With just 29 games remaining in the 2011-12 OHL regular season there are still three playoff spots up for grabs and a wide variety of playoff matchups that could occur.

The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the OHL playoffs with the division leaders ranked one-two in each Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, first place plays eighth, second plays seventh, third plays sixth and fourth plays fifth in each conference. Teams are re-seeded within their division after each round with the champions from each conference playing in the OHL Championship Series.

The 2012 OHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Thursday March 22. Second round match-ups will begin on April 4 with the Conference Championships to start April 18 and the OHL Championship Series to start on May 1. The QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes will host the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup May 17-27.

Here are how the playoff races as of Monday March 12, 2012:

 Eastern Conference Standings:

Teams that have clinched:

1.       Niagara IceDogs:  91 points (44-18-0-3) with 3 games remaining (PBO, OTT, at MISS) – Have clinched Central Division title and will enter playoffs as either first or second seed.

2.       Ottawa 67’s: 86 points (39-18-5-3) with 3 games remaining (SBY, at NIAG, at BRAM) – Have clinched East Division title and will enter playoffs as either first or second seed.

3.       Barrie Colts: 82 points (39-22-2-2) with 3 games remaining (at SBY, at MISS, BRAM) – Have clinched a playoff spot and can finish as high as third or as low as fifth.

4.       Brampton Battalion: 78 points (34-22-3-7) with 2 games remaining (at BAR, OTT) – Have clinched a playoff spot and can finish as high as fourth or as low as fifth.

5.       Sudbury Wolves: 75 points (35-24-4-1) with 4 games remaining (BAR, at OTT, at BELV, at KGN) – Have clinched a playoff spot and can finish as high as third or as low as fifth.

6.       Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors: 69 points (31-27-1-6) with 3 games remaining (BAR, at OSH, NIAG) – Have clinched a playoff spot, can finish as high as sixth or as low as eighth.

7.       Oshawa Generals: 66 points (30-28-3-3) with 4 games remaining (at PBO, at BELV, MISS, PBO) – Have clinched a playoff spot, can still finish as high as sixth or as low as eighth.

Teams still in the hunt: 

8.       Belleville Bulls: 65 points (32-32-1-0) with 3 games remaining (OSH, at KGN, SBY) – Need just one point to clinch a playoff spot, can finish as high as sixth or as low as ninth.

9.       Peterborough Petes: 59 points (26-32-3-4) with 3 games remaining (OSH, at NIAG, at OSH) – Trail eighth seed by six points, can finish as high as eighth or as low as ninth.

2012 OHL Priority Selection:

10.   Kingston Frontenacs: 45 points (19-40-3-4) with 2 games remaining (BELV, SBY) – Will miss 2012 playoffs, have clinched the second overall pick in OHL Priority Selection.

 

Western Conference Standings:

Teams that have clinched: 

1.       London Knights: 95 points (47-17-0-1) with 3 games remaining (at WSR, SAR, at ER) – Have clinched Midwest Division title and will finish as either the first or second seed.

2.       Plymouth Whalers: 94 points (46-17-2-1) with 2 games remaining (at SSM, SAR) – Have clinched West Division title and will enter playoffs as either first or second seed.

3.       Kitchener Rangers: 84 points (41-22-1-1) with 3 games remaining (ER, at SAG, at SSM) – Have clinched the third seed in the Western Conference.

4.       Sarnia Sting: 73 points (33-25-2-5) with 3 games remaining (SAG, at LDN, at PLY) – Have clinched a playoff spot, can finish as high as fourth or as low as sixth.

5.       Owen Sound Attack: 71 points (32-27-3-4) with 2 games remaining (at GUE, GUE) – Have clinched a playoff spot, can still finish as high as fourth or as low as sixth.

6.       Saginaw Spirit: 68 points (30-27-1-7) with 3 games remaining (at SAR, WSR, KIT) – Have clinched a playoff spot, can still finish as high as fourth or as low as eighth.

Teams still in the hunt:

7.       Windsor Spitfires: 63 points (28-30-5-2) with 3 games remaining (LDN, at SAG, at SSM) – Need four points to clinch a playoff spot, and can still finish as high as sixth place or as low as ninth.

8.       Guelph Storm: 62 points (28-31-2-4) with 3 games remaining (ER, OS, at OS) – Need five points to clinch a playoff spot, and can still finish as high as sixth place or as low as ninth.

9.       Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds: 60 points (27-32-2-4) with 3 games remaining (PLY, WSR, KIT) – Trail eighth seed by two points, can still finish as high as seventh or as low as ninth.

2012 OHL Priority Selection:

10.   Erie Otters: 26 points (10-49-3-3) with 3 games remaining (at GUE, at KIT, LDN) – Will miss 2012 playoffs, have clinched first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection.

 

Tie-Breaker Scenarios:

If two or more teams are tied for the final OHL playoff position in either conference, sudden-death playoff games will be used to determine the team that advances.

For all other playoff positions, the following tie-breaking procedures are in place:

1. The team with the most number of wins during the regular season shall be declared higher in the standings.

2. If two teams are still tied, the team with the best record in head-to-head competition (based on points including overtime losses) shall be declared higher in the standings. If more than two teams are tied after the first tie-breaker, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other shall be used to determine the standing.

3. If still tied, the team with the greater differential between goals scored for and against by clubs having equal standing after the second tie-breaker shall be declared higher in the standings.