All eight teams in the Saskatchewan West Hockey League now know what awaits them in the playoffs as the best-of-three quarter-final matchups were set following the conclusion of their regular season schedule Saturday.
The biggest story from the final weekend of league play came Friday night in Unity, as the host Miners handed the Wilkie Outlaws their first loss of the season in a 9-5 affair.
Jake McMillan and Behn Robertson led the way for the Miners on offence as they both scored a goal and had five assists.
Despite the setback, the Outlaws had already wrapped up the first overall seed for the playoffs with a 19-1 record.
Their opponent will be the eighth ranked Luseland Mallards, who finished at the bottom of the standings with a 4-15-1 mark.
The best-of-three series between the Outlaws and Mallards is set to begin Friday at 8:30 p.m. at the SaskCan Community Centre in Wilkie.
The second game will be held at the Luseland Memorial Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m.
A third game, if needed, would be held in Wilkie on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8:30 p.m.
That matchup will also see the top scorer and top netminder in the regular season going head-to-head with each other.
Mallards forward Kelsey Muench led all players in the SWHL with 67 points, while Outlaws netminder Jared Herle posted a 13-1 record with a 3.42 goals against average.
The Macklin Mohawks finished second in the regular season standings with a 12-7-1 record and will now face the seventh seeded Kerrobert Tigers, who ended the year with a 7-11-2 mark.
The dates for that quarter-final matchup were still being determined, but it is expeced that the series will begin Friday night in Macklin.
The SWHL playoffs will get underway Thursday night in Biggar, as the sixth seeded Nationals will host the third ranked Kindersley Red Lions in a 8:30 p.m. battle at the Biggar Jubliee Stadium.
The Red Lions had a 11-7-2 record and finished just one point back of the Mohawks in the final standings, while the Nationals had a 9-10-1 mark.
Both teams will return to the ice Friday in Kindersley for an 8:30 p.m. clash at the West Central Events Centre.
A third game, if required, will take place in Kindersley on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
The other quarter-final series will between the fourth and fifth seeds as the 9-7-4 Eatonia Huskies will face the 9-10-1 Miners.
The Miners actually finished tied on points with the Nationals but earned the fifth spot in the standings by winning all three of their head-to-head meetings.
The Eatonia Memorial Arena will play host to the opening game of the series Friday night at 8:30 p.m., with the Unity Community Centre hosting the second contest between the two sides on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.
If needed, a third and deciding game will be held in Eatonia at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11.
Each winner of the quarter-final matchups will then advance to a best-of-five semifinal series followed by a best-of-five final.
Meanwhile, all eight SWHL teams are competing for senior provincial titles over the next couple of months.
In the ‘A’ bracket, the Outlaws will be facing the Hillmond Hitmen in a best-of-three series that begins in Wilkie on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.
The Red Lions, meanwhile will be taking on the Shaunavon Badgers in a first round series that starts in Kindersley Sunday at 7 p.m.
In the ‘B’ bracket, the Miners will open up a two-game total goal series with the Eston Ramblers in Eston on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8:30 p.m.
The second game will take place in Unity on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.
The Nationals are also in that division and will play the Beechy Bombers in a series that doesn’t begin until March 2.
In the ‘C’ bracket, the Mohawks started their two-game total goal series Tuesday night against the Hafford Hawks of the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League.
The second game will take place on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. in Macklin.
The Tigers will open up their best-of-two total goal series Saturday at 8 p.m. on the road against the Lanigan Pirates, with the second game taking place in Kerrobert on Saturday, Feb. 17.
The Huskies will face either the Hodgeville Huskies or the Gull Lake Greyhounds in a series that will begin in late February.
The Mallards, who are the lone team in the SWHL competing in the ‘D’ bracket, will start their two-game total goal series on Saturday, Feb. 10 against the Loreburn 19’ers. at 7:30 p.m.
The second game will be held in Luseland on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
The SPHL’s Edam Three Stars are also in the ‘D’ bracket, with their two-game total goal series against the Kenaston Blizzards starting in Edam on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8:30 p.m.
The second game will be held in Kenaston on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 9 p.m.
