travis Van Tighem, New Mexico
- Scoring champion - Jason Firth, Tupelo
- Rookie of the year - Ken Carroll, Bossier-Shreveport
- Most outstanding goaltender - Ken Carroll, Bossier-Shreveport
- Most outstanding defenseman - Mark DeSantis, New Mexico
- Playoff most valuable player - Jason Campbell, Bossier-Shreveport
- All-star game most valuable player - Kyle Reeves, Lubbock
- Rick Kozuback Award - Trent Eigner, El Paso[2]
See also
- List of developmental and minor sports leagues
- List of ice hockey leagues
- Minor league
- Sports league attendances
References
- ↑ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. x. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
- ↑ "CHL-WPHL Award Winners".
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