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BCHL: Playoff format set

With the Division champions all now decided, the schedule for the BCHL semifinals double round-robin format is also set.

With the Division champions all now decided, the schedule for the BCHL semifinals double round-robin format is also set.

The remaining teams have been seeded based on their regular-season points totals and will now play in a series of round robin games to decide the two teams that advance to the championship final.

The No. 1 seed Penticton Vees outlasted the Vernon Vipers after a thrilling seven game series victory on Sunday, while the No. 2 seed Nanaimo Clippers also won their Island division series in seven, in a 3-2 victory over Powell River on Sunday. The No. 3 seed is the surprising Chilliwack Chiefs who went from worst to first in their division this year.

The Chiefs, led by former Smokie captain and Trail native Scott Davidson, also had the easiest time of it through the playoffs sweeping their Mainland division rival Prince George Spruce Kings over a week ago, after dispatching the Coquitlam Express in five games in the first round.

“It’s been a while, but they get some time to rest and heal,” said Chiefs coach Jason Tatarnic. “The schedule is tight, you’re playing a lot of games in a lot of days, so any rest you can get is great. We’ll be back at it today (at practice) and we’ll concentrate on what we have to do on the ice and concentrate on how we play the game.”

The purpose of double round-robin format is to allow three teams to compete for the two spots in the Fred Page Cup BCHL Finals.

A double round-robin with three teams means a total of six games. It will be possible that a team is eliminated after four round-robin games have been played making the fifth and six games unnecessary.