The North Peace Hockey League playoffs get underway Tuesday, but things are a little different for the west division this season. Because there are only three teams in the division, they’ll be playing a round-robin while the other teams hold quarter-finals and semi-finals.
The 12-game series begins with a tilt between the Grande Prairie Athletics and the Dawson Creek Canucks in B.C. The A’s came a close second in the division with 25 points, while the Fort St. John Flyers earned 26 on the season and Dawson Creek put together 17.
The winner of the round-robin will advance to the NPHL final against the east division champion. If the series results in a tie, there will be a one game, sudden death final, with the team with the best record in the regular season getting home ice advantage. A three-way tie will mean a game between second and third place, and another between the winner and first.
Dawson Creek hasn’t won a series over Fort St. John or Grande Prairie since 2000-01, and hasn’t won an NPHL playoff series over any team since their back-to-back title wins in 2001-02 and 2002-03. The Canucks have won two titles, while the Flyers and Athletics have one each.
In the east division, the first place Falher Pirates are taking on the fourth placed Manning Comets, while the second place High Prairie Regals meet the Grimshaw Huskies. The puck drops on all three series Tuesday night.