The Southern ice hockey teams will be playing for pride this weekend rather than places in the national league final.
The Southern Stampede and the Dunedin Thunder are out of the title race with two games remaining in the regular season.
The Southern Stampede made the final last year but has been inconsistent this season and is at the bottom of the competition points table with just four wins from 14 matches.
The Queenstown-based team hosts the top-of-the-table Botany Swarm and seems destined to claim the wooden spoon.
The much-improved Thunder will travel to Christchurch to play the third-placed Canterbury Red Devils.
There is a touch of disappointment to miss out on a spot in the final, but also a great sense of achievement.
The Thunder has had its best season since joining the national league in 2008.
Its first two seasons produced just two wins.
This year the Dunedin-based team has won seven of its 14 games - four of thosein overtime.
"There has been more team cohesion and more of a team environment," coach James van Leeuwen said.
"And just getting the players to take more ownership of the team and invest more of themselves has helped.
They have more to lose, so to speak," he said.
"The guys now believe they can win games... and our support based is getting bigger and bigger.
"Because of our success we've attracted more attention and more interest.
"I've had people contact me already wanting to know how they can be involved next season, so it has definitely been better."
The Thunder can finish as high as third with back-to-back wins against Canterbury.
