The B.C. Hockey Major Midget League, which includes the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars, has changed its playoff format for the upcoming season.
Eight of the 11 teams will now qualify for the post-season, up from six in previous years.
"The addition of two playoff spots will create a much more focused attention to the development of players and less on winning," said league chair Randy Henderson. "The league's mandate is to develop all players to play at a higher level of hockey."
After a 40-game regular season, the first-place team will host the eighth-place club in a best-of-three quarterfinal series. Second will host seventh, third will host sixth and fourth will host fifth.
In the semifinals, which will also be best-of-three affairs, the highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed, and second-highest will host third-highest.
In the past, the top two teams from the regular season received first-round byes and then hosted semifinal games.
Since the league was formed in 2004, the 15- to 17-year-old Cougars have been one of the most successful clubs. They are perennial contenders for MML championships and that has been especially true in the past three seasons. From 2009-10 to 2011-12, they have been second-place finishers in the regular season and playoffs to the Burnaby-based Vancouver Northwest Giants. During that span, the Cats have posted a regular-season mark of 81-28-11.
The Cariboo organization has one playoff championship to its credit, in 2007-08.
