ECHL Announces Playoff Format
Published on September 25, 2002 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. Â The East Coast Hockey League on Wednesday announced the format for the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
The 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs format was approved by the ECHL Board of Governors at the Preseason Meeting held September 10 in Columbia, S.C.
The 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs format consists of four teams from the Northeast Division and the Northwest Division, and five teams from the Southeast Division and the Southwest Division.
In the Northern Conference, the four teams with the highest regular season point total in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The Division Semifinals will be a best-of-five series with the Division winner meeting the fourth-place finisher and the second-place finisher meeting the third-place finisher. The Northern Conference Division Semifinals are scheduled for April 1-10.
The Division Semifinals winners advance to the best-of-five Division Finals scheduled for April 11-20. The Division Finals winners meet in the best-of-seven Northern Conference Championship with the winner advancing to the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals against the Southern Conference Champion.
The Northern Conference Finals will be played between April 22 and May 4 with the Kelly Cup Finals scheduled to be played May 6-19.
In the Southern Conference, the five teams with the highest regular season point total in each division will qualify for the playoffs. In each division, the fourth-place finisher will host the fifth-place finisher in the Wild Card Game on April 1 with the winners advancing to the Division Semifinals.
The Division Semifinals will be a best-of-five series with the Division winner meeting the Wild Card Game winner and the second-place finisher meeting the third-place finisher. The Southern Conference Division Semifinals are scheduled for April 2-10.
The Division Semifinals winners advance to the best-of-five Division Finals scheduled for April 11-20. The Division Finals winners meet in the best-of-seven Southern Conference Championship with the winner advancing to the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals against the Northern Conference Champion.
The Southern Conference Finals will be played between April 22 and May 4 with the Kelly Cup Finals scheduled to be played May 6-19.
2003 KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS
WILD CARD GAMES (One-Game Playoff)
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southeast Division Wild Card Game (April 1)
No. 5 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed (Winner becomes No. 4 Seed in Southeast Division Semifinals)
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southwest Division Wild Card Game (April 1)
No. 5 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed (Winner becomes No. 4 Seed in Southwest Division Semifinals)
DIVISION SEMIFINALS (Best-of-Five Series)
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northeast Division Semifinals (April 1-10)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northwest Division Semifinals (April 1-10)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southeast Division Semifinals (April 2-10)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southwest Division Semifinals (April 2-10)
No. 1 Seed (Division Winner) vs. No. 4 Seed No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3 Seed
DIVISION FINALS (Best-of-Five Series)
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northeast Division Finals (April 11-20)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northwest Division Finals (April 11-20)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southeast Division Finals (April 11-20)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southwest Division Finals (April 11-20)
Winner of No. 1 Seed/No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed/No. 3 Seed
CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-Seven Series)
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Northern Conference Championship (April 22-May 4)
Northeast Division Champion vs. Northwest Division Champion
2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs Southern Conference Championship (April 22-May 4)
Southeast Division Champion vs. Southwest Division Champion
FINALS (Best-of-Seven Series)
2003 Kelly Cup Finals (May 6-19)
Northern Conference Champion vs. Southern Conference Champion
ECHL Stories from September 25, 2002
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