BCHL announces format for B.C. and Alberta playoffs

With the Rogers BCHL Playoffs a month away and the recent addition of the Alberta Division midseason, the BC Hockey League (BCHL) has announced the playoff format for the Alberta teams, plus a refresher on the existing format for the B.C. teams.

All five teams in Alberta will make the postseason, with the fourth and fifth seeds facing off in a best-of-five wildcard series to determine who will join the top three teams in the semifinal. Once their postseason reaches the semifinal, the remainder of the playoffs will be best-of-seven.

In addition, the year-end standings will be determined by winning percentage and the teams previous records from before their merge into the BCHL will count towards their standings.

Alberta Division Playoff Dates

Wildcard series: April 10 to 16 (4 vs. 5 seed)
Semifinal: April 19 to May 1
Finals: May 10 to 25

On the B.C. side of things, the format will remain the same as in previous years. The top eight teams from each conference advance to play best-of-seven series until a champion is crowned.

One difference this year is that all eight Interior teams will make the playoffs since there are eight teams in that conference this season. On the Coastal side, the number-nine seed will miss the postseason. There is no crossover where a team can make the playoffs in the opposite conference.

B.C. Playoff Dates

Round 1: April 5 to 16
Round 2: April 19 to 30
Round 3: May 3 to 14
Fred Page Cup Finals: May 17 to 28

Once both sides have determined a winner, the two champions will take part in a B.C. vs. Alberta series to close out the season. Further details about that series will be announced in the coming weeks.