SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, February 23, 2017
SIJHL announces playoff format and timeline
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League announced Thursday its playoff format and timeline for the upcoming postseason.
The first round of the SIJHL playoffs will feature a best-of-five quarter-final play-in series between the No. 4 seed and No. 5 seeded club.
That is slated to run from March 20 through 27.
From there, the winner of that series will advance to take on No. 1 seeded Dryden GM Ice Dogs in one of two best-of-seven league semifinals.
The other will feature the No. 2 placed side taking on No. 3 in another best-of-seven affair.
Each of the semifinals will take place in and around March 28 through April 12.
From there the two remaining clubs will meet for the Bill Salonen Cup SIJHL championship series.
This will also be a best-of-seven set and is tentatively scheduled to be held April 14-25.
The SIJHL winner will move on to represent the league at the 2017 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Jr. A Championship, May 2-6, in Trenton, Ont., which is being hosted by the defending DHC champion Trenton Golden Hawks.
That four-team event will also feature the title holders from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League taking part.
Should the Golden Hawks prevail as OJHL winners, then the league finalist will also advance to the DHC.
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup titleist will then travel to Cobourg, Ont., to represent the region and take part in the 2017 RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A Championship, May 13-21.
Hosted by the Cobourg Cougars (OJHL), the RBC Cup will also feature the Dudley-Hewitt victor along with the winners of the Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian Jr. A event as well as the champion and finalist of the Sun Life Financial Western Canadian tourney.
SIJHL Playoff Timeline
Round 1 (Quarter-final play-in)
March 20-27
Best-of-five series
Series A: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Round 2 (Semifinals)
March 28-April 12
Best-of-seven-series
Series B: No. 1 Dryden GM Ice Dogs vs. No. 4/5 quarter-final winner
Series C: No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed
Round 3 (Bill Salonen Cup Final)
April 14-25
Best-of-seven series
Series D: Series B winner vs. Series C winner
SIJHL champion advances to Dudley-Hewitt Cup
Dudley-Hewitt Cup (Central Canada Jr. A Championship)
May 2-6
Trenton, Ont.
Competing teams
Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) (Host)
SIJHL champion
NOJHL champion
OJHL champion or finalist*
DHC winner advances to RBC Cup
* Should Trenton win the OJHL championship, then that league finalist also advances to the DHC
RBC Cup (Canadian Jr. A Championship)
May 13-21
Cobourg, Ont.
Competing teams
Cobourg Cougars (OJHL) (Host)
Dudley-Hewitt Cup champion (Central)
Fred Page Cup champion (East)
Sun Life Financial Western Canada Cup champion (West 1)
Sun Life Financial Western Canada Cup finalist (West 2)