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Evansville Thunderbolts

The SPHL

SPHL Player Development

Since its inception in 2004, nearly 300 Southern Professional Hockey League players have been called up during the season to the ECHL, CHL or other 'AA' level (or higher) league, combining for over 6,700 games played.  Last season, 46 different players earned the opportunity to advance to the ECHL, where they played over 750 games.

Now entering its 12th season of play, the SPHL has firmly established itself as one of the top professional hockey leagues in North America.

Scott Darling became the first SPHL player to reach the NHL, winning the 2015 Stanley Cup as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo credit Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

Darling played in the SPHL from 2010-2012 with Louisiana and Mississippi (RiverKings), posting a 21-39-1 record, 3.32 goals against average and .899 save percentage (Photo credit John Coffin)