2020-21 QMJHL season

This is the 2020-21 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's 52nd season.

Start and Stop of Play
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the league had modified its schedule, to have team only play intra-divisional games for the season and reduced crowds, which started on October 2nd. The QMJHL was the only one of the three Major Junior leagues to start operations in anything resembling a normal time frame. The WHL was hoping to start play in early January with a strictly intra-divisional schedule as well. The OHL is facing the likelihood of not being able to play at all or have to play with a drastic change to the way the game is played such as no checking and 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 game play.

A rise in cases in the province of Quebec had begun during training camp leading the province to place severe restrictions in much of the area along the St. Lawrence River between greater Montreal and Quebec City which accounts for the majority of the provinces population.

By October 14 the league announced that play among Quebec teams would be stopped for at least two weeks due to the restrictions in place causing 6 of the 12 Quebec teams not being able to operate. The Moncton Wildcats are also unable to operated due to restrictions in place in the Moncton area due to a spike in cases in the Moncton area and the province as a whole. The remaining five teams in the Atlantic Division are allowed to have games for the time being as PEI and Nova Scotia have had relatively few cases and Bathurst and Saint John have not been hit as hard as Moncton.

On November 30th the league suspended play until at least January 3rd due to an increase in cases across the league's footprint.

Franchise changes

 * None, but the Gatineau Olympiques are playing their last season at the Robert Guertin Centre. The team is due to move into the Centre Slush Puppie for the 2021-22 playing season

Final standings
Source: TheQMJHL.ca Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; PTS%= Points Percentage; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched Jean Rougeau Trophy

Maritimes Division
On April 16th the league posted an update on the playoffs for the teams in the Maritimes Division. The Cape Breton Eagles and Halifax Mooseheads will not participate in the 2021 President Cup Playoffs (shortly after the start of the playoffs indoor gatherings would be banned and restrictions on non-essential travel in Nova Scotia due to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases). The three New Brunswick teams will play a nine game round robin to determine who will play the Charlottetown Islanders in the Maritimes Division final.

Quebec Divisions
The 12 Quebec teams will participate in a playoff that will have three teams advance to a semifinal event along with the Maritimes champion in a protected environment with the exact format to be determined. The playoff scheduling for the Gatineau Olympiques and the Québec Remparts remains on hold as both teams are dealing with COVID-19 issues.

Cancellation of 2021 Memorial Cup
The playoff champion does not advance to the 2021 Memorial Cup as the event was cancelled on April due to restrictions from the pandemic as the Ontario Hockey League is due to host the tournament and the league has not begun play for the 2020-21 season and are facing not being able to even practice until late May at the earliest due to a lock-down in place in the Province of Ontario due to a large spike in cases of COVID-19 in the province. The OHL would cancel its' season on April 20th without playing any games. The Western Hockey League cancelled its playoffs on April 19th due to logistical issues involving multiple governmental jurisdictional regulations (four provinces, two states, and two countries).

Quebec First Round

 * Chicoutimi Saguenéens defeated Sherbrooke Phoenix 3 games to none
 * Victoriaville Tigres defeated Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 3 games to none
 * Val-d'Or Foreurs defeated Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3 games to none
 * Rimouski Océanic defeated Shawinigan Cataractes 3 games to 2
 * Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defeated Gatineau Olympiques 3 games to 1
 * Quebec Remparts defeated Drummondville Voltigeurs 3 games to none

New Brunswick Round Robin

 * Saint John Sea Dogs defeated Moncton Wildcats 6-2
 * Acadie–Bathurst Titan defeated Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5
 * Acadie–Bathurst Titan defeated Moncton Wildcats 5-2
 * Moncton Wildcats defeated Saint John Sea Dogs 4-2
 * Saint John Sea Dogs defeated Acadie–Bathurst Titan 6-2
 * Moncton Wildcats defeated Acadie–Bathurst Titan 5-3
 * Acadie–Bathurst Titan defeated Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 (ot)
 * Acadie–Bathurst Titan defeated Moncton Wildcats 5-4 (2ot)
 * Saint John Sea Dogs defeated Moncton Wildcats 6-5 (ot)

Atlantic Final
Best-of-five
 * Charlottetown Islanders defeated Acadie–Bathurst Titan 3 games to none

Quebec Second Round
Best-of-five, all games held at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Quebec
 * Chicoutimi Saguenéens defeated Québec Remparts 3 games to none
 * Victoriaville Tigres defeated Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 3 games to 2
 * Val-d'Or Foreurs defeated Rimouski Océanic 3 games to none

Semifinals
Being held at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Quebec. Best-of-five series.
 * Val-d'Or Foreurs defeated Chicoutimi Saguenéens 3 games to none
 * Victoriaville Tigres defeated Charlottetown Islanders 3 games to 2

Final
Held at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Quebec. Best-of-seven series.
 * Victoriaville Tigres defeated Val-d'Or Foreurs 4 games to 2

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Seeding
Teams will be rated upon point percentage (Pts/(GP*2)) as opposed to points due to cancelled games resulting in an unequal number of games played. First tie-breaker will be better percentage of wins in regulation and overtime ((W+OTW)/GP). Second, the best ratio of goals scored on average per game (excluding shootout goals) ((GFA-GAA)/(GFA+GAA)). Third, best goals for average per game (GF/GP).

Series Formats
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing numerous cancellations the league modified its' playoff format. All 18 teams will qualify. The first round will match the third and sixth place teams and the fourth and fifth place teams in each division will meet in a series whose length will be determined as circumstances warrant. Teams will be re-seeded after the first round with first playing fourth and second playing third in the division semifinals. The two Quebec divisions with intermix with 1 vs 2 from the other Quebec division. The two Maritime Division teams will meet in the Division Final. The three winners will meet in a double round robin to determine the league finalists. Two points for a win and no points for a loss of any kind. If there is a tie for second and third a tie-breaker game will be played and the winner advances to play the first place round robin team. If all three are tied a tie breaker formula will be used to have one team advance directly to the final and the 2nd and 3rd place teams will play a tie-breaker for the other final spot. If the last round robin game has no bearing on the final standings it will be cancelled. The final is planned to be a best-of-seven series but may be reduced as circumstances warrant.

The top 16 teams qualify for the playoffs. The three division winners are seeded 1, 2,3, and 4 based on record. The balance of the teams are seeded 5 to 16 regardless of division. Teams are re-seeded after each round. All series are best-of-seven.

The President's Cup champion advances to the 2021 Memorial Cup.

First Round

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Quarterfinals

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Semifinals

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Final

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The ? advance to the 2021 Memorial Cup]. ? was awarded the [[Guy Lafleur Trophy as QMJHL Playoff MVP. -->