2017-18 NPHL Season

This is the 2017-18 North Peace Hockey League season.

Due to the late withdrawal of teams the schedule will be unbalanced with the East Division playing 20 games and the West Division playing 18.

The league's two British Columbia based teams met in a best-of-three series in January to determine the area representative at the 2018 Coy Cup. The Dawson Creek Canucks defeated the Fort St. John Flyers 2 games to none (8-1, 4-3 (ot)) to claim the Coy Cup berth.

The league has not sent a representative to the Alberta Senior AA Playoffs for at least several seasons. No word if the Alberta teams will compete for a spot in the 2018 Alberta Senior AA playoffs. Apparently, the Spirit River Rangers, who have won the past five years playoffs, declined to to participate in the Alberta Senior AA playoffs.

Membership Changes

 * The Manning Comets and the High Prairie Regals both return from one year leave of absences.
 * On October 14, 2017 the Spirit River Rangers announced that due to a lack of players they are requesting a one year leave of absence.
 * On October 25, 2017 the Valleyview Jets were announced as folding due to a lack of players.

Standings
The Dawson Creek Canucks were forced to forfeit 4 games due to the use of more than the limit of six import players. The statistics from the games will be counted. The team had also lost two other games while playing over the limit and these games were unaffected. There may have been some misunderstanding on the part of the team as the league president, Jack McAvoy stated in his explanation of the matter "Dawson Creek is a team based in British Columbia, but they play in the NPHL which is under the jurisdiction of Hockey Alberta. According to the NPHL Constitution, any matter not dealt with in the Constitution, Hockey Alberta rules will apply." "Hockey Alberta bylaws state any player playing hockey outside the province is considered an import. Therefore, any play who played in Alberta last year (2016-17) is considered an import." "If the player goes to another province to play hockey, it also means if any of those players return back to Alberta in 2018-19, they will be considered an import."

Based on the playoff format for the West Division for this season; the punishment is one in name only as the teams all make the playoffs and participate in a double home and home series to determine the West Division winner and league finalist.

Format
The East Division will play two rounds of best-of-seven series with the one seed playing the four seed and the two seed playing the three seed in the division semifinals. The winners will meet for the division final with that winner advancing to the league final

The West Division will play a double round robin with the top team advancing to the league final. If teams are tied for the top spot a one or two stage sudden death playoff will be held based on regular season standings to determine home ice and seeding. If a team has clinched the division's berth in the final, the balance of the round robin will be cancelled.

The league final will be a best-of-seven series.

Semifinals
best-of-seven
 * Falher Pirates defeated Manning Comets 4 games to 1
 * High Prairie Regals defeated Grimshaw Huskies 4 games to 1

Final
best-of-seven
 * Falher Pirates defeated High Prairie Regals 4 games to 2

Double home and home round robin
Winner advances to league final. Balance of schedule (3 games plus tiebreakers) cancelled as Fort St. John clinches final berth
 * Jan 30: Grande Prairie 6 at Dawson Creek 2
 * Feb 01: Fort St. John 4 at Grande Prairie 3 (ot)
 * Feb 03: Dawson Creek 3 at Fort St. John 5
 * Feb 06: Grande Prairie 4 at Fort St. John 7
 * Feb 08: Fort St. John 3 at Dawson Creek 4 (ot)
 * Feb 10: Dawson Creek 5 at Grande Prairie 3
 * Feb 13: Dawson Creek 2 at Fort St. John 3 (ot)
 * Feb 15: Fort St. John 6 at Grande Prairie 4
 * Feb 17: Grande Prairie 7 at Dawson Creek 6

League Final

 * Fort St. John Flyers defeated Falher Pirates 4 games to 1