Initially, the ten teams played a common main round, in which each team played 18 games. The six best-placed teams qualified for the final round, whose participants all qualified for the playoffs in which the champions were played off. The other four teams played a qualifying round, the top two of which also qualified for the playoffs. The results from the main round were carried over to the final or qualifying round. The last two placed in the qualifying round then had to compete against each other in relegation to avoid relegation. Each team received three points for a win after regular time, two points for a win after overtime, one point for a tie and defeat after overtime and zero points for a defeat after regular time.