The matchups are set for the playoff and relegation battles in both the Czech Junior League (U20) and the CCM U17 League, following the completion of regular season play. Teams have been seeded and will compete in a bracket-style tournament to determine champions and which teams will face demotion.
Both leagues will utilize a best-of-three format for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, culminating in a best-of-four series for the championship. The U17 league playoffs are slated to begin on Thursday, March 12th, while the Junior League action kicks off on Friday, March 13th. A key difference this season is that the U17 league will see teams from the Western and Eastern groups face each other for the first time in the playoffs, as they did not play cross-group games during the regular season.
Junior League Playoff Picture
In the Junior League, four teams from each the Western and Eastern groups have qualified for the postseason. The quarterfinal pairings, determined by seeding, are as follows:
- Rytíři Kladno (West #1) vs. HC ZUBR Přerov (East #4)
- Piráti Chomutov (West #2) vs. HK Mladí Draci Šumperk (East #3)
- VHK ROBE Vsetín (East #1) vs. HC Hvězda Praha (West #4)
- Berani Zlín “B” (East #2) vs. SC Marimex Kolín (West #3)
The quarterfinal schedule is as follows:
- Friday, March 13th: Rytíři Kladno vs. HC ZUBR Přerov, Piráti Chomutov vs. HK Mladí Draci Šumperk, VHK ROBE Vsetín vs. HC Hvězda Praha, Berani Zlín “B” vs. SC Marimex Kolín
- Saturday, March 15th: Rytíři Kladno vs. HC ZUBR Přerov, Piráti Chomutov vs. HK Mladí Draci Šumperk, VHK ROBE Vsetín vs. HC Hvězda Praha, Berani Zlín “B” vs. SC Marimex Kolín
- Tuesday, March 17th: HC ZUBR Přerov vs. Rytíři Kladno, HK Mladí Draci Šumperk vs. Piráti Chomutov, HC Hvězda Praha vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín, SC Marimex Kolín vs. Berani Zlín “B”
- Wednesday, March 18th (if necessary): HC ZUBR Přerov vs. Rytíři Kladno, HK Mladí Draci Šumperk vs. Piráti Chomutov, HC Hvězda Praha vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín, SC Marimex Kolín vs. Berani Zlín “B”
- Saturday, March 21st (if necessary): Rytíři Kladno vs. HC ZUBR Přerov, Piráti Chomutov vs. HK Mladí Draci Šumperk, VHK ROBE Vsetín vs. HC Hvězda Praha, Berani Zlín “B” vs. SC Marimex Kolín
The semifinal pairings will be determined by seeding, with the highest remaining seed facing the lowest, and the other two teams battling for a spot in the championship. The seeding for the semifinals is as follows:
- Rytíři Kladno
- VHK ROBE Vsetín
- Piráti Chomutov
- Berani Zlín “B”
- SC Marimex Kolín
- HK Mladí Draci Šumperk
- HC Hvězda Praha
- HC ZUBR Přerov
Junior League Relegation Battle
At the bottom of the standings, four teams will compete in a relegation playoff to avoid being demoted to the Regional Junior League. The pairings are:
- IHC Králové Písek (West #7) vs. AZ Havířov (East #8)
- HC Olomouc (East #7) vs. HC Chrudim (West #8)
These series will be played in a best-of-four format. The two losing teams will be relegated.
- Friday, March 13th: IHC Králové Písek vs. AZ Havířov, HC Olomouc vs. HC Chrudim
- Saturday, March 14th: IHC Králové Písek vs. AZ Havířov, HC Olomouc vs. HC Chrudim
- Tuesday, March 17th: AZ Havířov vs. IHC Králové Písek, HC Chrudim vs. HC Olomouc
- Wednesday, March 18th (if necessary): AZ Havířov vs. IHC Králové Písek, HC Chrudim vs. HC Olomouc
- Saturday, March 21st (if necessary): IHC Králové Písek vs. AZ Havířov, HC Olomouc vs. HC Chrudim
- Monday, March 23rd (if necessary): AZ Havířov vs. IHC Králové Písek, HC Chrudim vs. HC Olomouc
- Wednesday, March 25th (if necessary): IHC Králové Písek vs. AZ Havířov, HC Olomouc vs. HC Chrudim
CCM Liga Dorostu (U17) Playoffs
The CCM U17 League will similarly see eight teams compete for the championship, with a similar cross-group quarterfinal format. The pairings are:
- HC Hvězda Praha (West #1) vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín (East #1)
- Rytíři Kladno (West #2) vs. Technika Hockey Brno (East #3)
- HC Olomouc (East #2) vs. HC Náchod (West #4)
- AZ Havířov (East #3) vs. HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem (West #3)
The quarterfinal schedule is:
- Thursday, March 12th: HC Hvězda Praha vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín, Rytíři Kladno vs. Technika Hockey Brno, HC Olomouc vs. HC Náchod, AZ Havířov vs. HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
- Friday, March 13th: HC Hvězda Praha vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín, Rytíři Kladno vs. Technika Hockey Brno, HC Olomouc vs. HC Náchod, AZ Havířov vs. HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
- Monday, March 16th: VHK ROBE Vsetín vs. HC Hvězda Praha, Technika Hockey Brno vs. Rytíři Kladno, HC Náchod vs. HC Olomouc, HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem vs. AZ Havířov
- Tuesday, March 17th (if necessary): VHK ROBE Vsetín vs. HC Hvězda Praha, Technika Hockey Brno vs. Rytíři Kladno, HC Náchod vs. HC Olomouc, HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem vs. AZ Havířov
- Friday, March 20th (if necessary): HC Hvězda Praha vs. VHK ROBE Vsetín, Rytíři Kladno vs. Technika Hockey Brno, HC Olomouc vs. HC Náchod, AZ Havířov vs. HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
CCM Liga Dorostu Relegation
In the U17 league, only one team will be relegated. HC Baník Sokolov (West #10) will face Berani Zlín “B” (East #10) in a best-of-four series to determine which team will drop to the Regional U17 League.
- Friday, March 13th: Berani Zlín “B” vs. HC Baník Sokolov
- Saturday, March 14th: Berani Zlín “B” vs. HC Baník Sokolov
- Tuesday, March 17th: HC Baník Sokolov vs. Berani Zlín “B”
- Wednesday, March 18th: HC Baník Sokolov vs. Berani Zlín “B”
- Saturday, March 21st (if necessary): Berani Zlín “B” vs. HC Baník Sokolov
- Monday, March 23rd (if necessary): HC Baník Sokolov vs. Berani Zlín “B”
- Wednesday, March 25th (if necessary): Berani Zlín “B” vs. HC Baník Sokolov
The coming weeks promise exciting hockey action as these young athletes battle for championship glory and to secure their place in their respective leagues. Stay tuned to Archysport for updates as the playoffs progress.
