Release from 26.01.2021

Tight race for playoff places looms

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This week, the Alps Hockey League is largely on a break. Only two games are scheduled. The reason for this are the semifinals of the Austrian, Italian and Slovenian championships, which will be played this week. In the AHL, from next Tuesday on lots of games are scheduled in the following weeks. Excitement for the final phase of the basic round is pre-programmed. Because the fight for the playoff places could not be more exciting.

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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting postponement of games, not all 16 teams of the Alps Hockey League have played the same number of games yet. League leader HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana, for example, has still played two games less than the first pursuer, HC Pustertal Wölfe. Both teams have 48 points scored. On the third place in the standings follows the team of the hour. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice is undefeated for seven games and has 41 points scored, but still played three games less than league leader Ljubljana. If Jesenice win all three of their rearranged matches, they would even pass their big rival in the standings.

The top four teams after the regular season immediately qualify for the quarterfinals. The teams in fifth to twelfth place have to go through the pre-playoffs. Currently, Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey is in fourth place (40 points). However, the 2018 AHL champion is only one point ahead of the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and two points ahead of the EHC Lustenau. The VEU Feldkirch is the third best Austrian team with 33 points, but has still played two games less than ASH and RBJ.

On the important twelfth place are currently the SHC Fassa Falcons, tied on points with the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. However, the "Falcons" still have three more games to play than their immediate rivals. Besides the Broncos, the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, the EC-KAC II and the Steel Wings Linz are currently outside the playoff places.

The regular season is scheduled to end on March 18th. Then all teams will have played 36 games. After that, the teams in fifth to twelfth place will play the "pre-playoffs" in a best-of-three mode. The top four teams directly advance to the quarterfinals. This, the semifinals and the final will be played in a "best-of-five" mode. However, if two Italian teams are in the final series, the champion will be determined by a "best-of-seven" series.



Italy, Austria and Slovenia are in search of the finalists for the national championships
While the champion of the international Alps Hockey League will not be decided until the end of April or the beginning of May, the final participants of the Italian and Austrian championships will already be determined this week. In Italy, the semifinal duels will be decided in a "best-of-three" mode. The HC Pustertal Wölfe will meet the Rittner Buam and Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey will face S.G. Cortina Hafro. The first semifinal matchday is scheduled for Tuesday. The second games will follow on Thursday. A possible deciding match would take place on Saturday. The final will again be played in "best-of-three" mode, between February nine and thirtheenth. Defending champion is Asiago, who beat Pustertal in last year's final.

In Austria, the semifinal duels are also scheduled this week. Unlike in Italy, the finalists will not be determined in a "best-of-three" mode, but in a first-leg and second-leg format. In the semifinals, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, who finished the basic round in first place, will meet the VEU Feldkirch and the EHC Lustenau will challenge the EC Bregenzerwald. Match dates are Thursday and Saturday. Both semifinal winners will play the final on February eleventh and thirtheenth, also in a first and second leg. The defending champions are Red Bull Hockey Juniors.

In Slovenia, Alps Hockey League leader HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana will face Slavija in the semifinals. The final participant will be determined in the "best-of-three" mode. The match dates for the first two games are Tuesday and Thursday. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice is still waiting for its semifinal opponent. Opponents for Jesenice will be either Triglav or Hidria Jesenice. The two teams are tied 1:1 in the quarterfinal series, and game three will take place Tuesday night.

Copyright: HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana