AHA releases 2022–23 post-season schedule, Spiders eyeing golf course instead

Feb. 17, 2023

The AHA has announced the unofficial — preliminary — playoffs schedule. Given the Spiders’ graceless fall from second place to barely holding on for sixth, and a lack of success in rewriting the tiebreaker rules to favor the most PIM, the Spiders will likely be teeing off in April instead of skating.

While the format remains the standard round-robin play that returned last season after the Covid season-abbreviated formats, the C3 tier reverts to the top four teams, instead of five as last year, with no semi-final either.

Also after last year’s expansion to two weeks, rather than trying to cram four games into 45 hours, this season will be spread over an unprecedented three weeks, running April 10 through April 30. But considering it will be over three weeks after the regular season conclusion before pool play starts in mid-April, plenty of time for the tuuk rust to oxidize.

C3 playoff format:

Top four teams from each division advance to playoffs.
Two pools of four teams, round robin, cross-divisional play (three games each).
Each pool winner advances to Tier Championship.

Seeds and pooling for C3 Tier:

Pool A
Seed	Team
#1	East 1st Place
#2	West 2nd Place
#3	West 3rd Place
#4	East 4th Place

Pool B
Seed	Team
#1	West 1st Place
#2	East 2nd Place
#3	East 3rd Place
#4	West 4th Place

Current C3 standings

2022–23 C3 West Standings *(Week 15)*
Team	GP	W	L	T	OTL	P	SF	SA	GF	GA	PIM	DIFF	TPP
Saints C3	15	12	1	2	0	26	529	382	79	37	70	+42	36
Fighting Walleye Blue	15	9	3	3	0	21	540	425	59	34	36	+25	31
Les Etoiles du Nord C3	15	9	4	1	1	20	526	404	67	44	54	+23	30
Nordeasters	15	8	4	3	0	19	490	426	60	49	75	+11	29
Minnesota Mallards	15	9	6	0	0	18	536	506	67	48	66	+19	28
Spiders	15	8	7	0	0	16	434	468	51	57	145	−6	26
Arctic Wolves	15	5	6	3	1	14	388	521	36	57	62	−21	24
Spartans D1	15	3	8	4	0	10	457	475	40	70	44	−30	20
Fighting Loons C3	15	3	8	2	2	10	400	452	48	59	74	−11	20
Blade Runners	15	0	14	0	1	1	366	607	34	86	80	−52	11
y = clinched division x = clinched playoff berth

2022–23 C3 East Standings *(Week 13)*
Team	GP	W	L	T	OTL	P	SF	SA	GF	GA	PIM	DIFF	TPP
Spartans C3	12	10	1	1	0	21	420	392	45	27	44	+18	37
Fighting Walleye Black	13	5	3	5	0	15	418	350	43	35	44	+8	29
Marauders	13	4	2	6	1	15	403	461	40	35	34	+5	29
Pines C3	12	6	4	2	0	14	373	319	40	31	66	+9	30
Black Ice	13	6	5	1	1	14	470	361	58	40	52	+18	28
Kan Jammers C3	12	5	5	2	0	12	322	342	38	38	54	±0	28
Gold Rush	12	5	5	2	0	12	393	374	43	45	68	−2	28
Troopers C3	13	3	8	2	0	8	358	463	28	47	38	−19	22
Wildcats C3	12	1	10	1	0	3	308	403	28	65	42	−37	19
y = clinched division x = clinched playoff berth

Regular season tiebreakers:

In the event of a tie in the regular season standings, the following criteria are used to determine post-season seeding:

Total points in the regular season.
Number of wins in the regular season.
Head-to-head record between teams in the regular season (Applicable only if equal amount 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.

(Note: If three teams are tied, once a team is determined as the higher seed, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the criteria between two remaining teams, if necessary.)

The preliminary post-season schedule matchups will be announced soon.

Playoff rules/tiebreakers

There will be no overtime in round-robin pool play. Pool play games will end in ties and will count in the standings.
If at any time the score differential is six or greater in the third period, the clock will convert to running time. If at any time the score differential goes below six goals, the clock will revert back to stop time.
In championship games, if at the end of the three periods the score is tied, the teams shall play one overtime period of five minutes, running time. If at the end of the overtime period the score is still tied, a shootout will take place. Shootout rules are as follows:
- Three players from each team participate in the order the team captain selects. The home team will elect whether to shoot first or second.
- Each team takes three shots in alternating fashion. The team with the most goals after those six (or fewer) shots is the winner.
- If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a “sudden death” format. No skater may participate more than once until all other skaters have participated.
Tiebreakers for pool standings:
1. Most points
2. Wins
3. Head-to-head
4. Goal differential (six goals maximum per game)
5. Fewest goals against
6. Fewest minor penalties
7. Fewest total penalty minutes
8. Earliest goal scored
9. Coin toss
(Note: If three teams are tied, once a team is determined as the higher seed, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the criteria between two remaining teams, if necessary.)

Qualifications

Players must play a minimum of five regular season with the team to be eligible for playoff games.
Players may only play on one team per tier. If a player is rostered on multiple teams in a tier, the Captain must declare, by notifying AHA prior to the playoffs, which team the player will participate with in the playoffs. Players are not eligible to participate with the other team, even if his/her declared team is eliminated from contention.
Captains must notify AHA in advance if a sub goalie will be used. Sub goalies may not participate with more than one team in a tier in the playoffs unless previously authorized by AHA.
Uniform compliance, as described in the AHA Rules Addendum, will be strictly enforced during the playoffs.

For more information, see the full AHA Winter Playoff info page.