With the Rogers BCHL Playoffs just over 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.
-30-
About the BCHL:
Sending more players on to Division I college hockey every season than any other hockey league in Canada, the BCHL has established itself as a national leader in the development of young student athletes. Considering approximately a third of today’s NHL is made up of NCAA alumni, the BCHL has become a breeding ground for some the sport’s most elite and successful players. In 2022-23 alone, there were a league-record 190 players in the league with NCAA Division I scholarships. The BCHL is also a leader in player safety, with a full-time Department of Player Safety, the toughest rules on fighting in North American junior hockey, as well as a league-wide independent Safe Sport Officer and an individual Athlete Advocate assigned to all 17 teams.
The BCHL is: Modern Hockey.
Media Contact:
Jesse Adamson
Director, Communications & Events
BC Hockey League
604-354-0035
jadamson@bchl.ca
