We continue to post regular updates on games that will have playoff clinching implications in the NCDC, USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite.
NCDC has one team that has clinched a playoff berth:
- Jersey Hitmen
Premier teams that have clinched playoff berths include:
- New York Aviators (clinched division title)
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
- Rockets Hockey Club
- Connecticut Jr. Rangers
- Utica Jr. Comets
- Elmira Jr. Enforcers
- Hershey Cubs
- Hudson Havoc (clinched division title)
- Minnesota Squatch
- Minnesota Moose
- Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
- Isanti Outlaws
- Steele County Blades
- Minnesota Blue Ox
- Dells Ducks
- Northern Cyclones (clinched division title)
- Islanders Hockey Club
- Boston Junior Bruins
- Bridgewater Bandits
- Boston Advantage
- Twin City Thunder
- Springfield Pics
- South Shore Kings
- Vernal Oilers (clinched division title)
- Seattle Totems
- Rock Springs Prospectors
- Fresno Monsters (clinched division title)
- San Diego Sabers
- Ontario Jr. Reign
- Las Vegas Thunderbirds
- Charlotte Rush
- Potomac Patriots
- Richmond Generals
- Florida Eels (clinched division title)
- Tampa Bay Juniors
- Atlanta MadHatters
- Toledo Cherokee (clinched division title)
- Utah Outliers (clinched division title)
- ALL teams in the Mountain Division, Great Lakes Division & Midwest East Division.
Elite teams that have clinched playoff berths include:
- Florida Eels (clinched division title)
- Tampa Bay Juniors
- Atlanta MadHatters
- Palm Beach Typhoon
- Northern Cyclones (clinched division title)
- Islanders Hockey Club
- Bridgewater Bandits
- Springfield Pics
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (clinched division title)
- Jersey Hitmen
- Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (clinched division title)
- Charlotte Rush
- Potomac Patriots
- Richmond Generals
Conference Names link to playoff format pages
In the South, Mercer (second) hosts Wilkes-Barre (seventh). No standings will change.
In the North, South Shore (second) hosts Twin City (fourth). A win by the Kings would tie them for 1st with the idle Monarchs with a game in hand. Twin City can’t move today.
Florida Division
Eels (first) host Columbia (sixth). No impact on standings
Atlanta (third) hosts Tampa (second). Last three games this weekend for both teams. Atlanta trails Tampa by one point. They will face each other in the postseason tournament in Fort Myers. “Home” team advantage is up for grabs in the series this weekend.
Great Lakes Division
Two games, both are postseason previews:
Toledo (first) vs. Cincinnati (fourth)
Metro (second) vs. Columbus (third)
New England Division
IHC (second) host Bandits (fifth)
Cyclones (first) host Twin City (sixth)
Bandits trail the idle Pics by one point. Both have two games left. It’s now or never if the Bandits want home ice against the Pics.
Midwest West Division
Mullets (ninth) host the Havoc (first)
Riverkings (fourth) host Steele County Blades (seventh)
Moose (third) host Isanti (fifth)
1st through 4th are set (with home ice in the playoffs)
An Isanti win would lock up fifth and a trip to the Riverkings. A loss keeps them in the scramble for 5-6-7 with the Blades and the Ox.
Midwest East Division
Crush (fifth) host MJDP (second). MJDP is part of the 2-3-4 logjam, along with Motor City and the Chicago Cougars, at the 2-3-4 cluster. All of these teams already have home ice.
An MJDP win would make them the favorite for second, but this race will be won by a nose.
Battle Creek (sixth) hosts Fort Wayne (first). Neither team will move in the standings.
Pacific Division
Ontario (T-third) host San Diego (T-third) and Las Vegas (second) visits Bakersfield (fifth).
Las Vegas needs two wins to lock up second and home ice.
Two Vegas losses and two Ontario wins gives second place to the Jr. Reign.
Three San Diego wins and three Bakersfield wins gives second to the Sabers.
Three-point games will make us pull out the tiebreakers. We’ll have those ready for tomorrow’s update.
Mountain Division
Pueblo (fourth/Mountain) hosts Vernal (first/Northwest)
Provo (fifth/Mountain) hosts Rock Springs (third/Northwest)
Ogden (second) hosts Idaho Falls (sixth)
Pueblo will finish fourth, unless they win out in their last three and get some help.
Provo and Idaho Falls are neck-and-neck for fifth and sixth. Spud Kings are a point behind with a game in hand. Both teams are traveling to Colorado for the first round, just not sure to which arena yet.
Northwest Division
Bellingham and Rogue Valley are tied for fourth with 20 points and three games remaining. Whoever gets the most points this weekend goes to Vernal next weekend. Rogue Valley was supposed to host Lake Tahoe, and Bellingham was going to face Seattle, but changes to the schedule were made, agreed to by all involved parties, and Rogue Valley will now host Bellingham.
This is a playoff series in all but name only.
In Florida, the Eels (first) will host Columbia (fifth), and Atlanta (third) hosts Tampa (second).
Atlanta need points to avoid dropping into fourthth and Tampa will be stingy in this final three-game set.
Palm Beach, currently tied for third with Atlanta, plays Columbia (fifth) and the Blades (sixth) to finish up.
Palm Beach and Atlanta have clinched. We’re just watching and waiting to see who draws the Eels in the playoffs.
IHC (second) hosts the Cyclones (first). Neither team can move in the standings.
In the Mid-Atlantic, the Aviators (fourth) host P.A.L. (fifth). This game won’t eliminate anyone, but maybe today will produce more clarity.
