Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002-2003)

For the other league of the same name, see Atlantic Coast Hockey League.

Atlantic Coast Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	2002
No. of teams	6
Ceased	2003
Last champion(s)	Orlando Seals

The 2002 version of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League was the second league to carry this name. It shared the name with the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the early 1980s predecessor of the ECHL. The ACHL would last only one season, and was notable for the early-season move of the St. Petersburg Parrots to Winston-Salem, NC. After a bitter split among the franchises, the league split into two new leagues, the South East Hockey League and World Hockey Association 2. The franchhises would later rejoin each other for the 2004-05 season in a league that eventually became known as the Southern Professional Hockey League.

The Orlando Seals won the ACHL's only regular season and playoff championships.

Teams

• Cape Fear Fire Antz (moved to SEHL for 2003-04)
• Huntsville Channel Cats (expansion team that moved to the SEHL)
• Jacksonville Barracudas (moved to WHA2 for 2003-04)
• Knoxville Ice Bears (moved to SEHL for 2003-04)
• Macon Trax (moved to WHA2 for 2003-04)
• Miami Manatees (and expansion team that moved the WHA2)
• Orlando Seals (moved to WHA2 for 2003-04)
• St. Pete/Winston-Salem Parrots (relocated from St. Petersburg, FL on November 30, 2002; folded after the season)
• Tallahassee Tide (team that was meant to play the 02-03 season but never secured a lease)

League Split

After the 02-03 season the Jacksonville Barracudas, the Macon Trax, the Orlando Seals, and, the ACHL expansion team, the Miami Manatees formed the WHA2 with the addition of the Lakeland Loggerheads and the Alabama Slammers. The Cape Fear Fire Antz and the Knoxville Ice Bears joined the SEHL with the Huntsville Channel Cats (who were also briefly an ACHL expansion team), the Tupelo T-Rex (who never played due to contractual issues with a previous professional league), and eventually the Winston-Salem T-Birds (who began the season known as the Winston-Salem Hockey Club) as the 4th team.

Final standings

Team	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts
Orlando	59	43	14	2	88
Knoxville	59	36	21	2	74
Macon	59	31	25	3	65
St. Pete/W-S	57	28	23	6	62
Cape Fear	60	21	37	2	44
Jacksonville	60	18	41	1	37

Playoffs

	Semifinals					Final
	1	Orlando Seals	3
	3	Macon Trax	0
						1	Orlando Seals	3
						2	Knoxville Ice Bears	0
	2	Knoxville Ice Bears	3
	4	St. Pete/Winston-Salem Parrots	0