Can anyone explain to me the intent of lumping 26 teams together in the "Varsity" division? Nobody plays equivalent schedules. What is the point? Is there still AA, A and Central League at the end of it all? What am I missing?

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Originally posted by Snipe:
Nobody plays equivalent schedules.

You just answered your own question. If nobody plays the same schedule (and they don't), what would divisional standings be used for?

Because of that, the ICSHL has adopted a new playoff format for the season-end. The playoffs will:

1. establish a true League championship from among all our 28 varsity teams, AAA, AA, A, non-Flyers Cup eligible, and all.
2. All 28 teams make the playoff, which will be split into a top 16-team President's Cup and 12-team Commissioner's Cup brackets.
3. Each bracket will use the ACHA (D3) National Championship format. That means teams are seeded 1-16 and play "down" to a Championship game, a 3rd/4th place game, a 5th/6th place game...
4. All teams will play 4 playoff games.
5. Half the teams will win their last game of the season. Teams will "play down" to their level of competitiveness.

We expect there to be upsets, intriguing match-ups that didn't play in the regular season, and a chance to establish who the best teams in the ICSHL are, regardless of Flyers Cup class, without penalizing teams for playing a tougher season schedule, and as preparation for those teams that ARE going on to the Flyers Cup tournament.

Will it be Henderson/Malvern, PV/Salesianum, Springfield/Rustin in the championship? IS somebody's goaltender going to get red hot and carry a dark horse to the championship? To win the league, a team will have to win 4 straight games against increasingly tough competition.

I don't agree with that at all

Actually, there are Central League and Ches-Mont standings, updated and available on the ICSHL web site. They are exactly the same standings that those leagues would present in any other sport--regular season only, based on a balanced schedule among the member teams. There has never been a Central (or Ches-Mont) "playoff" in any other HS sport. That's what the PIAA District playoffs are for. Western PA (PIHL) has only the Penguins Cup playoffs, no Divisional, or other playoffs.

Ches-Mont and Central could be pooled on the ICSHL board (my original plan) like the EHSHL A and AA, but that only takes care of 17 of 28 varsities. What to do with the others?

Agreed, the "best" any league playoff system can do is "not detract from the Flyers Cup" and not conflict with the District playoffs. Exactly what is the point of "league playoffs"? Bring fans and money to the rinks? prepare teams for Flyers Cup? give everybody a way to end their season with a win?

Any kind of a playoff that limits the number of teams that play rquires a balanced schedule to be fair. The DVHL plays Sept-Feb to do that and eliminate 12 of 16 teams from the playoff. We haven't got the time, the money, or the ice to do that with 28 teams, in a variety of sizes, competitive strengths, and rink locations.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CarlWood,

I'm willing to give the playoff system a chance. We had a great system in the Central 2 years ago with double elimination after the first round. Last year it was changed to single elimination, so maybe it's not about selling ice , etc??

What I don't like about the schedule is that the Central teams (ICSHL) all play the same schedule (ICSHL teams twice, EHSHL teams once)so I think all games should count. Just because the EHSHL didn't want to play everyone twice isn't a reason to abandon what was a great system. The same situation was available to the Ches Mont teams this season, but they're in the same boat with teams only counting one game.