PJHL tweaks its playoff format

The Provincial Junior Hockey League will push forward with plans to complete a full schedule, but things will change come playoff time.

The Wheatley Sharks get back in action on Wednesday and the Lakeshore Canadiens, Essex 73's and Amherstburg Admirals will follow close behind after some provincial COVID-19 restrictions were lifted on Monday.

“We'll get the 32 (regular-season) games in and extend the season three weeks,” said Canadiens general manager Mark Seguin, who will see regular-season play end nearly a month later than usual on March 6.

The league also hopes to crown its first Schmalz Cup provincial champion since 2019, but that's where things get a little interesting.

When the eight division winners are trimmed down to four conference champions, the PJHL will move to a round-robin format.

“There are 63 teams and some centres just won't have ice in (the arena) that late,” Seguin said of the Schmalz Cup final, which is scheduled to end on May 15. “To be fair to everyone, they'll have a round robin.”

For the local teams competing in the Bill Stobbs Division, it will still be a best-of-seven series in the division quarter-finals, semifinals and final along with West Conference final against the Yeck Division champion.

For the four conference champions remaining, the round robin

It's being done just because of what's gone on the last two years with kids having missed so much hockey.

will see each team play one game at home and one game on the road. The third-round game for each team will shift to the University of Guelph. That final round-robin game will be played May 13, the semifinals on May 14 and the onegame final on May 15.

With the 2020-21 season wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic and this year's schedule reduced from 40 games to 32, the PJHL will also introduce a Tier II playoffs, which would equate to a B championship.

“It's being done just because of what's gone on the last two years with kids having missed so much hockey,” said Seguin, who also notes teams have an expanded roster of 25 players now from the usual 23 players. “It's a one-time thing and, for graduating players, a chance to play a little more hockey.”

There is one catch and that is that teams interested in the B championship have to opt in by Feb. 15 in order to sort out a playoff structure and decide how many playoff series will be required and what exactly the length of each series will run.

“There's four or five options and I give them credit with all of this,” Seguin said.