Western Professional Hockey League
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| 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) was a 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 merged with the Central Hockey League.[2] Former WPHL teams continued to play in the CHL until the 2012–13 season.
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 (Abilene, Texas) 1998–2000; folded during the 1999–2000 season
- Alexandria Warthogs (Alexandria, Louisiana) 1998–2000
- Amarillo Rattlers (Amarillo, Texas) 1996–2001; continued in CHL until 2010 as Amarillo Gorillas
- Arkansas GlacierCats (Little Rock, Arkansas) 1998–2000
- Austin Ice Bats (Austin, Texas) 1996–2001; continued in CHL until 2008
- Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (Bossier City, Louisiana) 2000–01; continued in CHL until 2011
- Central Texas Stampede (Belton, Texas) 1996–2001; folded during the 2000–01 season
- Corpus Christi IceRays (Corpus Christi, Texas) 1998–2001; continued in CHL until 2010 when the owners added a junior team in the North American Hockey League
- El Paso Buzzards (El Paso, Texas) 1996–2001; continued in CHL until 2003
- Fort Worth Brahmas (Fort Worth, Texas) 1997–2001; continued in CHL until 2013 when the owners added a junior team in the North American Hockey League
- Lake Charles Ice Pirates (Lake Charles, Louisiana) 1997–2001; folded during the 2001 CHL merger
- Lubbock Cotton Kings (Lubbock, Texas) 1999–2001; continued in CHL until 2007
- Monroe Moccasins (Monroe, Louisiana) 1997–2001; folded during the 2001 CHL merger
- New Mexico Scorpions (Rio Rancho, New Mexico) 1996–2001; continued in CHL until 2009
- Odessa Jackalopes (Odessa, Texas) 1997–2001; continued in CHL until 2011 when the owners added a junior team in the North American Hockey League
- San Angelo Outlaws (San Angelo, Texas) 1996–2001; continued in CHL until 2005 as San Angelo Saints
- Shreveport Mudbugs (Shreveport, Louisiana) 1997–2000
- Tupelo T-Rex (Tupelo, Mississippi) 1998–2001; chose not to join the CHL during the 2001 merger and launched a junior team instead in the America West Hockey League
- Waco Wizards (Waco, Texas) 1996–2000; folded during the 1999–2000 season
Planned teams in alphabetical order
Tucson Scorch (Tucson, Arizona) 1999; never played a game due to the owner of the team failing to post a financial guarantee
Timeline
Champions
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: