We’ll be posting regular updates on games on select days that will have playoff clinching implications in the NCDC, USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite.
A few notes before today’s update:
No teams in the NCDC have clinched a playoff berth as of yet. There are, however, some teams that are finding their limits on where they can finish, on both the high end and low end of the standings.
Premier teams that have clinched playoff berths include:
- New York Aviators
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
- Rockets Hockey Club
- Connecticut Jr. Rangers
- Utica Jr. Comets
- Elmira Jr. Enforcers
- Hershey Cubs
- Hudson Havoc (clinched division championship)
- Minnesota Squatch
- Minnesota Moose
- Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
- Isanti Outlaws
- Steele County Blades
- Minnesota Blue Ox
- Dells Ducks
- Northern Cyclones
- Islanders Hockey Club
- Boston Junior Bruins
- Bridgewater Bandits
- Boston Advantage
- Twin City Thunder
- Springfield Pics
- South Shore Kings
- Vernal Oilers
- Seattle Totems
- Rock Springs Prospectors
- Fresno Monsters
- San Diego Sabers
- Ontario Jr. Reign
- Las Vegas Thunderbirds
- Charlotte Rush
- Potomac Patriots
- Richmond Generals
- Florida Eels (clinched division championship)
- ALL teams in the Mountain Division, Great Lakes Division & Midwest East Division.
Elite teams that have clinched playoff berths include:
- Florida Eels
- Tampa Bay Juniors
- Atlanta MadHatters
- Palm Beach Typhoon
- Northern Cyclones
- Islanders Hockey Club
- Bridgewater Bandits
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (clinched division title)
- Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
- Charlotte Rush
- Potomac Patriots
- Richmond Generals
North Division
Idle until Tuesday, with all seven teams battling for first.
South Division
Seventh place Utica hosts fifth place Connecticut. A Connecticut win would lift them back into fourth place above the Rockets Hockey Club. The same situation would put Utica four points from elimination.
The Hudson Havoc clinched the top seed and division championship in the Midwest West Division on Saturday.
Florida Division
The Florida Eels are the division champions, and there are four teams in the middle.
Eels (first) host the Typhoon (four). Atlanta (two) host the Infantry. Neither game will change the standings.
Great Lakes Division
Idle today. Toledo needs a win in its last three games to clinch first and set up the postseason.
Mid-Atlantic Division
The top five teams can finish no worse than fifth. Hershey and Elmira battle for sixth and seventh.
Three teams are fighting for the eighth and final spot. Those three are idle.
Today, Utica Jr. Comets (four) hosts Connecticut (fifth); and Rockets (third) hosts WBS Knights (second). A Rockets win would tie them for second with WBS, who have a game in hand.
Connecticut and Utica are fighting for that fourth and final postseason home ice slot. Utica is in control with a four-point lead over Connecticut and four games in hand.
Midwest East Division
Motor City (third place) hosts Fort Wayne (first)
Chicago Cougars (fourth) hosts Chicago Crush (fifth).
The Cougars are one point behind Motor City. Both teams are grappling for home ice.
Midwest West Division
Hudson clinched first and the division championship yesterday and will host the Dells Ducks in the first round of the playoffs. The Minnesota Squatch have clinched second and the Moose clinched third.
The fourth and final home advantage is a dogfight among four teams.
The Division is idle today.
Mountain Division
Utah (first) host the Spud Kings (six). An Outlier win would clinch first place.
New England Division
Three games today.
Advantage (seventh) host Northern Cyclones (first)
Bridgewater (fifth) hosts Springfield (fourth)
Junior Bruins (second) hosts the Islanders Hockey Club (third)
An Islanders Hockey Club win would see them flip with the Junior Bruins in the standings.
A lot of highway remains in the Division. Next weekend will be a bear to breakdown with everyone playing inter-division at Foxboro.
Northwest Division
Vernal (first) hosts Rock Springs (third)
Seattle (second) host Rogue Valley (fourth)
After yesterday, Rock Springs will officially be traveling to Seattle for a playoff series.
Rogue Valley and Bellingham (fifth) are vying for the right to visit Vernal in the first round.
Pacific Division
We have four teams in and three teams out.
Ontario (third) hosts Bakersfield (fifth)
No leapfrogging today.
Southeast Division
If Nashville Premier win in regulation today, they will have 54 points and 44 games played. Carolina will have 44 points with five games left. If Carolina picks up 10 points, they still wouldn’t take fourth because Nashville:Carolina will be 5:4 in head-to-head.
If Nashville lose today, in regulation, head-to-head will be 6-3 Carolina and they will only need six points in five games to overtake Nashville.
Potomac (second) hosts Hampton. A Potomac loss clinches first for idle Charlotte.
Florida Division
Florida Eels (first) hosts Palm Beach (fourth)
An Eels win today would clinch first in the division. It would also clinch second for idle Tampa.
Atlanta (third) are hosting Columbia. Palm Beach could tie them for third by the end of the day or fall four points behind. Either way, the Typhoon will have three games in hand.
Mid-Atlantic Division
We have a first place lock (WBS) and four teams in the middle fighting for second through fifth.
P.A.L. (third) hosts Aviators (fif) and the Rockets (fourth) host WBS. Results from these games won’t change standings today.
New England Division
Northern Cyclones (first) hosts Springfield (fourth)
Junior Bruins (fifth) hosts Islanders Hockey (second)
Both underdogs need a win to postpone elimination. The Cyclones could clinch first and the division title with a win and relegate IHC to second. An Islanders Hockey Club regulation loss will have the same effect.
Southeast Division
Four teams have clinched the only available spots. Eight points separate first from fourth.
These four teams all meet at Pineville starting March 10. We’re just trying to see who they each play.
A Carolina (first place) win over Nashville will help them retain first. They need two wins to clinch.
A Potomac (third place) win over Hampton won’t change their position. Arithmetically, they look like they have a shot at first, but the two North Carolina teams play each other twice this month and will take that out of the Pats’ hands.
