THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The SIJHL has announced the league’s playoff format. For the upcoming 2013 playoffs and the quest for the Bill Salonen Cup, all five current member clubs will compete in the postseason. The opening round will feature the No. 4 and 5 seeded squads playing a best-of-three series to see who advances to the semifinals.
SIJHL Playoff Format
The Superior International Junior Hockey League shares, “That round will be played between March 13-20 with the No. 4 seed having home ice for game 1 and if necessary, a third and deciding game. The winner of that mini-series will then move on to meet the No. 1 seed, who are the regular season champion Minnesota Wilderness, in a best-of-seven affair”.
Meanwhile the other semifinal match-up will feature the No. 2 and 3 overall seeds squaring off in another best-of-seven series. Both the Wilderness and the second place regular season finisher will hold home ice advantage for games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, games 5 and 7.
Each of the semifinals will run between March 21 and April 3.
From there the two surviving squads will meet for the Bill Salonen Cup in the SIJHL final. That best-of-seven that will run between April 4-20.
The highest remaining seed will have home ice for games 1, 2, and if necessary, 5 and 7.
The SIJHL winner will then advance to represent the league at the 2013 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship, April 30 through May 4, in North Bay, Ont.
That four-team event will feature the host North Bay Trappers along with the respective champions of the SIJHL, Northern Ontario and Ontario Jr. Hockey Leagues.
Should North Bay go on to capture the NOJHL crown, then the league finalist will also advance to the tourney.
The Dudley-Hewitt champion will then move on to represent the region at the 2013 Royal Bank Cup Canadian Jr. A championship May 11-19 in Summerside, P.E.I.
2013 SIJHL playoff format
Quarter-final
March 13 – 20
Series A: No. 4 vs. No. 5 (Best-of-three series)
www.sijhlhockey.com
Semifinals
March 21 – April 3
Series B: No. 1 (Minnesota Wilderness) vs. Series A winner (Best-of-seven series)
Series C: No. 2 vs. No. 3 (Best-of-seven series)
www.sijhlhockey.com
SIJHL Bill Salonen Cup final
April 4 – 20
Series D: Semifinal winners (Best-of-seven series)
www.sijhlhockey.com
Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship
April 30 – May 4
North Bay, Ont.
www.dudleyhewittcup.com
Royal Bank Cup Canadian Jr. A championship
May 11 – 19
Summerside, P.E.I.
www.hockeycanada/rbccup
Canadian Junior Hockey League
www.cjhlhockey.com
