Game Mode 2020/21
The season is split into two phases. In the regular season the teams play 36 games per team. The first four teams qualify for the AHL playoffs, while the teams ranked fifth to twelfth continue in pre playoffs to take the remaining four spots for the postseason.The start of the regular season in 20-21 will be marked by six so-called return 2-play games between 3 and 22 October. The 16 participants in the Alps Hockey League have been divided into four regional groups. Within these pools, the teams will meet twice at the beginning of the season to play both legs within a week. The results of both duels are added together. The winner after the addition receives three points. If the overall score is a draw after two games, an overtime follows in the second duel. The winner of this one gets two points, the loser one point. After completion of the return 2-play games, a team can therefore have a maximum of nine points, which are taken into account in the overall table.
Return-2-Play Groups:
Group 1: EC Bregenzerwald, EHC Lustenau, EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, VEU Feldkirch
Group 2: Steel Wings Linz, EC-KAC II, HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice, HK SZ Olympia Ljubljana
Group 3: HC Pustertal, Red Bull Hockey Juniors, Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, Rittner Buam
Group 4: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey, HC Fassa Falcons, HC Gherdeina valgardena.it, S.G. Cortina Hafro
Another 30 games until the end of the regular season The six return 2-play rounds are followed by a round robin. In this, the teams meet twice, one home and one away game each. In these 30 rounds, points are awarded for victory or success after overtime/shootout and defeat after overtime/shootout according to the classic 3-2-1-0 scheme. Here too, regional duels are set towards the end of the year, international games are increasingly played in January and February 2021. The teams on ranks one to four after 36 gamedays qualify directly for the quarter finals. The teams in places five to twelve will play the pre-playoffs in "best-of-3" mode.
Playoff starts on March 27th
The final postseason starts on March 27th. Quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals will be played in "best of 5" mode. However, if two Italian teams are in the final series, the champion will be determined by a "best-of-7" series. The last possible gameday in the coming season is therefore 2 May. The final schedule will be announced at a later date.
The most important dates of the 2020/21 season:
Sat, 03.10.2020: Start of return 2-play matches
Sat, 24.10.2020: Continuation basic round with 30 games
Thu, 18.03.2021: last round of basic round
Sat, 20.03.2021: Start of pre-playoffs
Thu, 25.03.2021: last game pre-playoffs - playoff pick afterwards
Sat, 27.03.2021: Start of quarter finals
Thu, 08.04.2021: Start of the semifinals
Tue, 20.04.2021: Start of final
So, 02.05.2021: last possible final game