NPHL Releases Playoff Format for 2017-18 Season

The North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) has announced its playoff structure for the 2017-18 season on Wednesday morning.

And in this format, all seven teams will make it into the post-season.

In the East Division, it’ll be 1-versus-4 and 2-versus-3 in a Best-of-Seven East Division semi-final. The winners of each semi will advanced to the East Division Finals, also in a Best-of-Seven format. The team who wins that will then head off to the League Championship.

Over in the West Division, each team will play a double round-robin, with the top team advancing to the finals. Each team will play eight games in the month it takes the East Division to play its two series, with the schedule to be announced.

In this scenario, each team would be awarded two points for a win, one point for an overtime loss, and nothing for a regulation loss. If the top two teams are tied after the round-robin, the team with the most points in the regular season gets home-town advantage in a one-game sudden death final. If all three teams are tied, teams number two and three, from the regular season standings, would play each other in a sudden-death semi-final, with the winner of this game playing the top regular-season team in another sudden-death match-up.

And thus far, the Falher Pirates lead in the East with a 3-and-2 record, good for six points. In the biggest surprise of the season so far, the High Prairie Regals, back after a one-year absence, just one point behind, and with a 2-1-and-1 record. The Manning Comets is 1-and-2, and the Grimshaw Huskies are still looking for their first win of the year, currently standing at 0-and-3 and are the only winless team left in the league.

Out West, the Dawson Creek Sr. Canucks are on top at 3-and-1, while the Fort St. John Flyers are number two at 3-and-2, both with six points each. The Grande Prairie Athletics are in third at 1-0-and-1, having just played two games so far this season.

The next set of games goes on Thursday, with the Huskies hosting Fort St. John at the Mile Zero Multiplex in Grimshaw. The other game has GP hosting Dawson Creek.

– Posted by BET