Another week of the season has passed and the playoffs are a week closer. Some leagues are closer to their post-seasons than others, however. Read below to find out the current situations in Europe's top hockey leagues. 

by Luke Fisher

The various league sizes and playoff models used around Europe mean that we are already approaching crunch time in several leagues, as the post-season draws ever closer. In others, however, there are still over a month of games to be played and plenty of time for teams to mount late charges. We take our weekly look at the state of play around Europe’s top leagues!

Austria

The EBEL got some well-received good news in the past week, with all 12 teams confirming their participation for the 2015–16 season. With that in mind, the internet started focusing on possible expansion teams, with rumours suggesting a potential return to the league for Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia) and Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia). What will happen there remains to be seen, but for the existing 12 teams the focus is heading towards the post-season. 

The Vienna Capitals confirmed their playoff place on Sunday with a shootout loss in Znojmo, joining Red Bull Salzburg and Black Wings Linz as the three teams mathematically certain of finishing in the top six. Villach SV would now have to lose all of their remaining four games to miss out, while Orli Znojmo may only need another win if other results go their way. The most exciting race is for sixth place, which is the last automatic playoff berth (the other six teams enter the ‘last chance round’). It’s currently held by Alba Volan Szekesfehervar of Hungary, who ended a poor run of form by winning at second-placed Linz to overtake HC Bolzano. Those teams are separated by just a point with four games left, while the Graz 99ers kept their slim hopes of qualifying automatically alive by winning in Hungary on Friday night. They sit four points off the automatic places, and must really win all of their remaining games to have any hope.

Czech Republic

Ocelari Trinec’s lead in the Extraliga has been extended to 14 points, putting them in a commanding position. However, with the league still having around 12 rounds to go, nothing is certain. HC Litvinov remain second with a cushion of four points, but Sparta Prague have now been joined in third place by Kometa Brno, who have been eating in to Sparta’s lead for some time. HC Pardubice now find themselves 10 points adrift of the top four, while below them Skoda Plzen and Mountfield Hradec Kralove trail by three and five points respectively. PSG Zlin are now in joint 10th place, and only two points off the top eight, while Slavia Prague now find themselves 15 points behind in last.

Denmark

Blue Fox Herning have cut into Odense’s lead, cutting it now down to five points with a couple of wins. SonderjyskE Vojens remain third, however just a point above Frederikshavn, who have played one game less. With nine games still to go for most teams in the Metal Ligaen, it’s still all to play for!

Finland

CHL semi-finalists Karpat Oulu remain five points clear at the top of the Liiga, with IFK Helsinki keeping up the chase behind them. JYP Jyvaskyla have closed the gap to second to just two points, while KalPa Kuopio have dropped a point back to two behind. Lukko Rauma have slipped to three points behind fourth place and, more worryingly for them, now only four points ahead of the team below them, Tappara Tampere. Lukko do, though, have games in hand on the clubs above them. Assat Pori and SaiPa Lappeenranta are both only a couple of points shy of the top six each, and both have games in hand.

France

Grenoble’s ever-shrinking lead finally ran out of breathing space, and they’ve been overtaken by the Rouen Dragons in the past week. The former, though, do have a game in hand over the team who are on top by one point, so Grenoble could climb back into first place if they win it. Rouen’s rise up really has been down to their exceptional home record – they are now unbeaten in all 11 games. Gap are third, but watch out for the Angers Ducs a place behind – with two games in hand they are still within striking distance of top spot. Teams in the Ligue Magnus have between five and six games left to play before the post season.

Germany

After a brief wobble at the back end of last year, Adler Mannheim march on at the top of Germany’s DEL, although their lead is now down to ‘just’ nine points. Red Bull Munich are cemented in second place, with a six-point cushion over ERC Inglostadt. The Hamburg Freezers and Eisbaren Berlin are chasing closely behind, with the Iserlohn Roosters completing the top six. In the race for the last playoff position, Kolner Haie lead Krefeld Pinguine by just a solitary point, but have played a game more. The regular season won’t finish until early March, which means there is still a long way to go in the race for post-season qualification!

Great Britain

The Braehead Clan still lead the Elite League, but the lead is now a point shorter in five points over both the Belfast Giants and Cardiff Devils. The Giants have played a game less than the league leaders, while the Devils have played two fewer. The Nottingham Panthers sit fourth, also with two games in hand on the Clan, however they sit six points off the lead. The Sheffield Steelers are a point further back, also having played two fewer games.

Norway

The Stavanger Oilers have re-increased their lead to nine points at the top of the GET Ligaen, with the Storhamar Dragons still trying to lead a chase. The Dragons are two points clear of Lorenskog, who are back in third, with Frisk just a point below. This is another league that will also carry on into the start of March before the post-season starts, so all is far from done.

Slovakia

With 12 rounds to go in Slovakia’s Extraliga, it’s become very tight at the top. HC Kosice did have a four-point lead, but now Banska Bystrica and Nitra are chasing hard, trailing by one and two points respectively. HK Poprad sit four points further back in fourth while Zvolven, in fifth, are eight points off top spot but also clear of sixth place by the same margin.

Sweden

In Sweden, which boasts three of this year’s CHL semi-finalists, Skelleftea AIK remain 14 points clear at the top as they go into this week’s semi-final against Lulea. The latter are in eighth place, some 24 points behind their opponents, however go into the second leg at 2–2. Frolunda Gothenburg, who play Karpat Oulu tomorrow in the CHL, have moved into second place, but are only a regulation win ahead of HV71 Jonkoping and Linkoping HC. The Vaxjo Lakers, Orebro HK and Farjestad Karlstad are all just two points behind the teams above them – meaning that just two points separate third from seventh!

Switzerland

SC Bern continue to lead at the top of NLA, and now sit five points ahead of ZSC Lions Zurich with a game in hand over the Zurich side. HC Davos, in third, are a point behind ZSC, with the top three teams five points clear of EV Zug and six in front of HC Lugano. The latter, in fifth place, is a comfortable 11 points above Lausanne, who have overtaken local rivals Geneve-Servette to sit three points clear in sixth.