Doug Price, Commissioner
Named Commissioner on January 15, 2019, Doug Price brings extensive experience to the Southern Professional Hockey League. Now entering his 15th season with the SPHL, Price previously spent more than a decade with the East Coast Hockey League front office and four years with the ECHL’s Texas Wildcatters and Long Beach Ice Dogs.
Since joining the SPHL as Vice President of Hockey Administration for the 2009-2010 season, Price has been responsible for league discipline, player transactions, the monitoring and compliance of SPHL playing rules in relation to team rosters, player contracts, immigration and league scheduling. In his role as Commissioner, he also worked with the Board of Governors to develop several new marketing initiatives, including league-wide jersey programs with Marvel, Nickelodeon, Peanuts and Mossy Oak for the 2019-2020 season and a new streaming deal with FloSports, while furthering long-standing relationships with OT Sports, Warrior, K1 Sportswear, DASH, HockeyTech and Baron Rings.
Now entering his 30th season in professional hockey, Price began his career with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in 1991 as the league’s first Director of Information before also moving into hockey operations the following season, where he worked with Commissioner Pat Kelly in the day-to-day administration of the league. Price remained in hockey operations for the next 10 seasons, including the last four as Vice President of Hockey Administration under President Rick Adams.
In 2002, he joined Adams in starting the expansion (Beaumont) Texas Wildcatters. During his four seasons with the Wildcatters, Price oversaw the hockey operations, ticket and public relations departments and served as acting general manager for the 2004-2005 season. On September 9, 2005, he was officially named the team’s new General Manager. Unfortunately, Hurricane Rita struck the Beaumont area just 15 days later, forcing a one-year suspension of play. Price relocated to California for the 2005-2006 season, where he oversaw the Long Beach Ice Dogs ticket department and all Ticketmaster operations, assisted in game-night merchandise sales and directed on-ice promotions for Ice Dogs home games.