Attention field hockey fans! The decisive stage of the season begins on March 20. The quarter-final play-off games are coming up. But before that happens, the last two playoff teams will be determined in the play-in games.
As the intensity on the ice and the anticipation in the stands rises, one thing is clear: the National League playoffs are on the horizon. For ice hockey fans, the best time of the year begins again on March 20. Here is a brief round-up.
The players of the following teams can take a short breather: HC Davos, Fribourg-Gottéron, Genève-Servette HC, ZSC Lions, HC Lugano and Lausanne HC. The Davos and Fribourg teams will certainly be keeping an eye on what's happening in the play-in games during the short break. That's where the next opponents for the quarter-finals will be determined. The other two quarter-final series are already clear.
The teams that finished the regular season in seventh to tenth place will have the chance to reach the last two playoff spots in the play-ins. In the first phase, SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers (7th) will play against EV Zug (8th) and SC Bern (9th) against EHC Biel-Bienne (10th).
The winner of the first and second leg between the Lakers and EVZ secures one of the two remaining playoff spots. The loser gets a second chance. He will have to duel with the winner of the first and second leg between the SCB and the EHCB for the last playoff spot.
The two worst teams of the 2025-16 regular season - HC Ambrì-Piotta and HC Ajoie - will meet again in the playoffs. If EHC Visp or HC La Chaux-de-Fonds win the Swiss League championship, the loser of the best-of-7 series will then have to play in the league qualifiers starting on April 15.
And what about the SCL Tigers and EHC Kloten? The players of these teams can already start thinking about their vacations. They finished the regular season in eleventh (Tigers) and twelfth (EHCK) place. That means they have nothing to do with the championship race or the fight to stay in the division.