AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey League Playoff Format & Dates

The Dates & Format for this year's AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey League Playoffs have been revelled which will be starting this year on March 5th for the Gold Tier Teams while the Silver Tier Playoffs will begin on March 7. With just 22 teams overall this season in the league (6 in the Gold Tier, 16 in the Silver Tier), the playoffs are going to come fast & furious this season overall. In addition to the league playoffs, the Gold Tier Champion will advance to the USA Hockey HS National Championships which will be from March 21-25 in Salt Lake City, Utah this season.

Here's the Full Varsity Playoff Schedule

While the Top Silver Tier Teams will advance to the Silver Tier State Champions against the Top Teams from the Houston & Austin Area which will take place from March 23-25 in a location that is still yet TBD.

The format for both Tiers will be as follows this season.

Gold Tier: With just 6 teams in the leagues Top Tier this season, all 6 teams will be in the playoffs with the #1 & #2 Seeds gaining Quarterfinal Byes while the #3 VS. #6 & #4 VS. #5 Teams will be starting out in the Quarterfinals. The Semifinals will have the #1 Seed taking on the Lowest Seeded QF Winner, while the #2 Seed will play the Highest Seeded QF Winner that next night. Both the Quarterfinals & Semifinals will be a Single Game. Then once the Gold Tier Championship Series is all set it will be a Best of 3 Series to determine the league champion & who will represent Texas in Salt Lake City at the USA Hockey HS National Championship in Late March.

Gold Tier Playoff Dates

3/5: Quarterfinals

3/6: Semifinals

3/8: Gold Tier Final Game 1

3/9: Gold Tier Final Game 2

3/11: Gold Tier Final Game 3 (If Needed)

If the playoffs started today, here's a look at what the Playoff Matchups would look like right now.

#1 Arlington ISD & #2 Plano West would have 1st Round Byes

#3 Dallas Jesuilt VS. #6 Coppell

#4 Allen VS. #5 Plano Senior

The Parity in the Gold Tier has been very tight with the exception of Coppell who's sitting way back in last place with just 9 PTS (4-11-1) in 16 games so far this season. So basically everyone else could find themselves anywhere from the #1 to #5 Seeds when the regular season wraps up on March 1. A 3 way tie is currently atop the top of the Gold Tier between Arlington ISD (10-5-1), Plano West (9-4-3) & Dallas Jesuit (9-4-3) with 21 points each.

Just behind them are Allen & Plano Senior (Both 8-6-2) with 18 points, but are very much in the race for the 2 Quarterfinal Round Byes when the playoffs early March. With just 6 games left in the regular season, it's going to be a wild wild finish to the regular season in the Gold Tier.

Silver Tier: The Silver Tier Playoffs will have the top 4 teams in both the North & South Divisions where they will start in a cross over (#1N VS. #4S, #2N VS. #3S etc.). With the winners will play each other in the Semifinals and on to the Finals. Each Round will be a single elimination format for all 3 rounds. The winners will advance to the State Silver Tier Tournament against the Top Teams from the Interscholastic Hockey League (ISHL) and the Austin Area Champion as well.

Silver Tier Playoff Dates

3/7: Quarterfinals

3/8: Semifinals

3/11: Silver Tier Championship

If the Playoffs started today, here's a look at what the Quarterfinal Round Matchups would look like.

#1N Plano East VS. #4S GCISD

#2N Highland Park VS. #3S Midlothian

#1S Keller ISD VS. #4N Prosper

#2S Southlake Carroll VS. #3N McKinney ISD

The South Division Top Seed is most likely going to come down to a 3 team race between Keller ISD (14-2-0), Southlake Carroll (12-2-2) & Midlothian (12-4-0) who are just 4 points apart which separate the top 3 teams in the South. While GCISD (9-7-0) is currently holding down the 4th & final playoff spot at the moment, both Mansfield ISD (8-6-2) & Denton County (8-8-0) are hot on their tail as they look to chase them down over the final month of the regular season.

As for the two Flower Mound Teams, for the most part, they will battle for pride and most likely stay out of last Place in the South Division as they sit just 5 points back of both GCISD & Mansfield ISD. Their only hope of making the playoffs is that either GCISD, Mansfield ISD or Denton County collapse down the stretch and that either team can get red hot.

The North Division has Plano East (10-3-3) holding a 4 point lead over Highland Park as the Scots will be hoping that the Panthers falter some over the final 6 games to help improve their chances of getting the #1 Seed for the post season.

Elsewhere in the North Division, McKinney ISD & Prosper are fighting it out for the #3 Seed and looking to avoid top seeded Plano East in the Quarterfinals Round of the playoffs. However, Richardson/Rockwall (6-9-1) and is emerging as the top challenger to get into the top 4 to challenge both McKinney ISD & Prosper. Speaking of the race for 3rd & 4th, Richardson/Rockwall will be playing McKinney ISD this week as it will repserent a critical game in this Race where the gap at the end of the night could be anyway from 1 to 5 points.

A Richardson/Rockwall Win would really eat into that gap start making both McKinney ISD & Prosper beginning to sweat. While a McKinney ISD Win would put a big blow into Richardson/Rockwall's Playoff hopes this season.

While Bishop Lynch & Frisco ISD (both 5-11-0) & Garland ISD (3-12-1) are way back in this race and would most likely take a miracle for either one of them to get into this playoff race.