The ETA has elected to adopt a balanced schedule for
the 2019/2020 regular season. The change will result in all teams, from Minor
Atom to Midget, playing each other 3 times. This will result in a 36 game
schedule for 13 team divisions (33 games for 12 team divisions etc.). The
schedule will have each team playing home & home with all other teams, for
24 games, plus a 3rd game, 6 home & 6 away, (for 12 games)
resulting in the 36 game schedule with 18 home games.
In subsequent seasons the 3rd game will alternate from home to away and vice versa in order to balance out travel.
This change will eliminate the traditional East & West divisions as all teams will compete within one ETA division.
Along with this regular season format change all teams will participate in OMHA playdowns per OMHA mandate. In order to accommodate all teams an additional playoff round and revised series lengths will be required. The first round will be a 2 of 3 series with teams finishing the regular season in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place earning a 1st round bye (13 team divisions). All subsequent playdown rounds will be 3 of 5 series.
As has been past policy teams eliminated in the first 2 rounds of OMHA playdowns will compete in the ETA playoffs.