The road to Providence is under way as the Eastern Hockey League kicks off the 2026 postseason on Wednesday.

HAVERHILL, MA — To kick off the first round, the Central and South Divisions of the Mid-Atlantic Conference will have two series each between the Number One vs. Number Four seeds and the Number Two vs. Number Three seeds.

In the North and East Divisions, the six teams are combined as part of the Northeast Conference. The New Hampshire Avalanche and Seahawks Hockey Club, who won the North and East Divisions respectively, earned a bye week while the other four teams will play against each other in the 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 format.

In the EHLP, one series will take place in the Northeast Conference with the top three teams (Avalanche, Express Hockey Club and Seahawks) receiving a bye week. In the Mid-Atlantic Conference, the New Jersey Bears and 87’s will have a bye week while the other four teams will square off in the first round.

Here’s a quick glance at all of the first-round matchups that will take place this week.

EHL Northeast Conference

#3 Express Hockey Club (34-12-4) vs. #6 Bridgewater Bandits (9-34-7)

Season Series: Express 8-0-0 vs. Bandits

The Rundown: The Express wrapped up their fourth straight 30-win season and was led by forward Ville Bodin, who set the EHL single-season goals record with 52 in 50 games. They’re far from a one-man army, however. Nate Brissette recorded 71 points (19g, 52a) while Sam Steinman netted 23 goals. Goaltender Lukas Toth was excellent this season, recording 26 wins while notching a .924 save percentage.

While the Bandits could not get a win over the Express in the regular season, three of the eight games were decided by one goal while Bridgewater managed to take two of those games beyond regulation. Cody Tatar (15g, 16a) and Nathan Holland (10g, 21a) both lead the team this season with 31 points each. Goaltender Jordan Dumont led the team with just over 1,000 minutes played and thrived with a .925 save percentage. If he gets hot in the postseason, he could be a foil to Bodin and the rest of the Express’ high-octane offense.

#4 East Coast Wizards (24-21-5) vs. #5 Valley Junior Warriors (14-34-2)

Season Series: Wizards 6-2-0 vs. Warriors

The Rundown: The Wizards had an up-and-down season but finished the 2025-26 campaign with three straight wins. Evan Roy led the team with 38 points (12g, 26a) while Cayden Miceli led the Wizards with 22 goals. Pierson Haislet and Mark Quinn shared the net throughout the season and both goaltenders finished with save percentages well over .900.

The Warriors struggled against the Wizards throughout the season, but both of their wins against them came in February. Andrew Duval powered Valley’s offense with 21 goals and 36 points while defenseman Dylan Kullman finished second on the team with 34 points (4g, 30a).

EHL Central Division

#1 HC Rhode Island (37-12-1) vs. #4 New York Apple Core (15-29-6)

Season Series: Rhode Island 6-1-0 vs. Apple Core

The Rundown: HC Rhode Island had its best season as an organization, dominating the Central Division with 37 wins. They scored goals in bunches thanks to ’07 born forwards Aiden Forcier (36g, 41a) and Ernests Muska (24g, 44a) who finished third and sixth in the EHL in points respectively. Second-year forward Austin Haldane had a remarkable season as well, finishing the season with 27 goals and 54 points. They also have depth scoring; six additional players put up 30 or more points.

While Apple Core’s record may not reflect it, they are a team that can turn this first-round series into a track meet. Gage Winter finished fourth in the league with 77 points (27g, 50a) while Braedon Gallante notched 55 points (22g, 33a) in just 39 games. New York also picked up some strong offensive players like Declan Quinn and Chase Chalfin midway through the season, further bolstering their goal-scoring depth. Apple Core has had a history of scaring top-seeded teams in the playoffs, and with longtime EHL coach Josh Fusco at the helm, this team could give Rhode Island a run for its money.

#2 Providence Capitals (23-23-4) vs. #3 Connecticut Nor’Easter (22-25-3)

Season Series: Nor’Easter 7-1-1 vs. Capitals

The Rundown: Last season, the Capitals found themselves one game away from reaching the Frozen Finals. Second-year forwards Luke Haynes (13g, 25a) and Anders Alves (13g, 18a) have been at the forefront of getting the Caps back to the Regionals while getting help from rookie standout and ’07 born forward Dylan Cawley (7g, 28a). In net, Conner Nicolson is second among EHL goalies with 2,065 minutes played and has a 20-12-4 record along with a .924 save percentage to show for it.

Despite finishing lower in the standings, the Nor’Easter dominated the Capitals in the regular season by winning seven of their nine matchups. Connecticut also scored more goals as a team while conceding fewer goals than Providence. Briggs Bream led the team with 26 goals while Josh Hauser put up 57 points to lead the squad (22g, 35a). Defenseman Victor Montez has been a set-up machine this year, putting up 40 assists. The Nor’Easter may also have a secret weapon in forward James Caeran. He started the season with the Capitals and was moved to the Nor’Easter in December. In five games against his former team, Caeran notched four goals and three assists, including a two-goal game in a 5-2 win over Providence in the final game of the season.

EHL South Division

#1 Philadelphia Hockey Club (40-6-4) vs. #4 Philadelphia Little Flyers (19-29-2)

Season Series: PHC 11-0-0 vs. Little Flyers

The Rundown: Philadelphia Hockey Club took an extraordinary leap this year, not only achieving its first 30-win season as an organization, but it reached the 40-win plateau and nearly overtook the Avs for the regular-season championship. David Cook (20g, 35a) and Liam Kansler (19g, 32a) both eclipsed the 50-point mark while Sheldon Wilson and Jaydon Jones both hit the 20-goal mark. This team’s offensive depth is only rivaled by New Hampshire, and their goaltending is arguably the best in the league. Luc Beauparlant, Lorenzo Rossi and Carson Fowler have all reached double-digit wins while sharing a combined .933 save percentage and nine shutouts.

The Little Flyers struggled late in the season, but have otherwise competed well in a crowded South Division. They have a young group of players like Anthony Ostrowski (6g, 28a), Treavor Stanley (8g, 21a) and Tyler Ferguson (11g, 16a) leading the way offensively. However, similar to PHC, the Little Flyers’ biggest strength is their goaltending. Tadeas Bezdek has led the way with eight wins and a .926 save percentage, while ’07 born goaltender Lewis Brocklehurst finished the season with four shutouts and a .938 save percentage. The Flyers have had a history of playoff upsets and runs to the Frozen Finals; it doesn’t matter what their regular-season record is, they are never a team to count out.

#2 New Jersey 87’s (35-13-2) vs. #3 New Jersey Bears (31-15-4)

Season Series: Both teams 4-3-1 against each other

The Rundown: The defending EHL champions put together another solid season, recording 35 wins. Returning forwards Ivan Kulagin (32g, 30) and Alex Haar (26g, 35a) hit the 60-point mark while second-year forward Dominic Bertolino was right behind them with 55 points (16g, 39a). In addition, the 87’s have the leading and fourth-highest scoring defensemen in Jack Napieralski (10g, 35a) and Troy Mulholland (7g, 32a). Goaltenders Mitch Stenger and Dallas Thompson have shared the net throughout the season as they each recorded 15 wins and combined for eight shutouts. Overall, this is a well-balanced team with a combination of first-year players and veterans who are looking to make one final trip to the Frozen Finals.

Meanwhile, the Bears practically took in an unrecognizable roster from last year and still managed to rattle off 31 wins this season. Three players led the team with 44 points each: Francesco Donohue (26g, 18a), Brady Hubbard (14g, 30a) and Oliver Bunjer (12g, 32a). In addition, defenseman John Danks finished second on the team with 18 goals. Nicolas Mele has been the go-to guy in net for the Bears, finishing the regular season with a 14-5-2 record, three shutouts and a .919 save percentage. With how well these two teams have matched against each other this season, this could easily be a series that goes the distance.

EHLP

Northeast Conference

#4 Providence Capitals (18-24-0) vs. #5 Connecticut Nor’Easter (11-28-3)

Season Series: Capitals 9-2-0 vs. Nor’Easter

The Rundown: For one of the newer EHLP clubs, the Capitals stayed competitive in a highly-talented Northeast Conference and will look to maintain it’s #4 seed in their matchup against Connecticut. Mason Czaban led the team with 20 goals and 46 points while Domino Costa (15g, 28a) and defenseman Will Link (9g, 34a) recorded 43 points each. They also have three solid goaltenders to choose from in this first round; Ryder Ness, Ryan Littlefield and Trey Cantu all have save percentages of .911 or higher.

The Nor’Easter have been led by a trio of highly talented forwards in Colin Daigler, Wade Larson and Cam Soucy. Daigler and Soucy notched 18 goals apiece in the regular season while Larson finished second on the team with 33 points (15g, 18a). Mason Campbell leads the trio of Connecticut goaltenders with five wins and a .926 save percentage, and will likely be called upon to slow down the Capitals’ offense.

Mid-Atlantic Conference

#3 New Jersey Bears (24-15-3) vs. #6 Philadelphia Little Flyers (5-34-3)

Season Series: Bears 5-1-0 vs. Little Flyers

The Rundown: While the Bears just missed out on the bye week, they had a terrific season led by the EHLP’s leading scorer in Dominic Moushon, who recorded 36 goals and 91 points over 41 games. In addition to Moushon, Brendan Crowley (23g, 30a) and Trey Gorski (20g, 8a) hit the 20-goal mark while Jett Weatherred finished third on the team with 34 points (16g, 18a). The Bears also have the best power play in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, finishing just over 24 percent and scoring 37 times on the power play.

Philadelphia has faced its fair share of adversity this season, but team has seen solid performances from players like Larry Miller, who recorded 43 points in 37 games, Owen Myers, who recorded 33 points (20g, 13a) in just 15 games, and Luc Rollet, who finished with 28 points (15g, 13a) in 23 games. The Little Flyers have also pulled out wins late in the season, including a win over the Express Hockey Club in the Broad Street Battle showcase. It will be a tough matchup for the Little Flyers, but they are more than capable of putting up a good fight against the Bears.

#4 Union Jr. Thunder (23-17-2) vs. #5 Pennsylvania Huntsmen (13-24-5)

Season Series: Thunder 6-1-0 vs. Huntsmen

The Rundown: Since they became the only Jr. Thunder in the EHLP, Union had its best season yet with 23 wins. Matej Denk led the team with 73 points (33g, 40a) while Radek Jenik notched 60 points (24g, 36a). Defensemen Simon Zavorka (17g, 34a) and Tai Jausovec (7g, 19a) have also contributed to Union’s offensive prowess this season. Their goaltending trio has been rock-solid, as Gavin Gray, Nathan Kelly and Steven Garbowski have combined for four shutouts. Union is looking for their first-ever playoff series win; they have a real shot at achieving that and then some.

Pennsylvania has battled all throughout the season in the Mid-Atlantic Conference and will face a team they defeated 7-3 just a few weeks ago. Raleigh Radkowski led the team with 18 goals and Karsten Blum led the Huntsmen with 42 points (14g, 28a). In addition to the scoring, the Huntsmen have their fair share of returning players in Jaiden Batista, Dylan Mostoller, Quinn Rafter and Braham Rohrbach. The Huntsmen will also likely turn to goaltender Holden Bates, who leads the team in minutes played and a .925 save percentage.