Chris Clegg
South Peace News
It’s official! The High Prairie Regals will play the Valleyview Jets in the preliminary best-of-three series (fourth versus fifth in the East Division) in this year’s NPHL playoffs.
Two weeks ago, the 1-15 Regals were assured of last place. On Jan. 18, the Jets (5-10-2) lost at home 3-1 to the Manning Comets (13-3) while the Fox Creek Knights upset the Spirit River Rangers 7-4 at home to eliminate any chance the Jets had of catching the Knights for third place.
There is good news and bad news regarding facing the Jets.
The bad news is the Jets have defeated the Regals twice this season, 4-3 at home on Nov. 1 and their record-setting 12-4 win at High Prairie 12-4 on Jan. 9. They meet again Jan. 23 at Valleyview.
The good news is the Regals are a perfect 8-0 in playoff series all-time versus the Jets and have won 29 games while losing only nine. It will be the first playoff meeting between the clubs in 30 years, High Prairie won the quarter-final 3-1 in 1994-95 before being swept by Peace River.
Meanwhile, the Jets have lost 10 straight playoff series since defeating the Spirit River Rangers 3-1 in the 1993-94 quarter-final 31 years ago.
The series will likely begin Tuesday, Feb. 4 in Valleyview. Dates for the rest of the series will be announced.
The Regals’ final four regular season games are at Valleyview Jan. 23, at Fox Creek Jan. 25, and at home versus Dawson Creek Jan. 29 and Manning Feb. 1.