2008 PIHA season

Infobox sports season
title =2008 PIHA season
league =Professional Inline Hockey Association
sport =Inline hockey
duration =December 1, 2007 – June 15, 2008
season =Regular season
season_champ =Midwest Tornados
MVP = flagicon|USA Kyle Gouge (Midwest)
MVP_link =Scott Rupp Award (PIHA)
top_scorer =flagicon|USA Brian Yingling (Colorado Springs)
top_scorer_link =Joe Cook Award (PIHA)
playoffs =Playoffs
playoffs_link =2008 Founders Cup Playoffs
conf1 =Eastern
conf1_link =Eastern Conference (PIHA)
conf1_champ =Connecticut Blaze
conf1_runner-up =Philadelphia Growl
conf2 =Western
conf2_link =Western Conference (PIHA)
conf2_champ =Phoenix Dragons
conf2_runner-up =Southside Snipers
finals =Finals
finals_link =2008 Founders Cup Finals
finals_champ =Phoenix Dragons
finals_runner-up =Connecticut Blaze
playoffs_MVP =flagicon|USA Josh Laricchia (Phoenix)
playoffs_MVP_link=Walt Frazier Award (PIHA)The 2008 PIHA season is the 7th season of the Professional Inline Hockey Association. It began on December 1, 2007, and will run through April 27, 2008. The Founders Cup Playoffs ended on June 15, with the Phoenix Dragons taking the championship by defeating the Connecticut Blaze four games to two.

League business

This season is the first for 18 expansion teams; the Arizona Strike, Chicago Untouchables, East Bay Jawz, El Paso Black Diamonds, Long Island 495ers, Marple Gladiators, Maryland Knights, N.E. Philadelphia Revolution, Northern California Mustangs, Phoenix Dragons, Potomac Mavericks, Raleigh Assault, Sacramento Saxons, San Jose Pirates, Savannah Stingers (moved to Williamsburg,VA midseason and were renamed Williamsburg Stingers), South Carolina Pirates, Tucson Desperados, and Winchester Generals.

*The defending Founders Cup champions, the Boston Roller Rats changed their name to the Boston Swamp Rats.
*The Littleton Fire changed their name to the Lakewood Fire.
*The Marple Gladiators, who had relocated to Aston, Pennsylvania during the 2007 season, were renamed to the Aston Demolition.
*The New Jersey Minutemen changed their name to the New Jersey Stampede.
*The Pikes Peak Prowlers changed their name to the Parker Prowlers.
*The Richmond Rollin Robins officially shortened their name to the Richmond Robins.
*The St. Louis Vipers changed their name to the St. Louis Cobras.

Ryan Grant of the defending champion Boston Swamp Rats scored the first goal of the season against the N.E. Philadelphia Revolution on December 1 in Holbrook, Massachusetts.

Final Regular Season Standings

"GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PTS = Points."

Divisional standings

=Eastern Conference=

=Western Conference=

Conference standings

*-Denotes Division Leader

Tiebreaking Procedures

Where two or more clubs are tied in points at the end of the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order:

# The greater number of games won.
# The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs.
# The greater differential between goals for and against.

coring leaders

"Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; PTS = Points; STAR = Star Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes"

As of April 28

Founders Cup playoffs

Playoff seeds

After the 2008 PIHA regular season, 27 teams qualified for the playoffs, 14 from the Eastern Conference and 13 from the Western Conference.

Eastern Conference

Northeast Division

#Connecticut Blaze - Northeast Division and Eastern Conference regular season champion; 58 points
#Long Island 495ers - 41 points
#Boston Swamp Rats - 36 points
#Massachusetts Bombers - 31 points

Atlantic Division

#Philadelphia Growl - Atlantic Division champion, 56 points
#New Jersey Grizzlies - 52 points
#Aston Demolition - 35 points
#Feasterville Fury - 33 points

Mason Dixon Division

#Harrisburg Lunatics - Mason Dixon Division champion, 54 points
#Pittsburgh Bandits - 46 points
#Scottdale Inferno - 41 points
#Potomac Mavericks - 39 points

outheast Division *

#South Carolina Pirates - Southeast Division champion, 52 points
#Richmond Robins - 33 points
#York Typhoon - 21 points

Western Conference

Gateway Division

#Midwest Tornados - Gateway Division and Western Conference regular season champion; Best Overall Record Trophy winner, 60 points
#Chicago Untouchables - 41 points
#Southside Snipers - 38 points
#St. Louis Cobras - 31 points

Rocky Mountain Division

#Colorado Springs Thunder - Rocky Mountain Division champion, 59 points
#Westminster Blizzard - 35 points
#Lakewood Fire - 31 points
#Fort Collins Catz - 30

outhwest Division *

#Phoenix Dragons - Southwest Division champion, 52 points
#Tucson Desparados - 21 points

Pacific Division

#San Jose Pirates - Pacific Division champion, 54 points
#Northern California Mustangs - 40 points
#East Bay Jawz - 26 points

* "The Southeast Division was to have four teams qualify for the playoffs, but the Raleigh Assault were removed before playoffs began."
* "The Southwest Division was to have three teams qualify for the playoffs, but the Arizona Strike were removed before playoffs began."

ee also

*2008 PIHA Prospects Draft
*2008 PIHA transactions
*List of current PIHA team rosters