Professional hockey could return to Augusta as early as next season in the form of a Southern Professional Hockey League team.
"We're going to do our best to put a team in there next year if we can find the right ownership group," SPHL Commissioner Jim Combs said Thursday afternoon.
"Have I talked with a few groups of people about putting a team in Augusta? Yes, but nobody has put their name on a piece of paper saying, 'I want to own a team in Augusta.'
"That takes time. It doesn't move that fast."
Combs said he believes an SPHL team would thrive in Augusta's market.
The SPHL, in its fifth season of operation, is a small league, with only six teams. Combs said he's seen proof that there are enough hockey fans in the area to support a team. He's heard from them already.
"I think I've answered no less than 40 or 50 e-mails," he said. "There's no doubt about the enthusiasm of hockey fans in Augusta."
The Augusta Lynx, who played in the ECHL until team ownership folded the team Tuesday, played at what is considered a Double-A level of hockey, with the American Hockey League considered Triple-A to the top-level NHL.
The SPHL is considered a rung below the ECHL.
"We want to offer good, Single-A hockey," Combs said.
Hockey fan Adam Kleba said he'd enjoy the level of hockey an SPHL team would offer.
"I can speak for all Lynx fans here that we feel hockey, more so the SPHL brand, can really fly here in Augusta," Kleba said in an e-mail. "They play the hockey we used to have at the James Brown Arena. Rock 'em, sock 'em hockey."
SPHL teams have played almost a third of the 52-game schedule this season, with a combined average of 3,027 fans per game. The Fayetteville FireAntz lead the league with an average of 4,362 fans per game.
The Lynx were averaging 2,722 fans per game this season when team co-owner Robert Burch cited lack of consistent attendance as the reason the team eventually ran out of money.
Combs said the teams in the SPHL, at their current attendance, are either breaking even or making money.
Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com.
SAME SPORT, DIFFERENT LEAGUE
Augusta's ECHL team folded, but interest has risen in bringing a Southern Professional Hockey League team to town. Here is a comparison of the two professional hockey leagues:
| ECHL | SPHL | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of teams | 22 | 6 |
| Headquarters | Princeton, N.J. | Huntsville, Ala. |
| Years in existence | 21 | 5 |
| Regular-season games | 72 | 52 |
| Avg. division road trip* | 307.3 miles | 326.2 miles |
| Operating budget | $2 million** | $900K-1.2 million *** |
*From Augusta; **Lynx 2008-09 operating budget; ***estimated by SPHL Commissioner Jim Combs
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