"During the playoffs, it is not possible to postpone matches to the same extent as in the regular season," says SHL's sports director and vice president Johan Hemlin to the league's website.

The SHL has had major problems with postponed matches due to corona infection during the regular season and the playoff start has been postponed three times.

On Monday, the second day of Easter, the playoffs begin and then there is no time for long shutdowns.

"Incredibly difficult"

Then the league may take a walkover, something that hockeynews.se was the first to tell.

Now SHL confirms the information.

"A team that suffers from a major outbreak that means that you can not come into play means that the team will probably have to leave wo, and then with a loss as a result.

In such a case, you take match after match according to the schedule, SHL can possibly make some adjustment of the schedule but it is very limited. "

In other words, you can basically say that it will be incredibly difficult for a team to complete the playoffs if you get a major corona outbreak during a match series.

A team that cannot complete the series may leave the playoffs, regardless of what the position in the match series looks like, ”says Hemlin.

Location can determine

Before the round of 16 finals, team 11 in the regular season is on standby and can replace a team that suffers from coronary heart disease and cannot play.

If both teams in a match series are affected and the series cannot be resumed, the team that had a higher final position in the basic series will be judged the winner.

“Here too, the clubs have been involved and this does not come as any news internally.

We really do not hope that we end up here, but we are prepared in the regulations if that is the case, ”says Hemlin.

When it comes to the relegation qualifiers, where the last HV71 will meet the second last in the best of seven matches for an SHL place next season, however, wo will not be used.

There, the match series is paused if a team suffers from coronary heart disease.