Serving as QMJHL Commissioner since May 8, 2023, Mario Cecchini confirmed last summer, during the Members’ Meeting held alongside the QMJHL Draft, that a revamped playoff format will be introduced starting in the 2025–26 season.

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Under the new structure, the first round of the playoffs will remain unchanged. Teams will continue to be matched up within their respective conferences using the traditional 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5 format in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. 

As is currently the case, crossover movement will still apply: if the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference finishes with more points than the eighth-place team in the Western Conference, it will move to the West and be seeded accordingly. 

For instance, if Saint John were to finish ninth in the East but have more points than Val-d’Or, it would cross over into the Western Conference bracket. Should Saint John also surpass the seventh-place team in the West in points, it would claim the seventh seed rather than eighth.

Where the major change comes into play is in the second round. Unlike the current format, which keeps teams competing within their associations through the first two rounds, the new system will shift to league-wide matchups starting in Round 2, with teams seeded strictly based on overall regular-season standings.

Previously, the league only abandoned the conference structure at the semifinal stage, ranking the remaining four teams one through four based on regular-season results.

With 16 of 18 teams qualifying for the QMJHL playoffs, the race is less about making it and more about where you land. Still, there are storylines at both ends of the standings that are worth monitoring closely as the regular season enters its final stretch.

At the bottom, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar would become the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the battle for the final postseason ticket remains wide open. The Gatineau Olympiques, Rimouski Océanic, and Saint John Sea Dogs are separated by slim margins, with only two of the three advancing — meaning one will be left out when the dust settles.

At the top, Moncton and Chicoutimi have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the race for first overall. Behind them, however, things are extremely tight. Positions 3 through 7 are separated by just five points, and with roughly 20 games remaining, the standings are far from settled.

With that in mind, here’s what the first-round matchups would look like if the playoffs began today.

Matchups If The QMJHL Playoffs Began Today...

Eastern Conference

(1) Moncton Wildcats vs. (8) Saint John Sea Dogs

(2) Chicoutimi Saguenéens vs. (7) Halifax Mooseheads

(3) Cape Breton Eagles vs. (6) Québec Remparts

(4) Newfoundland Regiment vs. (5) Charlottetown Islanders

Western Conference

(1) Blainville-Boisbriand Armada vs. (8) Rimouski Océanic*

(2) Drummondville Voltigeurs vs. (7) Victoriaville Tigres

(3) Shawinigan Cataractes vs. (6) Sherbrooke Phoenix

(4) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies vs. (5) Val-d’Or Foreurs

* Although typically part of the Eastern Conference, Rimouski would be shifted to the Western Conference for seeding purposes. Finishing ninth in the East but 16th overall, the Océanic would cross over to face the Armada as the West’s eighth seed.

While a lot of action can still shift a lot of things through the league, exciting matchups are to be expected as early as the first round of the playoffs.

Which of these matchup would you be most excited to follow?

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