There is plenty of playoff action happening this week for both the North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) and the Northwest Junior Hockey League (NWJHL).
In the NPHL the Grande Prairie Athletics and Spirit River Rangers are the lone series left in the first round. After dropping behind early on in the series, after playing an ineligible player during game one resulting in a loss for the team, the Rangers forced a game seven on Saturday beating the Athletics by a score of 4 – 1. Who ever wins Tuesday’s game at the Design Works Centre will face the Dawson Creek Canucks in the second round.
The Canucks moved onto the second round after they knocked out the Fort St. John Flyers in a five game first round series (Canucks 4 – Flyers 1). The Falher Pirates and Manning Comets will be facing off in the second round after the Pirates sweeped the Grimshaw Huskies out of the first round winning four games straight. The Comets knocked the Valleyview Jets out of the playoffs in a six game series (Comets 4 Jets 2), clinching their spot in the second round in an overtime win Saturday night. The schedule for the second round of NPHL action will be released after it is decided who will face the Canucks.
Junior B playoff action in the peace country is just getting underway this week. The County of Grande Prairie Wheat Kings will kick off the post season Tuesday as they host the Beaverlodge Blades at the Crosslink County Sportsplex. The Sundown Oilfield Sexsmith Vipers will host the North Peace Navigators Wednesday. The third series in the first round of NWJHL post season is the Dawson Creek Kodiaks and La Crete Lumber Barons Wednesday. The Fort St. John Huskies get a bi for the first round after finishing the regular season top of the league, winning 38 out of their 42 games played. Find the full NWJHL playoff schedule here.