The play-offs are on their way in all the top league countries and the national champions are soon to be found.
Sweden:
Men: The men´s semifinals are about to start. Storvreta was the first team to go through by winning against Dalen in the last quarterfinal. Joel Kanebjörn scored the winning goal on sudden death in spite of the home teams record audience for this season, 1968 spectators. Caperio/Täby dropped last season´s champion AIK after penalty shots in their last game of the serie by 4-3. Pixbo Wallenstam also made it to the semifinals by winning over Balrog and the last semifinalist is Warberg who defeated Helsingborg.
Women: The quarterfinals are still going on. Last year´s champion IKSU is playing against Dalen. Balrog, the winner of the regular season, is playing against Skellefteå. Falun and Endre are fighting for one semifinal place as well as Rönnby and Pixbo. Three wins are required to get to the semifinals that will start next weekend.
The national champions will be solved on a one game basis in the final event on the 21st of April.
Finland
Men: Classic already made their way to the finals by defeatig Tapanilan Erä 3-0 (best of five) in the semifinals. The reigning Cup winner, SSV, is leading agains Trackers 2-0 in matches and is also close to being the other team in the finals. The reigning champion Oilers, surprisingly lost against Tapanilan Erä already in the quarter finals.
Women: the finalists are the reigning champion NST-Lappeenranta and Tapanilan Erä. The bronze match is played between PSS and SBS Rupu.
Finland implemented a new play-off system for this season, where the four best teams in the regular season could pick their opponents from the teams placed from 4 to 8. This system has already been used in Sweden.
Switzerland
Men: the semifinals are starting next weekend. NLA is played between 6 teams so the semifinalists are the four best teams of the regular season. The winner of the regular season, SV Wiler-Ersigen is playing against HC Rychenberg Winterthur. The second semifinal couple is UHC Alligator Malans and Tigers Langnau. Tigers Langnau defeated SV Wiler-Ersigen in the National Cup final played last weekend in front of 2800 spectators.
Women: the semifinalists are UHC Dietlikon, who will play against Piranha Chur and R.A. Rychenberg Winterthur, who will play against Zug United. Zug United suprisingly took over the National Cup-title after defeating the favorite and the winner of the regular season UCH Dietlikon, in the final followed by 1200 spectators.
Czech Republic:
Men: In the men´s league, Tatran Stresovice has won two matches against Sokol Mlada Bolestov. In the other semifinal couple, Torpedo Havirov is also only one win away from the finals by defeating FBC Ostrava twice.
Women: 1. HFK Dedanka and FBC Liberec are both making their way towards the finals in the women´s league with two clear wins over their semifinal couples TJ JM Chodok and FBS Bohemians. With one more win, Dedanka and Liberec are fighting for the national champion-title.
