LEAGUE ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISIONAL FORMAT

PRESS RELEASE

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced important changes to its divisions and to its playoffs format for the 2010-11 season following resolutions passed by the Board of Governors at the Semi-Annual Assembly of the Board of Governors and General Managers which was held at the Wyndham Hotel in Montreal.

Starting next season, the eighteen teams will be divided into three divisons: The TELUS West Division, the TELUS East Division and the Maritimes Division.

DIVISIONS BREAKDOWN
TELUS West
Drummondville
Gatineau
Montreal
Rouyn-Noranda
Shawinigan
Val-d’Or

TELUS East
Baie-Comeau
Chicoutimi
Lewiston
Quebec
Rimouski
Victoriaville

Maritimes
Acadie-Bathurst
Cape Breton
Halifax
Moncton
P.E.I.
Saint John

MATCH-UP DETAILS
TELUS West
6 games against each opponent within the division: 30 games
4 games against each opponent in the TELUS East division: 24 games
2 games against each opponent in the Maritimes division: 12 games
1 game, in rotation, against two opponents in the Maritimes division: 2 games
Exception: Val-d’Or and Rouyn-Noranda will play each other eight times.

TELUS East
6 games against each opponent within the division: 30 games
4 games against each opponent in the TELUS West division: 24 games
2 games against each opponent in the Maritimes division: 12 games
1 game, in rotation, against two opponents in the Maritimes division: 2 games
Exception: Baie-Comeau and Chicoutimi will play each other eight times.

Maritimes
8 games against each opponent within the division: 40 games
2 games against each opponent in the TELUS East division: 12 games
2 games against each opponent in the TELUS West division: 12 games
1 game against four opponents of the TELUS East and TELUS West divisions, in rotation over a six-year period: 4 games.

PLAYOFFS FORMAT
Starting next year, the sixteen teams eligible for the Playoffs will be ranked according to the following principles:

• The first three positions will be held by the top teams in each division in order of points cumulated in the standings during the regular season.


• The two teams with the least number of points during the regular season will be eliminated from playoff contention.


• Beginning with the fourth place, teams will be positioned according to the number of points cumulated during the regular season.

Once the teams have been seeded, the first round will oppose: the first seed versus the sixteenth seed, the second playing the fifteenth, the third playing the fourteenth, the fourth playing the thirteenth, the fifth playing the twelfth, the sixth playing the eleventh, the seventh playing the tenth, and the eighth playing the ninth.

The quarter-finals will oppose the winners of the first round: the first playing the eighth, the second playing the seventh, the third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. The semi-finals will feature the winners of the quarter-finals: the first playing the fourth, and the second playing the third.

The Championship Final will oppose the winners of the semi-finals.