Their current six-game winning streak and 9-2-0 overall record has vaulted the Saskatoon Blades into the C-H-L’s Top 10 rankings (pictured) this week.
The rankings, compiled by a panel of N-H-L scouts, essentially takes the points percentages of all 60 C-H-L teams and puts them in order on a weekly basis. The Bridge City Bunch are one of five W-H-L teams listed this week, in ninth spot, with Winnipeg and their 10-1-0 record continuing to lead the way. Seattle is third, Red Deer sixth and Portland seventh while Memorial Cup host Kamloops is an honourable mention. The Blue and Gold are on the road again this week for games in Medicine Hat Friday and Lethbridge Saturday. Following is the news release from the Canadian Hockey League…..
The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 4 edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 4
1. Winnipeg ICE
2. Quebec Remparts
3. Seattle Thunderbirds
4. Sherbrooke Phoenix
5. Ottawa 67’s
6. Red Deer Rebels
7. Portland Winterhawks
8. Windsor Spitfires
9. Saskatoon Blades
10. Halifax Mooseheads
HM. Gatineau Olympiques
HM. Mississauga Steelheads
HM. Kamloops Blazers
Closing out a perfect week, the Winnipeg ICE found the win column in all four contests – all coming on the road – to push their win streak to six straight and stay atop the national rankings for the fifth week running. Among the key contributors for the ICE in the recent stretch has been overage left-wing Owen Pederson who has collected six points in his past four outings and now sits only three points shy of top spot in league scoring.
Taking over top honours in the QMJHL, the Quebec Remparts impressed over the past week, mounting a trio of road victories in which the club combined for 17 goals. Standing atop the league’s Eastern Conference with 21 points in 12 games, the Remparts have surrendered a lone regulation loss on the year. Up front, the Remparts bring a well-balanced attack with six skaters having scored 10 or more points, while Columbus Blue Jackets draftee James Malatesta leads the way with nine goals.
Winners of eight straight to begin the new campaign, the Seattle Thunderbirds rule atop the WHL’s Western Conference backed by a dominant plus-28 goal differential. Making a lone appearance over the past week – Saturday’s 8-3 home ice win over Spokane – the club’s latest victory was highlighted by a pair of three-point efforts coming from Vegas Golden Knights draftee Jordan Gustafsson as well as rookie centre Tig Iginla, the son of WHL graduate and longtime Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla.
Finding the win column in two of three appearances on the week, the Sherbrooke Phoenix rebounded with weekend victories over Chicoutimi and Victoriaville after falling short versus Baie-Comeau. Scoring twice as many goals as they have allowed, the Phoenix are a dominant offensive engine headlined by 2003-born centre and league-leading scorer Justin Gill who has amassed 26 points counting 15 goals and 11 assists in a dozen outings this season.
Climbing the ranks, the Ottawa 67’s are the OHL’s top honouree as the club continues to make waves with its perfect start to the season. Winners of nine straight, the 67’s continued to add to their success over the past week in finding the win column three times, counting victories over North Bay, the Soo, and Sudbury, with all three coming on the road. The 67’s will look to keep up their winning ways when they open a four-game homestand beginning Friday against Peterborough.
Undefeated through 10 contests, the Red Deer Rebels remain red hot, with the past week seeing the club add three more victories to the win column. One year removed from leading the circuit with 52 goals, the Rebels continue to see positive offensive contributions from overage centre Ben King who since returning from a training camp showing with the Anaheim Ducks has recorded five goals and five assists in five outings, including a pair of multi-point performances coming in the past week.
Coming off a quiet week in which the club made a lone appearance, the Portland Winterhawks came up short in a hard-battled contest against Tri-City – the squad’s first loss of the season after winning its first seven. Among the highlights this season in Oregon comes up front in 2003-born centre Gabe Klassen who has found the back of the net in all four of his appearances, totaling eight goals. Klassen finished 2021-22 with 33 goals in 68 games.
Remaining undefeated in regulation, the Windsor Spitfires headline the OHL’s Western Conference with a showing of 6-0-3-0. Adding five of six points over the past week, there was no shortage of offense supplied by the Spitfires as the club combined for 16 goals over the trio of contests, bookended by Sunday’s 8-4 home ice win over Niagara that saw five Windsor skaters finish with multi-point performances and eight total skaters find the back of the net.
Earning national recognition for the first time this season, the Saskatoon Blades put together an impressive week counting three road wins to extend their win streak to six and improve to 9-2-0-0 on the season. In all, the Blades have been especially dominant between the pipes where the solid tandem of Ethan Chadwick alongside rookie netminder Austin Elliott – who recorded his first career shutout Friday versus Calgary – have limited the opposition to a combined 21 goals in 11 contests.
Riding a modest three-game, undefeated-in-regulation streak, the Halifax Mooseheads closed out the weekend on a high note in coming away with a 6-3 win over Acadie-Bathurst in which budding right-wing and Columbus Blue Jackets up-and-comer Jordan Dumais turned heads with a dominant four-goal, one-assist performance en route to the victory. Even more impressive was that Dumais’ first three tallies on the night all came at even strength before capping it with an empty netter.
Honourable mention:
Breaking even through two appearances, for the Gatineau Olympiques the week was highlighted by a 4-3 shootout decision over Victoriaville that saw the club rally with two goals in the final frame before later coming away with the victory. On the season, the Olympiques stand second in the QMJHL’s Western Conference with 16 points in 12 games.
Seeing a big win over Hamilton before falling short to Barrie the next night, the Mississauga Steelheads bring plenty of intrigue and remain a favourite for talent evaluators. Leading the way for the club over the past week was Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck who closed out the pair of contests with three goals and six assists for nine points.
Coming away with three points in their past four outings, the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Kamloops Blazers continue to earn national consideration. Despite the recent slide, the Blazers have benefitted from the return of Dallas Stars draftee Logan Stankoven who has registered a team-leading eight points in the past four outings.
