The Saskatoon Blades are still mentioned in the C-H-L’s Weekly Top 10 rankings – as an honourable mention.
The Bridge City Bunch won two of three games last week and have a 12-4-0 overall record, which they’ll put on the line Saturday at SaskTel Centre against Edmonton. The Blue and Gold entered the rankings two weeks ago in ninth spot and were 10th last week. Following is the news release from the C-H-L…..
The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 6 edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 6
1. Red Deer Rebels
2. Quebec Remparts
3. Winnipeg ICE
4. Ottawa 67’s
5. Sherbrooke Phoenix
6. Portland Winterhawks
7. Windsor Spitfires
8. Seattle Thunderbirds
9. Halifax Mooseheads
10. North Bay Battalion
HM. Saskatoon Blades
HM. Victoriaville Tigres
HM. Everett Silvertips
Undefeated through 15, the perfect Red Deer Rebels kept up their winning ways over the past week in coming away with a pair of road victories over Swift Current and Moose Jaw. Trailing by two midway through Saturday’s contest against the Warriors, the Rebels rallied for four unanswered goals including two from veteran centre Kai Uchacz who now leads all WHL skaters with 15 tallies on the season, putting him one ahead of his 14-goal production coming in 52 games a year ago.
Closing out a five-game home stand with a perfect record to extend their unbeaten in regulation streak to 13, the Quebec Remparts continue to dominate in the QMJHL with the past week highlighted by victories over Chicoutimi, Shawinigan, and Rimouski. Solid at both ends of the ice, the Remparts lead the league in both the goals for (77) and goals against (29) columns and have surrendered a lone regulation loss through 17 outings to stand 15-1-0-1 on the season.
Picking up a pair of home ice wins over Everett and Tri-City, the Winnipeg ICE continue to impress, having surrendered a lone loss through 16 appearances this season. Key to last Tuesday’s victory over the Silvertips was a four-point night from overage right-wing Connor McClennon who decorated the scoresheet four times including two goals in addition to a secondary assist coming on teammate Zach Benson’s late go-ahead goal. On the season, McClennon leads the ICE with 11 goals and 24 points.
Keeping up their winning ways, the Ottawa 67’s added two more victories on the week coming against Barrie and Peterborough to hold down top spot in the OHL with an impressive showing of 12-1-0-0. Facing the Petes on Saturday, the 67’s witnessed a two-goal effort from sophomore centre Brad Gardiner, bringing him to 12 points in 13 games. Earmarked by Central Scouting ahead of the upcoming NHL Draft, Gardiner has already surpassed his production put up in 53 games as a rookie.
Securing three of four points on the week, the Sherbrooke Phoenix impressed with a dominant 6-0 win over Val-d’Or in which Montreal Canadiens draftee Joshua Roy tallied three times to record his second career hat-trick, while between the pipes rookie netminder Samuel St-Hilaire turned aside all 22 shots to notch his first-ever shutout. On the season, the 2004-born goaltender has found the win column five times in six appearances coupled with a 1.30 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
Undefeated in regulation in their past five outings, for the Portland Winterhawks that stretched counted a trio of victories coming in the past week, most notably Sunday’s 8-7 shootout thriller over Spokane in which the Winterhawks carried a four-goal lead in the opening frame before ultimately prevailing in the bonus session. In all, the contest saw five Winterhawks skaters find the back of the net, all of whom finished with multi-point efforts alongside 2003-born right-wing James Stefan who closed out the night with four assists.
No OHL club lights the lamp more than the Windsor Spitfires who through 15 contests have now scored 75 times. The club added to those efforts over the past week by combining for 11 tallies in victories over Sarnia and Kingston. Leading the way in Windsor is veteran right-wing Alex Christopoulos who has now scored in three straight to lead the Spitfires with 11 goals, one north of New York Islanders draftee Matthew Maggio who pushes the pace with 21 points.
Despite dropping a pair to nationally ranked Portland, the Seattle Thunderbirds still picked up a lone victory on the week coming in last Tuesday’s 6-3 takedown of Prince George in which talented left-wing and Edmonton Oilers 2022 first-round selection Reid Schaefer led the way with a three-goal performance that marked his second hat-trick of the season. A gift goal scorer, Schaefer has lit the lamp 13 times through a dozen outings this season after wrapping up 2021-22 with 32 goals in 66 games.
Winners of two of their past three, the Halifax Mooseheads capped off the week in a big way in coming away with a 7-0 decision over Saint John in which Columbus Blue Jackets up-and-comer Jordan Dumais continued to dazzle with his second hat-trick of the season. On the year, the talented right-wing has been held off the scoresheet on just one occasion to lead the QMJHL with 32 points counting 15 goals and 17 assists coming in 15 contests.
Among the hottest clubs in the circuit, the North Bay Battalion have pieced together a five-game win streak, kept alive over the past week with key decisions over Niagara, Hamilton, and Erie. Dominating with nine goals against the IceDogs, among the key producers was Belarusian left-wing Nikita Tarasevich who put up his first-ever two-goal performance, part of a stretch which has seen the budding talent collect seven points counting four goals and three assists in his past five outings.
Honourable mention:
Continuing to earn national consideration, the Saskatoon Blades won two of three contests on the week capped off by Saturday’s 4-1 win in Brandon in which rookie left-wing Jordan Keller found the back of the net for the second-straight night, one that marked his first-ever two-goal performance.
The Victoriaville Tigres have picked up points in three straight to climb to second in the QMJHL’s Western Conference with a showing of 10-5-0-2. Among the highlights from the past week was Friday’s 1-0 win over Val-d’Or in which veteran netminder Nathan Darveau turned aside 24 shots to notch his first shutout of the season.
Winners of three straight, the Everett Silvertips have climbed to second place in the WHL’s Western Conference following a successful road swing underscored by a 5-3 victory in Saskatoon in which 2004-born centre Austin Roest finished with a pair of points. Roest now sits second in WHL scoring with 27 points in 16 outings.
