The postseason season is here for Canadian major junior hockey leagues.
The OHL and WHL playoffs start this week, while the QMJHL’s regular season has just a couple of weeks left in it. All three leagues will be crowning their own championship, and then ultimately meet later this summer in a battle for the CHL’s Memorial Cup.
It’s the first time in three years that all three leagues will be having playoffs. All three leagues had their playoffs canceled in 2019-20 due to COVID-19 and only the QMJHL held playoffs last season.
It’s going to be a ton of postseason play over the span of the next two months. Here is what you need to know to watch the postseason for the three leagues.
MORE: NHL Stanley Cup playoff picture 2022: Matchups, magic numbers, draft order
OHL playoffs schedule 2022
- Start date: Thursday, April 21
- End date: TBD
No team has been handed the J. Ross Robertson Cup since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 playoffs were canceled, and the 2020-21 season was canceled in its entirety.
The last team to win the championship was the Guelph Storm in 2019. They defeated the Ottawa 67’s in the final series.
This season, 16 teams are eyeing the cup. Out of the Eastern Conference, it will be the Hamilton Bulldogs, North Bay Battalion, Kingston Frontenacs, Mississauga Steelheads, Barrie Colts, Oshawa Generals, Ottawa 67’s and Peterborough Petes in the playoffs.
From the Western Conference, it will be the Windsor Spitfires, London Knights, Flint Firebirds, Soo Greyhounds, Guelph Storm, Owen Sound Attack, Kitchener Rangers and Sarnia Sting as the eight teams in the postseason.
EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF SCHEDULES:
Hamilton (1) vs. Peterborough (8)
1. Thu., April 21 | PBO (2) @ HAM (5)
2. Mon., April 25 | PBO (2) @ HAM (5)
3. Wed., April 27 | HAM (7) @ PBO (2)
4. Thu., April 28 | HAM (7) @ PBO (3)
Hamilton wins 4-0
North Bay (2) vs. Ottawa (7)
1. Thu., April 21 | OTT (1) @ NB (4)
2. Sat., April 23 | OTT (6) @ NB (7)
3. Mon., April 25 | NB (3) @ OTT (2)
4. Wed., April 27 | NB (3) @ OTT (2)
North Bay wins 4-0
Kingston (3) vs. Oshawa (6)
1. Fri., April 22 | OSH (1) @ KGN (6)
2. Sun., April 24 | OSH (4) @ KGN (6)
3. Tue., April 26 | KGN (3) @ OSH (4)
4. Thu., April 28 | KGN (6) @ OSH (2)
5. Sat., April 30 | OSH (3) @ KGN (0)
6. Sun., May 01 | KGN (5) @ OSH (4)
Kingston wins 4-2
Mississauga (4) vs. Barrie (5)
1. Fri., April 22 | BAR (2) @ MISS (1)
2. Sun., April 24 | BAR (1) @ MISS (2)
3. Mon., April 25 | MISS (1) @ BAR (3)
4. Wed., April 27 | MISS (3) @ BAR (2)
5. Sat., April 30 | BAR (1) @ MISS (4)
6. Mon., May 02 | MISS (6) @ BAR (4)
Mississauga wins 4-2
*if necessary
WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF SCHEDULES:
Windsor (1) vs. (8) Sarnia
1. Thu., April 21 | SAR (0) @ WSR (3)
2. Sat., April 23 | SAR (1) @ WSR (4)
3. Tue., April 26 | WSR (2) @ SAR (5)
4. Thu., April 28 | WSR (4) @ SAR (1)
5. Sat., April 30 | SAR (3) @ WSR (2)
6. Sun., May 01 | WSR (3) @ SAR (1)
Windsor wins 4-2
London (2) vs. Kitchener (7)
1. Thu., April 21 | KIT (3) @ LDN (2)
2. Fri., April 22 | KIT (2) @ LDN (5)
3. Sun., April 24 | LDN (4) @ KIT (3)
4. Tue., April 26 | LDN (2) @ KIT (3)
5. Sun., May 01 | KIT (3) @ LDN (5)
6. Tue., May 03 | LDN (0) @ KIT (0)
7. Wed., May 04 | KIT (0) @ LDN (0) *
Flint (3) vs. Owen Sound (6)
1. Fri., April 22 | OS (6) @ FLNT (3)
2. Sat., April 23 | OS (3) @ FLNT (6)
3. Mon., April 25 | FLNT (1) @ OS (2)
4. Wed., April 27 | FLNT (3) @ OS (2)
5. Sun., May 01 | OS (1) @ FLNT (5)
6. Tue., May 03 | FLNT (0) @ OS (0)
7. Wed., May 04 | OS (0) @ FLNT (0) *
Sault Ste. Marie (4) vs. Guelph (5)
1. Thu., April 21 | GUE (0) @ SOO (3)
2. Sat., April 23 | GUE (1) @ SOO (4)
3. Tue., April 26 | SOO (3) @ GUE (6)
4. Thu., April 28 | SOO (5) @ GUE (4)
5. Sat., April 30 | GUE (0) @ SOO (6)
Sault Ste. Marie wins 4-1
*-if necessary
How to watch OHL playoff games in Canada
- TV channel: TSN, select local stations
- Live streams: OHL Live on CHL TV
Not all of the games will be available on TV. Select local stations will have the games, depending on your area, and only the OHL championship series will be on TSN.
However, all of the playoff games will be available to stream on OHL Live on CHL TV.
CHL TV playoff packages are available now at watch.chl.ca. Complete OHL Playoff passes are available for $59.99 plus tax, or you can tune into just Round 1 for $19.99. There are also CHL All Access playoff passes available to watch all CHL playoff games.
WHL playoffs schedule 2022
- Start date: Friday, April 22
- End date: Tuesday, June 14
Like the OHL, thanks to COVID, the WHL hasn’t had playoffs in the last two seasons. The last time the league crowned a champion was in 2019 when the Prince Albert Raiders defeated the Vancouver Giants in Game 7.
This year, the postseason returns with 16 teams eyeing the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
The Winnipeg Ice clinched the best record in the regular season and are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They are joined by the Edmonton Oil Kings, Red Deer Rebels, Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades, Brandon Wheat Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Prince Albert Raiders as playoff teams from that conference.
The Everett Silvertips finished the regular season as the top team in the East. Joining them in the postseason are the Kamloops Blazers, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds, Kelowna Rockets, Spokane Chiefs, Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars.
EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF SCHEDULES:
ROUND 1
Winnipeg (1) vs. Prince Albert (8)
1. Fri., April 22 | PA (1) @ WPG (3)
2. Sat., April 23 | PA (2) @ WPG (5)
3. Tue., April 26 | WPG (10) @ PA (1)
4. Wed., April 27 | WPG (1) @ PA (3)
5. Fri., April 29 | PA (2) @ WPG (8)
Winnipeg wins 4-1
Edmonton (2) vs. Lethbridge (7)
1. Thu., April 21 | LET (1) @ EDM (4)
2. Sat., April 23 | LET (0) @ EDM (4)
3. Tue., April 26 | EDM (4) @ LET (1)
4. Thu., April 28 | EDM (6) @ LET (4)
Edmonton wins 4-0
Red Deer (3) vs. Brandon (6)
1. Fri April 22 | BDN (0) @ RD (5)
2. Sat April 23 | BDN (2) @ RD (1)
3. Tue April 26 | RD (3) @ BDN (1)
4. Wed April 27 | RD (1) @ BDN (3)
5. Fri April 29 | BDN (1) @ RD (3)
6. Sun May 01 | RD (5) @ BDN (4)
Red Deer wins 4-2
Moose Jaw (4) vs. Saskatoon (5)
1. Fri., April 22 | SAS (1) @ MJ (5)
2. Sat., April 23 | SAS (3) @ MJ (5)
3. Tue., April 26 | MJ (3) @ SAS (2)
4. Wed., April 27 | MJ (3) @ SAS (5)
5. Fri., April 29 | SAS (3) @ MJ (6)
Moose Jaw wins 4-1
ROUND 2
Winnipeg (1) vs. Moose Jaw (4)
Edmonton (2) vs. Red Deer (3)
*if necessary
WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF SCHEDULES:
ROUND 1
(1) Everett vs. (8) Vancouver
1. Fri., April 22 | VAN (5) @ EVT (4)
2. Sat., April 23 | VAN (3) @ EVT (7)
3. Wed., April 27 | EVT (6) @ VAN (2)
4. Fri., April 29 | EVT (6) @ VAN (11)
5. Sat., April 30 | VAN (3) @ EVT (0)
6. Mon., May 02 | EVT (3) @ VAN (6)
Vancouver wins 4-2
Kamloops (2) vs. Spokane (7)
1. Fri., April 22 | SPO (0) @ KAM (9)
2. Sat., April 23 | SPO (2) @ KAM (6)
3. Mon., April 25 | SPO (1) @ KAM (5)
4. Fri., April 29 | KAM (3) @ SPO (0)
Kamloops wins 4-0
Portland (3) vs. Prince George (6)
1. Fri., April 22 | PG (2) @ POR (5)
2. Sat., April 23 | PG (1) @ POR (2)
3. Tue., April 26 | POR (2) @ PG (0)
4. Wed., April 27 | POR (2) @ PG (1)
Portland wins 4-0
Seattle (4) vs. Kelowna (5)
1. Fri., April 22 | KEL (0) @ SEA (6)
2. Sat., April 23 | KEL (3) @ SEA (7)
3. Tue., April 26 | SEA (5) @ KEL (1)
4. Wed., April 27 | SEA (2) @ KEL (3)
5. Fri., April 29 | KEL (3) @ SEA (4)
Seattle wins 4-1
ROUND 2
Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (8)
Portland (3) vs. Seattle (4)
*-if necessary
How to watch WHL playoff games in Canada
- TV channel: TSN, select local stations
- Live streams: WHL Live on CHL TV
Only the WHL championship series will be broadcast on TSN. Select local stations will have the games, depending on your area. However, all of the playoff games will be available to stream on WHL Live on CHL TV.
CHL TV playoff packages are available now at watch.chl.ca. Complete WHL Playoff passes are available for $59.99 plus tax, or you can tune into just Round 1 for $19.99. There are also CHL All Access playoff passes available to watch all CHL playoff games.
QMJHL playoffs schedule 2022
- Start date: Thursday, May 5
- End date: Wednesday, June 15
There are still a couple of weeks left in the QMJHL regular season so the playoff picture is not completely set just yet. But 16 teams will be competing for the President’s Cup, given to the champion of the QMJHL playoffs.
Five teams in the Western Conference have clinched a spot in the postseason — Sherbrooke, Gatineau, Shawinigan, Drummondville and Blainville-Boisbriand. In the Eastern Conference, six teams have locked in their spot in the postseason — Quebec, Charlottetown, Saint John, Acadie-Bathurst, Rimouski and Halifax.
May 1 is the final day of the regular season for the QMJHL. The playoff schedule and bracket has yet to be determined.
How to watch QMJHL playoff games in Canada
- TV channels: TSN, select local stations
- Live streams: QMJHL Live on CHL TV
TSN will broadcast only the championship series for the QMJHL, but all playoff games will be available to stream on QMJHL Live on CHL TV. Select local stations will have the games, depending on your area.
CHL TV playoff packages are available now at watch.chl.ca. Complete QMJHL Playoff passes are available for $59.99 plus tax. There are also CHL All Access playoff passes available to watch all CHL playoff games.