The Pacific Hockey League (PHL) has ceased operations following the withdrawal of two of their clubs. The exclusion of PHL players from national team selection was also cited as a key factor for the dissolution.
The announcement from the PHL came after a statement from the Adelaide Avalanche who had announced that they would not be competing in the 2023 PHL season. The Avalanche cited their disinterest in competing in a three-team competition and also the exclusion of their players from national team selections.
The Avalanche’s mention of a three-team competition for 2023 implies one of the four clubs had already folded prior to today. It is however not currently clear which of the other three clubs had already called it quits. The Queenstown Rush were also scheduled to join the competition in 2023 though there was no indication that this was going ahead as planned.
What happened with NSHL? Did it fold too?
I believe so but the league never made an official announcement. They announced their draft and were set to expand into Western Australia with a second division so it’s disappointing that it didn’t work out.