CHARLOTTE, NC – And then there were nine.
The Southern Professional Hockey League today announced the league’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the Mississippi RiverKings to begin play for 2011-2012 season, which begins in October.
“Our goal has always been to build a winning hockey team in a manner that produces positive impacts in our community over and above the entertainment value to area hockey fans,” Lanier Hurdle, a member of the Maddox Foundation which operates the team. “This change will let us build relationships with teams closer to northwest Mississippi, and build interest in hockey in the region.”
The move ends a 19-year affiliation with the Central Hockey League (CHL), in which the RiverKings were one of three remaining original members. The RiverKings, the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in the Mid-South, will now begin their 20th season of operations as the new kid on the block.
“The SPHL is a better regional fit for the RiverKings,” Director of Business Operations Dave “Ab” Mattice said. “It will create rivalries with teams within driving distance of Desoto County. We ask our loyal fans to continue to support the RiverKings here at the Desoto Civic Center and on the road.”
Rumors began swirling about the move Saturday when a Memphis television station reported that the team would be leaving the CHL. CHL franchises had until last Friday to inform the league of their plans at the league meetings that ended Saturday night. Monday afternoon the RiverKings held a press conference just as the SPHL Board of Governors was approving the addition via conference call.
SPHL President Jim Combs was pleased and excited about the opportunity to add the RiverKings to the league.
“We are excited to welcome the RiverKings into the SPHL,” Combs said. “We believe they follow our league’s tradition of being deeply involved in the local community while bringing affordable family entertainment in the form of professional ice hockey to the region.”
With the addition of the RiverKings, the SPHL will have a presence in both the north and the south part of the state of Mississippi. The defending President’s Cup champion Mississippi Surge call Biloxi home. It also gives the eight year old league a future opportunity to add a tenth team in the western part of the footprint and create an eastern and western division setup.
The RiverKings were not the only piece of news involving the CHL and the SPHL. After weeks of waiting, the Fayetteville FireAntz introduced Sean Gillam as its new head coach. Gillam succeeds Tommy Stewart whose contract was not renewed following the 2010-2011 season.
Gillam comes to the FireAntz from the CHL’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees where he was an assistant coach. The 35-year old native of Lethbridge, Alberta was a third round draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings in 1994. His minor league career stops include Adirondack (AHL), Mississippi (ECHL), Orlando (IHL) and Jackson (ECHL).
“I have faith in him to be able to recruit and put a strong team together,” Fayetteville president and general manager Kevin MacNaught said. “I have confidence in him that he’s straight-up. He didn’t brag about anything – I had to pry stuff out of him about his assets, so he’s pretty humble that way. He’s a guy I think the team’s going to be able to follow and believe in.”
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