AHA announces playoff criteria; Spiders far outside looking in
Jan. 19, 2010
The AHA January Captains meeting was the venue for annoucing the playoff format for the 2009–10 Winter Season. The format for D1 is identical to last season:
- April 5–11, 2010
- Likely a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule for round robin.
- Most weekend games at Bloomington Ice Garden.
- The top four teams from each division advance to playoffs.
- Two pools, each with four teams, play three games each in round-robin format.
- Pool A: East #1, West #2, West #3, East #4
- Pool B: West #1, East #2, East #3, West #4
- Pool Championship – top two records from each pool play for Pool Championship Saturday night.
- Both Pool Championship winners receive tournament entries paid for by AHA.
- Tier Championship – both Pool Championship winners play for D1 Tier Championship Sunday.
In case of ties in the regular-season standings, the following tie-breakers will be in effect to determine playoff seeding between the tied teams:
- Total points in the regular season.
- Number of wins in the regular season.
- Head-to-head record between teams in the regular season (if equal number of games have been played between tied teams).
- Fewest total penalty minutes in the regular season.
- Fewest goals allowed in the regular season.
- Most goals scored in the regular season.
- Coin toss.
With the season halfway through, last year’s D1 East top seed and eventual D1 Champs have their work cut out for them to even get near playoff contention.
