The votes are in! 77% in favour of the new 2 Pool Playoff format. 23% in favour of keeping the format as is.
The proposed changes would result in our playoffs looking like this:
Our top 4 placed teams from the regular season go into an A Division round robin playoff and the bottom 4 teams go into a B Division round robin playoffs. The A Division plays for the coveted MNHL Cup while the B Division plays for a newly, to be constructed, MNHL B Cup. There will be no crossover games between A and B Division teams, which is good for the following reasons:
- The season means something, teams must strive to finish in the top 4 (currently guys joke that “everyone makes the playoffs”)
- The round robin process allows for a more complete winner of the cup in each division and allows for 2 cup winners as opposed to 1, it also eliminates the “lose one game and out” issue we have now, and creates more of a tournament style format
- Teams that struggle all year against the more successful top 4 teams should have a better playoff run against closer-ranked teams in the B Cup
- We have a longer playoff run, 5 weeks instead of 3 as it stands now
The one con of course is that the bottom 4 teams no longer have a chance to win the A Cup, as they do now.
The new playoff format would like this, in A and B Divisions, and would last 5 weeks instead of the current 3 weeks:
- Week 1 – 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4
- Week 2 – 1 vs 3, 2 vs 4
- Week 3 – 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, then head to head, then best goal differential determines seeding for semis.
- Week 4 – Semi-finals – Round Robin finishers 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd (5 player OT and then shootout to determine winner)
- Week 5 – Championship game and Bronze game (OT for Championship game only)