NA3HL announces 2019 Fraser Cup Playoff Format and Championship

January 10, 2019

The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced its format and location for the 2019 NA3HL Fraser Cup Playoffs and Championship. The Fraser Cup crowns the National playoff champion from the NA3HL.

 

Division Semi-Finals (March 14-17): The top four teams in each division qualify for playoff competition. The Club seeded first in each division will compete in a best-of-three series with the fourth seeded Club in the same division. The Club seeded second in each division will compete in a best-of-three-series against the Club seeded third in the same division. The #1 and #2 seeds will have home ice advantage in the first round. The higher seed shall have the right to host games one and three. The lower seed shall have the right to host game two. Teams may agree to an alternate arrangement upon mutual agreement. The first club to win two games in a division semifinal series will be declared the winner of the series and advance to the next round of playoff competition.

 

Division Finals (March 21-24): The two Clubs in each division that won a division semifinal series shall compete in a best-of-three series against each other in the division finals. The higher seed shall have the right to host games one and three. The lower seed shall have the right to host game two. Teams may agree to an alternate arrangement upon mutual agreement. The first Club to win two games in a division final series will be declared the winner of the series and advance to the Fraser Cup Championship Tournament.

 

The six divisional playoff champions will advance to the NA3HL Fraser Cup Championship Tournament, where they will play a two- game round-robin format followed by a semi-final and a championship game at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Illinois, from March 27-31. The six divisional playoff winners will be seeded 1-6 based on their regular season point totals. A round-robin format with two pools will be implemented, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the Semi-Finals, where they will then cross over to play the other top two teams from the other pool. The winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Fraser Cup Championship Game. 

 

Pool A: #1, #4, #6

Pool B: #2, #3, #5

 

Wednesday, March 27: 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3

Thursday, March 28: 1 vs. 6, 2 vs. 5

Friday, March 29: 4 vs. 6, 3 vs. 5

Saturday, March 30: Pool A 1st place vs. Pool B 2nd place, Pool B 1st place vs. Pool A 2nd place

Sunday, March 31: Championship Game

 

The Fraser Cup is named in the memory of Robert ‘Fraser’ Ritchie, a long-time staff member of the NAHL, NA3HL and NAPHL. On June 10, 2017, Ritchie passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Although Ritchie ultimately lost his battle with the disease, his influence and daily interactions with all of the owners, coaches, staff, volunteers and administrators in the NAHL, NA3HL and NAPHL, will never be forgotten, and are now and forever memorialized with the annual awarding of the Fraser Cup.

 

The Fraser Cup will be held in cooperation with the first of six 2019 NAHL Combine events. Entering its sixth year in 2019, the NAHL Combines introduce and provide players with a weekend that involves the 'NAHL Experience,' which will consist of competitive hockey, education of the future levels of hockey, academic preparation for NCAA hockey and exposure to professional, college and junior scouts.