As dismal as this season has been for the Prince George Spruce Kings, when the playoffs begin on April 5 they will be playing, with a clean slate.
That’s because all eight Interior Conference teams will make the postseason.
The Spruce Kings (14-29-3-0) rank last in the Interior, nine points behind the seventh-place Cranbrook Bucks, with each team having eight regular season games left.
If the standings do not change the Kings will be opening the playoffs likely in Penticton against the Vees, the two-time defending BCHL champions.
The Vees (34-7-3-2) are first overall in the league with 73 points, 42 more than Prince George. Penticton has an eight-point lead over second-place West Kelowna atop the Interior standings.
That best-of-seven opening-round series would start with the first two games in the Okanagan, April 5 and 6, moving back to Prince George for Games 3 and 4 the following week.
In the nine-team Coastal Conference, one team will not make the playoffs. That will be either Langley (currently with 35 points) Cowichan Valley (29 points) or Powell River (27 points).
Whichever of those three finishes eighth will most likely play the Surrey Eagles in the first round. The Eagles (35-7-2-0) are first in the Coastal, 11 points up on second-place Chilliwack with three games in hand over the Chiefs.
The BCHL’s first round will run from April 5-16, the second round will be played Apr. 19-30, third round is set for May 3-14 and the Fred Page Cup final series is scheduled for May 17-28.
All five Alberta teams that joined the BCHL in midseason will make the postseason.
The fourth and fifth seeds will play each other in best-of-five wildcard series to determine who will join the top three in the best-of-seven semifinal round.
Year-end standings for the Alberta teams (Brooks Bandits, Blackfalds Bulldogs, Spruce Grove Saints, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Okotoks Oilers) will be determined by winning percentage. Their previous records from before they joined the BCHL will also count towards their standings.
Alberta playoff dates are April 10-16 (wildcard series), April 19-May 1 (semifinals) and May 10-25 (final).
The BCHL and Alberta champions will then meet in a regional series. The dates and format have yet to be announced.
The Spruce Kings are on the road this weekend to visit Trail on Friday ad West Kelowna on Saturday. They’ll be back at Kopar Memorial Arena the following two weekends to face Merritt (March 15-16) and Vernon (March 22-23).
