The Central Hockey League announced a format change for the league’s post-season play on Wednesday. With more teams playing in the league, the CHL decided to expand the format a bit, and have more teams competing in the playoffs.
Last season, the top three teams in each conference made the playoffs, while the 4th and 5th place teams battled for the final spot with a three-game series. After the four teams were decided, the playoffs continued with best-of-seven series.
This season, there will be eight teams in the mix from each conference (meaning just one team in each conference will be left out of post-season action), and the teams will play best-of-five series in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The conference final and the league championship rounds will be best-of-seven series.
Here is the breakdown from the league:
- A total of sixteen (16) of eighteen (18) teams will qualify for the post-season, consisting of eight (8) clubs from each conference. Both conference winners will be seeded 1st in their conference heading into the playoffs based on point totals. The next seven (7) highest teams in each conference’s regular season standings based on point totals will be seeded 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th in each conference and will also qualify for post-season play.
- The playoffs will consist of four (4) rounds. (Conference Quarterfinals – Best-of-5, Conference Semifinals – Best-of-5, Conference Finals – Best-of-7, CHL Championship Finals – Best-of-7).
- The brackets for the post-season will remain constant with no re-seeding taking place during the competition.
- The second round (Conference Semifinals) will consist of the victorious four (4) teams from each Conference’s Quarterfinals series’.
- The third round (Conference Finals) will consist of the victorious two (2) teams remaining from each conference, with Conference Semifinal seeding remaining in effect to determine home ice advantage.
- The fourth round (Championship Finals) will consist of the victorious two (2) teams remaining, one from each conference. Home ice advantage in the Finals will be awarded to the club with the higher regular season point total, regardless of any earlier playoff seeding.
- Should two (2) or more teams be tied in points for any seeding issue throughout the playoffs, the following tiebreakers will be used: Most wins, then head-to-head record, then goals for and against differential.
I’m not sure that I like the idea that almost every team will make the post-season – it seems to water down the notion of “playing for the post-season”, but I certainly understand it from a business standpoint. More games means more revenue, and as smaller, professional franchises, these teams can all benefit from additional play. I do like the less complicated structure, eliminating the “play-in” idea of the 4th/5th teams competing to get in at the end.
