Following numerous meetings, conference calls and proposed scenarios, a Task Force Committee created in June by the B.C. Hockey League Board of Governors has recommended a format for the 2018 BCHL playoffs.
The board voted to keep the league’s three-division alignment for the regular season, eliminate the first-round bye in the Interior Division playoffs and have 16 of the 17 teams make the playoffs. The 2018 BC Ford Dealers Road to the Fred Page Cup BCHL Playoffs will adhere to the following structure:
• The top-four teams from both the Island and Mainland Divisions will qualify for the playoffs and will be seeded No. 1 to 4.
• In the Interior Division, which has seven teams now that the Wenatchee Wild have joined, the top-six teams will qualify for the playoffs, seeded No. 1 to 6.
• The last-place team from each division (Island fifth place, Mainland fifth place and Interior seventh place) will be eligible to compete in the Interior Division opening round as the No. 7 or 8 seed.
• The top two of the three last-place teams, determined by regular-season points total, will go into the Interior Division for round one. The Island and/or Mainland team crossing over will be the No. 7 or No. 8 seed if they have a higher points total than the Interior last-place team.
All playoffs rounds will be a best-of-seven format. The winner of the Island versus Mainland Coastal final will play the winner of the Interior Division in the Fred Page Cup BCHL Finals.