2023–24 FPHL season
The 2023–24 Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) season was the league’s fourteenth. The regular season ran from October 13, 2023, to April 13, 2024. The Commissioners Cup playoffs began on April 17, 2024, and the finals between the Binghamton Black Bears and the Carolina Thunderbirds started on May 3 and ended on May 10, with Binghamton winning the title.
League changes
- Elmira Mammoth folded and Elmira River Sharks were introduced.
- Delaware Thunder planned dormancy and a potential relocation; a dispersal draft was held on June 27 for Thunder players.
- Two new teams joined: Baton Rouge Zydeco (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and the Blue Ridge Bobcats (Wytheville, Virginia).
- The league kept the Empire and Continental Divisions (with teams placed accordingly):
- Empire Division: Binghamton Black Bears, Danbury Hat Tricks, Elmira River Sharks, Motor City Rockers, Watertown Wolves
- Continental Division: Baton Rouge Zydeco, Blue Ridge Bobcats, Carolina Thunderbirds, Columbus River Dragons, Mississippi Sea Wolves, Port Huron Prowlers
- A few early-season adjustments occurred: Watertown had a water-issue postponement; Motor City moved to the Empire Division and Blue Ridge moved to the Continental Division in November.
Regular season and standings (summary)
- Empire Division: Binghamton Black Bears were the regular-season leaders in their division with strong numbers (top team in that group).
- Continental Division / Western-leaning grouping: Columbus River Dragons topped their division with the best overall record in the league, followed closely by the Carolina Thunderbirds.
- Other teams included Motor City Rockers, Danbury Hat Tricks, Watertown Wolves, Elmira River Sharks, Mississippi Sea Wolves, Port Huron Prowlers, Baton Rouge Zydeco, and Blue Ridge Bobcats.
- Notable stats: The scoring leader was Justin MacDonald of the Columbus River Dragons with 117 points. The top goaltender by save percentage was Mario Cavaliere of the Carolina Thunderbirds at .925 SV% with a 2.34 GAA.
Playoffs
- Quarterfinals (Best of 3): Binghamton Black Bears defeated Watertown Wolves; Motor City Rockers defeated Danbury Hat Tricks; Columbus River Dragons defeated Mississippi Sea Wolves; Carolina Thunderbirds defeated Port Huron Prowlers.
- Semifinals (Best of 3): Binghamton Black Bears swept Motor City Rockers; Carolina Thunderbirds defeated Columbus River Dragons in three games (Gus Ford scored the deciding goal in the second overtime of one game).
- Finals (Best of 5): Binghamton Black Bears swept the Carolina Thunderbirds in three games, winning the Commissioners Cup with a 4–3 victory in the deciding game played at home. Austin Thompson scored the overtime-winning goal in the semifinal (not the final).
FPHL Awards (all winners announced between April 11 and May 11)
- Commissioners Cup: Binghamton Black Bears
- Regular Season Champions: Columbus River Dragons
- Empire Division Champions: Binghamton Black Bears
- Continental Division Champions: Columbus River Dragons
- Regular Season MVP: Justin MacDonald (Columbus River Dragons)
- Commissioners Cup MVP: Gavin Yates (Binghamton Black Bears)
- Forward of the Year: Gus Ford (Carolina Thunderbirds)
- Defenseman of the Year: Dakota Bohn (Binghamton Black Bears)
- Goaltender of the Year: Mario Cavaliere (Carolina Thunderbirds)
- Rookie of the Year: Ryan Hunter (Columbus River Dragons)
- Coach of the Year: Gordie Brown (Motor City Rockers)
- Executive of the Year: Andreas Johansson (Binghamton Black Bears)
- Broadcaster of the Year: Brooks Hill (Binghamton Black Bears)
- Founders Award: Dave Jackson (FPHL Director of Player Safety) and Cary Ross (Carolina Thunderbirds)
Summary
The 2023–24 FPHL season featured new teams, realigned divisions, a competitive race across two divisions, a playoff run highlighted by Binghamton’s championship, and a slate of individual award winners led by standout performances from players like Justin MacDonald and Gavin Yates.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 22:57 (CET).