The Macon Mayhem of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announced their training camp roster for the 2020-21 season. A total of 23 players– nine defensemen, 12 forwards, and two goaltenders– are due to be pared down before the team plays their first game of the season on the road against the Huntsville Havoc next Monday, December 28.
Training camp will consist of dryland training and workouts along with on-ice sessions. There will be “two-a-day” sessions each day December 19-21, with once a day morning on-ice sessions on December 22-27, with the exception of Christmas Day. The team will depart the afternoon of December 27 for Huntsville in preparation for the season opener against the Havoc. With COVID-19 guidelines in place at the Macon Centreplex, training camp sessions are closed to the public.
The 23-man roster includes six returning players from last season’s Mayhem team. The returnees are highlighted by captain and forward Stephen Pierog and fellow forwards Stathis Soumelidis and Jimmy Soper. Defensemen Oscar Arfelt and Nick Minerva and goaltender Michael Stiliadis round out the group of players in camp who skated in Macon last season.
With only half the teams in both the SPHL and ECHL skating this season– only five of 10 SPHL squads and 13 of 26 ECHL franchises have elected to play due to COVID-19 protocols– there has been a bevy of talent available to teams, and the Mayhem are no exception. Five players on the training camp roster have ECHL experience from last season, with six rookies in training camp from NCAA Division I programs. Three other players are from Canada’s highest level of collegiate play, U Sports.
Below is a list of the 23 players currently in training camp with position, height, weight, birth date, and city, and the team(s) each player was a part of last season.
