Seedings and structure set for ice hockey's EIHL play offs

The top eight from the 12-strong league will go into the post-season competition – with one caveat.

If one of the conferences is won by a team from outwith the top eight, they would get automatic entry into the play-offs.

That would mean the side finishing eighth overall would lose out.

And if two of the three conference titles went to teams outwith the play-off berths, then the club finishing seventh would also miss out.

While it’s a highly unlikely scenario, it adds a bit of spice to the run-in.

The play-off participants will be seeded with the league champions taking the number one slot. They will also face the side finishing eighth.

The runners-up will play the seventh-placed side, then it’s teams finishing third and sixth, and fourth and fifth going head to head in the two-legged quarter-finals.

Those key games must be completed by April 1, with the finals weekend taking centre stage at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on April 7 and 8.