The CSHL Playoffs for the 2019-20 season begin following the conclusion of the regular season in February 2020. As with past seasons, all teams make the tournament. This season, with the expansion of two teams, there will be a 14-team bracket. The top team from the North and South divisions, based on regular season standings, will receive a first-round bye. The regular season standings are determined by Total Points (2 points for win and 1 point for tie), and the tiebreaker is head-to-head (each team plays every other team in their division once during the regular season).

Like past seasons, we will have a “cross division” seeding format. There is no reseeding during the course of the tournament. The higher seed is the home team.

Seeding works as follows:

North #1 and South #1 are seeded on opposite sides of the bracket. The #1 “overall seed” is determined by comparing the regular season standings between North #1 and South #1. If they have the same points, and there is no head-to-head tiebreaker, then the next tiebreaker is total penalty minutes. The team with the least number of penalty minutes will receive the #1 overall seed.

North #2 is placed on the side of the bracket with South #1 and plays South #7 in the first round. South #2 is placed on the side of the bracket with North #1 and plays North #7 in the first round.

North #3 is placed in a position where they would play South #2 in the Quarter-final round (assuming no upsets) and plays South #6 in the first round. South #3 is placed in a similar position on the opposite side of the bracket and plays North #6 in the first round.

North #4 is placed in a position where they would play South #1 in the Quarter-final round (assuming no upsets) and plays South #5 in the first round. South #4 is placed in a similar position on the other side of the bracket and plays North #5 in the first round.

First-round matchups: 

SIDE A

North #1 vs BYE; plays winner of S4 vs N5

South #4 vs North #5

South #2 vs North #7; winner plays winner of N3 vs S6

North #3 vs South #6

SIDE B

South #1 vs BYE; plays winner of N4 vs S5

North #4 vs South #5

North #2 vs South #7; winner plays winner of S3 vs N6

South #3 vs North #6

The schedule for the tournament will be released later.