Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings: Oil Kings heat up in season’s stretch drive
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 18
1. Edmonton Oil Kings
2. Everett Silvertips
3. Winnipeg ICE
4. Hamilton Bulldogs
5. Charlottetown Islanders
6. Portland Winterhawks
7. Shawinigan Cataractes
8. Kamloops Blazers
9. Quebec Remparts
10. Kingston Frontenacs
HM. Flint Firebirds
HM. Acadie-Bathurst Titan
HM. London Knights
For the second week running, the Edmonton Oil Kings lead the pack in the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings. Coming away with back-to-back wins over Regina and Prince Albert, the Oil Kings are winners of eight straight and hold steady atop the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a record of 38-11-2-1 and 79 points. Backed by well-rounded offense that includes NHL draftees like Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes) and Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues), the two weekend victories saw the club receive solid scoring support from overage left-wing Carter Souch who found the back of the net four times.
Unbeaten in regulation in 14 outings, among the highlights of the week for the WHL-leading Everett Silvertips was Saturday’s 4-0 road win over rival Seattle that saw 2002-born netminder Koen MacInnes turn in a season-high performance of 48 saves to record his seventh career shutout while overage right-wing Hunter Campbell delivered a three-point performance. The Silvertips return to the ice Friday when they will look to extend their unbeaten streak as they face off against nationally ranked Portland.
Picking up six of eight points on the week, the Winnipeg ICE have returned to their winning ways. Among the highlights was Friday’s 6-2 road win in Medicine Hat that saw five different skaters finish with multi-point efforts including Minnesota Wild 2021 first-round pick Carson Lambos who wrapped up the night with a pair of helpers. On the season, the budding blue-liner now stands at 30 points in as many games. Following a seven-game road swing, Winnipeg returns to its home rink Wednesday where the club will go head-to-head against Lethbridge.
Coming in at No. 6, the Portland Winterhawks continue to make noise in the WHL’s Western Conference, now winners of three straight. That stretch includes Saturday’s 5-3 road victory in Prince George in which 2022 NHL Draft hopeful James Stefan led the way with a three-point night. With the victory, Portland clinched a playoff berth. On the season, the Winterhawks sit seven points shy of the Silvertips for top spot in the U.S. Division with a 34-13-3-2 showing.
Wrapping up recognition from the WHL, the eighth-ranked Kamloops Blazers picked up three of four points against rival Kelowna that saw overage left-wing Luke Toporowski push the pace in Saturday’s 6-2 victory in coming away with a season high of five points that included his first career hat-trick. Joining Kamloops in mid-January, Toporowski has proven to be an immediate fit in his new home as through 18 appearances he has collected 19 goals and 14 assists.
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Headlining the OHL, the No. 4 ranked Hamilton Bulldogs have won seven straight to climb to top spot in the Eastern Conference with 68 points in 47 games. In all, that stretch counted a perfect three-for-three weekend for the Bulldogs in which the team combined for 21 goals. Among the leaders for the club is 2002-born centre Logan Morrison, who after going unselected in the past two NHL drafts ranks sixth in league scoring with 75 points in only 41 outings. Morrison and his Bulldogs teammates will now have a chance to shine before a national audience when they take to the ice Friday versus Ottawa with puck drop set for 7 p.m. Eastern on TSN.
Coming in at No. 10, the Kingston Frontenacs came away with four of six points on the week, highlighted by Friday’s 6-2 victory over Oshawa on the national stage that saw 2022 NHL Draft headliner Shane Wright shine with a one-goal, three-assist performance. Heating up ahead of the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kitchener on March 23, Wright has recorded 32 points counting 10 goals and 22 assists in 21 contests since the calendar turned to 2022.
In the honourable mention category, the Flint Firebirds won two of three contests on the week and hold top spot in the OHL’s West Division with a 31-15-1-3 showing and 66 points. Among the top performers on the week for the Firebirds was Winnipeg Jets 2021 third-round pick Dmitry Kuzmin, a talented defenceman who picked up four goals and three assists in three outings. Elsewhere, the London Knights continue to earn national consideration after winning two of three on the week, highlighted by Saturday’s 3-0 road win over the Soo that saw Nashville Predators 2020 second-round selection Luke Evangelista notch his third hat-trick of the season, while 2002-born netminder Brett Brochu turned aside all 27 shots to score his second shutout of 2021-22. On the season, the Knights lead the OHL’s Midwest Division with a 30-13-2-0 record and 62 points.
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Leading the QMJHL, the fifth-ranked Charlottetown Islanders picked up a pair of points on the week from Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Halifax in which captain Brett Budgell was one of four Islanders skaters to put at least two points on the scoresheet. Also contributing was 2002-born left-wing Patrick Guay who now stands fourth in league scoring with 61 points in 39 games. Sitting atop the QMJHL with a record of 28-8-3-0 and 59 points, the Islanders return to the ice Thursday as they begin a three-game road swing in Victoriaville.
Coming in at No. 7, the Shawinigan Cataractes earned national recognition for the third week running after picking up three points in as many games. Earning a 5-3 victory versus Rimouski on Wednesday, captain Mavrik Bourque led his squad to the win column with a three-point night. A 2020 first-round selection of the Dallas Stars, Bourque has been a key contributor for the Cataractes as the club has surrendered a lone regulation loss in its past 10 outings. On the season, Bourque has been held without a point on just one occasion, while he closes out February with seven goals and 12 assists in nine games.
Winners of three straight, the Quebec Remparts continue to challenge for top spot in the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference, now with a 29-12-1-0 record and 59 points. Amassing 17 goals in their past three outings, for the Remparts that stretch included Sunday’s 10-4 rout versus Val-d’Or that saw eight different skaters come away with at least a pair of points, including St. Louis Blues 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc as well as 2002-born left-wing Olivier Coulombe, both of whom found the back of the net three times.
In the honourable mention category, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan had a lone appearance on the week in which the club came away on top in a 3-2 overtime thriller versus Saint John. Leading the way to victory for the Titan was overage left-wing Bennett MacArthur who finished with two tallies. On the season, Acadie-Bathurst sits second in the QMJHL’s Maritimes Division with a 22-11-2-2 showing and 48 points.
