2015-16 NPHL Season

This is the 2015-16 North Peace Hockey League season.

Membership Changes

 * The Dawson Creek Sr. Canucks and the High Prairie Regals return from hiatus for the 2015-16 season.
 * The Grande Prairie Athletics withdrew on October 23, 2015; citing a large group of players retiring and being unable to get enough players to replace them.
 * The Valleyview Jets and the Grande Prairie Athletics both held meetings during the winter to gauge interest in both towns to return to the league for the 2016-17 season.  Valleyview is having a second meeting in late February to get organized to hopefully rejoin the league.  The team last played in the league during the 2012-13 season.  Grande Prairie is also moving forward to get organized and hopefully find sponsors and/or financial help to get the team to operate for the upcoming season.

Format
The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The division winners receive a first round bye. The second and third place teams meet in a best-of-three division semfinal series. The higher seeded remaining team in one division meets the lower seeded remaining team from the other division in the best-of-seven semifinals. The semifinal winners meet in the best-of-seven league final. The league champion participates in the 2016 Alberta Senior AA/A Playoffs.

West Division Semifinal

 * Fort St. John Flyers defeated Dawson Creek Canucks 3 games to 2 (4-1, 4-5 (ot), 9-1, 3-4, 7-2)

East Division Semifinal

 * Falher Pirates defeated Manning Comets 3 games to none (7-4, 4-1, 4-3 (2ot)

Semifinals

 * Spirit River Rangers defeated Falher Pirates 4 games to none (6-3, 7-2, 5-2, 4-3)
 * Fort St. John Flyers defeated Grimshaw Huskies 4 games to 3 (6-7 (ot), 1-3, 3-5, 11-2, 5-0, 5-3, 5-3)

Fort St. John forfeits semifinal series
(excerpt from league press release)

The North Peace Hockey League was notified on Monday, Feb. 29 about the possibility of the Fort St. John Flyers using an illegal player in Game 7 vs the Grimshaw Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 27.

After further investigation, the NPHL confirmed that the Flyers used 26 different players after the Feb. 10 deadline, which violates a league rule that states only 25 different players can be used.

The 26th different player used was Jeff Fast.

Fort St. John won Game 7 by a score of 5-3 and advanced to the NPHL Final. However, due to the use of the illegal player, it is the ruling of the NPHL that Fort St. John must forfeit the game. NPHL President Jack McAvoy’s statements are as follows:

“Upon further discussion it is the ruling of the NPHL that Fort St. John forfeit Game 7 due to an illegal player, and also forfeits the series to Grimshaw.”

“The NPHL Final series between the Grimshaw Huskies and Spirit River Rangers will now start on Thursday, March 3 in Spirit River.”

Campbell Cup Final
The Spirit River Rangers were eligible to participate in the 2016 Alberta Senior AA/A playoffs but did not participate.
 * Spirit River Rangers defeated Grimshaw Huskies 4 games to none (4-2, 8-1, 6-2, 9-1)