OHL Power Rankings: Mar. 4, 2024

The calendar turns to March and it’s time to shake things up in the OHL Power Rankings presented by Power Staffing Solutions!

Who’s up:

Saginaw Spirit – up two spots to #1 this week
The Spirit are back on top of the pile for the fifth time this season, going 3-0 on the road last week. Zayne Parekh hit the 30-goal mark with his heroic performance on Friday in Brantford, tying the score late in the third before netting the OT winner in a 4-3 triumph. Saginaw proceeded to defeat Owen Sound and Guelph to complete the three-in-three with six points.

Kitchener Rangers – up three spots to #2 this week
The Rangers are getting in a groove again, defeating London and Kingston in overtime at the Aud. Carson Rehkopf was the overtime hero on both occasions, scoring his 49th in the extra frame against the Knights before hitting 50 on the season on Sunday, netting the difference maker in a 3-2 win over the Frontenacs. Rehkopf becomes the 16th player in Kitchener Rangers history to score 50 in a single season, following Jonathan Yantsis who last did so in 2018-19. Mitchell Martin made his long-awaited return to the lineup over the weekend, recording an assist in Friday’s win.

Oshawa Generals – up six spots to #3 this week
A whale of a weekend for the Generals sees them shoot up the Power Rankings into third after scoring road wins over top-ranked opponents in London, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. Calum Ritchie (5-2–7) and Beckett Sennecke (1-6–7) each had seven points last week while big forward Dylan Roobroeck had six (2-4–6). Oshawa sits three points back of first place Brantford in the East Division, having collected points in nine of their last 10 games.

Erie Otters – up three spots to #9 this week
Like Oshawa, the Erie Otters were winners on the road last week, defeating Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa in succession. The absence of veteran puckstopper Ben Gaudreau has proved challenging for the Otters but the duo of Ethan Fraser and Jacob Gibbons got the job done on the road trip, with the latter extending his winning streak to five. Sam Alfano (4-1–5) and Carey Terrance (1-4–5) each had five points on the trip as the Otters climb to fifth in the Western Conference as the calendar flips to March.

Guelph Storm – up two spots to #12 this week
The Storm split the weekend, getting a big-time performance from Brayden Gillespie to defeat Owen Sound 3-2 in a shootout on Friday as Michael Buchinger returned from injury. The Storm were no match for the Saginaw Spirit on Sunday, falling 5-2 at the Sleeman Centre as captain Braeden Bowman eclipsed the 30-goal mark. Guelph is currently tied with Owen Sound for sixth in the Western Conference and sits one point back of Erie for fifth. The Storm are at home to London on Wednesday before hitting the road for Sault Ste. Marie and Saginaw next weekend.

Barrie Colts – up two spots to #13 this week
The Colts were limited to one game last week due to Saturday’s postponement at Sadlon Arena, but their one outing was a big one. The Colts stampeded over the Central Division-leading Sudbury Wolves 7-3 on Wednesday. The Colts are eight points up on Peterborough for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and trial seventh place Kingston by eight points.

Who’s down:

Soo Greyhounds – down three spots to #4 this week
The Hounds let one get away on Friday at home to Oshawa, losing 4-3 in overtime to the Generals before rebounding to defeat the Sarnia Sting 7-3 on Sunday. Three spots is a big drop in light of the actual results, but the Power Rankings also factor in the success of other teams, and squads like Kitchener and Oshawa are starting to make some noise.

London Knights – down three spots to #5 this week
The Knights grabbed three of a possible six points last week, losing to Oshawa home before falling in overtime on Friday night in Kitchener. The Knights closed out the weekend with a win, defeating the Flint Firebirds 4-3 on the road Saturday night. Easton Cowan’s point streak continues, reaching 29 games with another solid performance on Saturday. Forwards Denver Barkey and Kasper Halttunen both hit the 30-goal mark last week.

Sudbury Wolves – down four spots to #8 this week
The Wolves dropped two of three, falling 7-3 to Barrie and 6-2 to Oshawa with a high-scoring 10-3 win over Sarnia in-between. Wolves captain David Goyette has 100 points in his sights, entering Wednesday’s matchup against Sault Ste. Marie with 98 (36-62–98) through 59 games.

Ottawa 67’s – down two spots to #10 this week
The Barber Poles defeated Niagara 8-2 on Thursday before Henry Mews came through with a pair of goals, including the OT winner in Friday’s 4-3 road win over the Mississauga Steelheads. Ottawa came up short against the Erie Otters at home on Sunday, losing 6-5. Overage forward Jacob Maillet led the OHL with nine points, all assists, in three games last week while Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Cooper Foster had seven (4-3–7).

Mississauga Steelheads – down one spot to #11 this week
The Trout fell 4-3 in overtime against Ottawa on Friday before defeating the Windsor Spitfires 6-1 on Sunday at the WFCU Centre. Adam Zidlicky had two goals and two assists in Sunday’s win as Mississauga sits three points out of fourth for home ice advantage in the first round of the OHL Playoffs.

Owen Sound Attack – down three spots to #14 this week
The Attack dropped three straight over the weekend, picking up a point in Friday’s shootout loss to the Guelph Storm before losing to Saginaw and Peterborough at the Bayshore. Owen Sound is locked-up with Guelph for sixth in the Western Conference entering a week that sees the Kitchener Rangers come to town on Wednesday before back-to-back dates in Erie next weekend.

Kingston Frontenacs – down two spots to #15 this week
The Fronts dropped three straight, losing to Erie, Brantford and Kitchener, with Sunday’s loss coming in overtime. 2024 NHL Draft prospect Jacob Battaglia hit the 30-goal mark over the weekend.

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