2019-20 East Coast Senior Hockey League season

This is the 2019-20 Newfoundland Senior Hockey League season. This is the league's second season. The league is actually made up of two seperate leagues that have been playing an interlocking schedule in an attempt to save several of the teams in the province.

Season in Jeopardy
The league was put in a holding pattern to get season activities underway as Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador is refusing to sanction the league as a five team league as the league members have refused to allow the Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars into the league after withdrawing from the Avalon East Senior Hockey League to for the East Coast Senior Hockey League. The main issue revolves around accusations of the Stars paying players over the years and that they owe monies to the league and insistence that it be paid prior to them beginning play. The league has appealed the decision to Hockey Canada. A decision was expected to be announced early in the week of October 21, 2019. The action has forced the league to hold off on its player draft. Some indications show that if the Stars are allowed into the league some other members may withdraw and not play this year. Hockey Canada announced its decision will not be made until at least October 25. The Central/West Senior Hockey League would end up cancelling their season around November 20th when the Clarenville Caribous were accepted into the East Coast Senior Hockey League and that would leave two teams in the Central/West League and the teams in the East Coast League would not agree to play cross over games, This also lead to the Herder Memorial Trophy being announced as not being awarded for the 2019-20 season, which will be the first time since the 1990-91 season.

Format
All teams qualify. The third seed plays the sixth seed and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in best-of-five series with the winners advancing to the semifinals.

Quarterfinals

 * Clarenville Caribous defeated Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars 3 games to none
 * Conception Bay Blues defeated Northeast Eagles 3 games to 1

Semifinals

 * Southern Shore Breakers defeated Conception Bay Blues 3 games to none
 * St. John's Capitals lead Clarenville Caribous 1 game to none

Playoffs suspended on March 12th due to COVID-19 pandemic