All set for dramatic weekend showdown!
The 2021 Elite Series trophy will be awarded to the playoff winners (Photo: Dean Woolley)
There are no games today, Friday 23 April, at the 2021 Elite Series, giving each team the chance to draw breath ahead of what is going to be a dramatic final weekend of regular-season action.
All four teams will skate as they prepare for their final two games before the playoffs, with everything still at stake for overall seeding.
How are the playoffs seeded?
Once each team has completed their regular-season games, the playoffs will be set as follows:
- 1st vs. 4th
- 2nd vs. 3rd
- Tie-breaking is the same as normal Elite League rules
What are the potential scenarios?
- Sheffield win be confirmed in first if Manchester fail to beat Coventry on Saturday afternoon, or if the Steelers get a point against Nottingham later that day
- Coventry, Manchester and Nottingham can all still finish second
- Only Nottingham are unable to finish first; Coventry and Manchester can if Sheffield fail to pick up any points this weekend
How do the Semi-Finals work?
- Each Semi-Final is a two-leg, aggregate-scoring series
- Overtime is played if the aggregate score is tied after 60 minutes in the second leg (i.e. tied after 120 minutes of the series), and played 3-on-3 for 10 minutes
- If the aggregate score is still tied after overtime, a shootout follows to decide the winner
What about the Playoff Finals?
- Best of 3 series
- Overtime is continuous, sudden-death 20-minute periods until a winning goal is scored
Where can I watch the playoffs?
Streaming packages are now available for all playoff games! Individual passes will be ready to purchase when the final schedule has been confirmed.
