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Louisiana IceGators

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This article is about the expansion team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. For their predecessors who played from 1995 until 2005 in the ECHL, see Louisiana IceGators (ECHL).
Louisiana IceGators
CityLafayette, Louisiana
LeagueSouthern Professional Hockey League
Founded2009
Home arena"The Frozen Swamp" Cajundome
ColorsGreen, Gold, Black, White
       
Owner(s)Chuck Anselmo Jr. & Chuck Anselmo III
General managerLouis Dumont
Head coachKevin Kaminski
CaptainShawn McNeil
MediaLafayette Daily Advertiser, KATC, KLFY
Franchise history
1995-2005Louisiana IceGators (ECHL)
2009-CurrentLouisiana Icegators (SPHL)
Championships
Regular season titles0

The Louisiana IceGators are a team of the Southern Professional Hockey League who began play in the 2009-10 season. Like the original IceGators which played from 1995 until folding in 2005, they are based out of Lafayette, Louisiana. The IceGators were brought back and owned by local businessman Danny Smith, and their head coach was Ron Handy, a member of the original IceGators team that hit the ice in 1995-96.[1] In August 2010, a deal was struck and Smith sold the team to two local businessmen, E.C. "Chuck" Anselmo, Jr. and E.C. "Chuck" Anselmo, III.

History

For their first season as members of the SPHL, home games were played at the Blackham Coliseum rather than the Cajundome, the original home of the ECHL 'Gators'. For the 2010-11 season, however, the team's home ice returned to the Cajundome known as the frozen swamp.[2]

On October 26, 2009, Ron Handy stepped down as head coach after a 0-3-0 start. He was replaced by General Manager Brent Sapergia on an interim basis. Sapergia was banned by the league after being disqualified from two games in a row. In Pensacola, Sapergia threw a water bottle onto the ice, then a water cooler, then a pair of medical kits. Sapergia finished the tirade by emptying Louisiana's supply of hockey sticks into play and giving a farewell gesture to the fans as he left the arena.[3] Former Huntsville Havoc player and coach John Gibson was later named Head Coach, while Handy began to focus on community relations and off ice operations.[4]

On October 18, 2010 the IceGators affiliated with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League for the 2010/2011 season.[5]

At the end of the 2012-2013, Riley Gill was selected as the Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year. "Gill led the league in wins (25-tied) and shootout wins (four) and set a new SPHL record with five shutouts. His 2.43 goals against average ranked second, while his .918 save percentage was tied for third-best. Gill’s strong play helped Louisiana to a 20-point improvement from last season, as the IceGators finished tied with Fayetteville for most points (73)." [6]

In the 2010-2011 season, the Icegators brought a familiar face back to the Frozen Swamp. They signed forward Shawn McNeil. Shawn McNeil played for the ECHL Icegators from 1999-2003. As of the 2013-2014 season, Shawn McNeil was leading scorer in the SPHL. He played 56 games in which he achieved 18 goals and 49 assists at the age of 35. On April 3, 2014, Shawn was named Easton Most Valuable Player of the SPHL. "McNeil led all players in points (67) and assists (49) and tied SPHL season-highs with an 18-game point streak and an eight-game assist streak. One of four IceGators to play all 56 games, McNeil was a team-best +18 as he led Louisiana to a second-place finish in the regular season." [7]

Team Record

Southern Professional Hockey League

Season GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PIM Finish
2009-10 56 23 31 2 48 175 223 1650 7th (Out of Playoffs)
2010-11 56 16 40 0 32 170 231 1111 8th (Out of Playoffs)
2011-12 56 24 27 5 53 177 202 943 7th (Out in Quarterfinals)
2012-13 56 34 17 5 73 172 167 1145 2nd (Out in Semifinals)
2013-14 56 35 18 3 73 198 175 1094 2nd (Out in Quarterfinals)

[8]

Attendance

Year Total Games Average League Average
2009–10 54,779 28 1,956 3,041
2010–11 50,971 28 1,820 2,762
2011-12 56,514 28 2,018 2,796
2012-13 64,080 28 2,288 2,804
2013-14 66,438 28 2,372 3,000

[9]

Team Information

2013-2014 Roster

# Player Pos Height Weight Date of Birth Hometown Seasons
3 Burton (R), Tanner D 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) (1988-01-12) January 12, 1988 (age 36) Echo Bay, Ontario 1
4 Byczynski, Clark D 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 120 lb (54 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Brendenbury, Saskatchewan 3
5 Lyon, Tyler D 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) (1985-04-02) April 2, 1985 (age 39) Foxboro, Ontario 3
6 Duplantis, Josh RW 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) (1987-08-02) August 2, 1987 (age 37) Houma, Louisiana 3
7 Shawn McNeil C 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Pembroke, Ontario 4
8 Lavender, Jared D 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Cleveland Heights, Ohio 1
9 Grant, Jeff C 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) (1985-01-10) January 10, 1985 (age 39) Burlington, Massachusetts 1
13 Cramer, Ron LW 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day New Wilmington, Pennsylvania 1
15 Robertson, Matt LW 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) (1988-07-02) July 2, 1988 (age 36) Prince Albert, Saskatchewan 2
19 Peppler (R), Bret RW 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg) (1984-08-12) August 12, 1984 (age 40) Rhein, Saskatchewan 1
20 Brown, Greg D 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) (1988-09-03) September 3, 1988 (age 36) North Vancouver, British Columbia 2
22 Wilson, Chris RW 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Prince Albert, Saskatchewan 1
26 Braid, Jordan C 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 201 lb (91 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1
27 Barr, Tyler RW 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg) (1988-06-12) June 12, 1988 (age 36) North Vancouver, British Columbia 2
30 Smiley, Kiefer G 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 187 lb (85 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Duncan, British Columbia 1
39 Boyer, Jeremy C 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) (1990-10-12) October 12, 1990 (age 34) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 2
45 Stuart, Adam RW 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 174 lb (79 kg) (1989-12-08) December 8, 1989 (age 34) Calgary, Alberta 1
53 Zenzola (R), Matt G 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Maynard, Massachusetts 1
72 Stretch (R), Mitchell D 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) (1990-01-03) January 3, 1990 (age 34) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1
74 Byczynski, Kirk D 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) (1989-10-12) October 12, 1989 (age 35) Brendenbury, Saskatchewan 2
Staff Name
Head Coach Kaminski, Kevin
Trainer Libby, Cole
Equipment Manager Ray, Chad
Mascot Gaston

[10]

Captains

  • 2009/2010-Paul McBrien
  • 2010/2011-Shawn McNeil
  • 2011/2012-Shawn McNeil
  • 2012/2013-Shawn McNeil
  • 2013/2014-Shawn McNeil

Coaching History

General Manger

  • Brent Sapergia 2009/2011
  • Louis Dumont 2011/Current

SPHL Awards

2013-2014

  • Shawn McNeil - 2013-2014 All-SPHL First Team/2013-2014 Easton Most Valuable Player
  • Kirk Byczynski- 2013-2014 All-SPHL Second Team

2012-2013

  • Riley Gill - 2012-13 SPHL Goalie of the Year Award Winner/All-SPHL First Team [11]
  • Matt Robertson - 2012-13 All-SPHL First Team
  • Kirk Byczynski - 2012-13 All-SPHL Second Team/All-SPHL Rookie Team

2011-2012

  • Brayden Metz - 2011-12 All-SPHL Rookie Team
  • Jason Hill - 2011-12 All-SPHL Second Team

2010-2011

  • Beau McLaughlin -2010-11 All-SPHL Second Team

References

  1. ^ Foote, Kevin (May 15, 2009). "IceGators to skate again; join the discussion". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Retrieved May 15, 2009. [dead link]
  2. ^ Burgess, Richard (August 17, 2010). "IceGators to chill at the 'Dome'". The Advocate. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  3. ^ "IceFlyers Open at Home With Win". Pensacola News Journal.
  4. ^ "IceGators announced that Brent Sapergia would temporarily replace Ron Handy as head coach". IceGator's Official Website.
  5. ^ IceGators Announce NHL Affiliation
  6. ^ "Louisiana's Riley Gill Named Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year". SPHL News.
  7. ^ "Louisiana's Shawn McNeil Named Easton Most Valuable Player". SPHL News.
  8. ^ Hockey DB|Louisiana IceGators Statistics and History
  9. ^ Pointstreak Sites | SPHL Southern Professional Hockey League | Fayetteville, League Attendance
  10. ^ Pointstreak Sites | SPHL Southern Professional Hockey League | Fayetteville, Louisiana Icegators
  11. ^ Pointstreak Sites | SPHL Southern Professional Hockey League | Fayetteville, Riley Gill Named Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year
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