Bulldogs, 67’s, and Firebirds appear in CHL Top-10 Rankings presented by Delta Hotels by Marriott: Week 16
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) today unveiled its Week 16 edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings presented by Delta Hotels by Marriott for the 2025-26 season.
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens (28-6-3-2) held No. 1 for a second straight week after a perfect 2-0-0-0 showing that featured back-to-back 4-1 home wins and an 8-2 aggregate margin, with their league-leading defensive profile highlighted by a CHL-low 96 goals against and standout goaltending from Raphaël Précourt. Right behind them, the Everett Silvertips (31-5-2-1) stayed put at No. 2 for the second week in a row after sweeping a pair in Prince George, continuing a seven-week run of never dipping below second while remaining the CHL’s lone 30-win club and among the league’s stingiest teams defensively. Rounding out the top three, the Brantford Bulldogs (28-7-4-1) climbed back into No. 3 on the strength of three straight wins—including road statements over the defending Memorial Cup champion London Knights and the previously ranked Windsor Spitfires—powered by Minnesota Wild prospect Adam Benák’s six-point week as Brantford’s depth and returning World Juniors contingent helped drive a timely surge.
Further down the list, several surging clubs continued to make noise with upward movement and historic streaks. The Moncton Wildcats (28-7-2-1) climbed for a second consecutive week to No. 6 after a dominant 2-0-0-0 stretch in which they outscored opponents 16-2, extending their torrid run to 17 wins in their last 19 games ahead of a marquee showdown versus No. 1 Chicoutimi. The Medicine Hat Tigers (29-6-3-2) also rose for a second straight week to No. 7 after pushing their win streak to 17 games—tying a franchise record—and continuing a CHL-best 21-game point streak, all while captain Bryce Pickford (32 goals in 38 games) remains on a record-setting pace that could threaten both WHL and CHL single-season goal marks for a defenceman. And making the biggest “new face” splash, the Penticton Vees (24-9-4-3) broke into the CHL Top 10 for the first time in franchise history at No. 10, riding a nine-game win streak and a 13-1-1-0 run since early December behind New York Islanders prospect Jacob Kvasnicka’s explosive 10-point week.
For the 2025-26 season, fans can catch every game with FloHockey streaming the OHL and QMJHL, and Victory+ serving as the home of the WHL. FloHockey features full regular-season and playoff coverage for the OHL and QMJHL, while Victory+ offers free access to every WHL game along with playoffs and more.
CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 16
3. Brantford Bulldogs (OHL): After stringing together three straight wins over the last week, the Brantford Bulldogs (28-7-4-1) are back among the CHL’s top three, checking in at No. 3 in this week’s rankings. The Bulldogs rebounded in a big way with a 4-2 home win over the Niagara IceDogs before earning statement road victories over the reigning Memorial Cup champion London Knights (4-1) and the previously ranked Windsor Spitfires (7-3), a surge that marks their first winning streak since Dec. 11—a stretch that coincided with seven players leaving for World Juniors camp. Brantford’s World Juniors presence was felt across the tournament, as the Bulldogs led all CHL clubs with five participants—Vladimír Dravecký, Adam Jiříček, and Adam Benák with Czechia, along with Jett Luchanko and Ben Danford with Canada —and all five returned with medals, including bronze for the Canadian duo and silver for the Czech trio. Fresh off that run, Minnesota Wild prospect Adam Benák (19G-30A in 29 GP) made an immediate impact by leading the Bulldogs with six points (4G-2A) across the three wins, highlighted by his first OHL hat trick in a four-point (3G-1A) performance against Windsor, while Brantford’s depth continued to shine with key contributions from mainstays like Caleb Malhotra, Owen Protz, and Marek Vanacker alongside newcomers Charlie Paquette and Gabriel Frasca getting on the scoresheet early with their new club. Brantford will look to keep rolling this week with a busy stretch of three games in three days versus Peterborough, Kingston, and Niagara.
Games this week: vs. Peterborough (Jan. 16), vs. Kingston (Jan. 17), @ Niagara (Jan. 18)
8. Ottawa 67’s (OHL): After dropping two of three games over the last seven days, the Ottawa 67’s (29-9-1-2) slid four spots to No. 8 in this week’s CHL Top-10 Rankings. Ottawa opened the week with back-to-back road losses to the North Bay Battalion (4-2) and Soo Greyhounds (2-1) before salvaging things with a 6-4 win in Sudbury against the Wolves, yet they remain one of just five CHL clubs with at least 29 wins and continue to set the pace defensively across both the OHL and CHL by allowing just 2.37 goals per game. The 67’s did get a boost with the return of Finland’s Jasper Kuhta (20G-15A in 35 GP), who made an immediate impact coming back from the 2026 World Juniors by posting five points (3G-2A) in three games to extend his point streak to five, including goals in five of his last seven outings. Rookie and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Thomas Vandenberg (13G-15A in 32 GP) added three assists and has points in three of his last four games, with the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game participant also ranking as one of 19 from the CHL among the top 25 North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm list. Ottawa now turns its attention to a rivalry renewal with the Gatineau Olympiques in a two-game interleague set on Jan. 16 at TD Place and Jan. 17 in Gatineau, before hosting the Peterborough Petes on Jan. 18.
Games this week: vs. Gatineau (Jan. 16), @ Gatineau (Jan. 17), vs. Peterborough (Jan. 18)
9. Flint Firebirds (OHL): With three straight wins under its belt over the last week, the Flint Firebirds (29-9-2-2) moved up to No. 9 in the CHL Top-10 Rankings while continuing to build momentum atop the OHL standings. Flint earned impressive victories over the Sarnia Sting (7-4), Saginaw Spirit (4-2), and Kingston Frontenacs (4-1), improving to 7-2-1-0 over its last 10 games and picking up points in eight of those contests. The Firebirds now sit first in the OHL with 62 points and an OHL-best 29 wins (tied with Ottawa), driven last week by a pair of impact performers in New York Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall (23G-34A in 39 GP) and Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He (18G-21A in 34 GP), who each produced a team-high five points across the three wins. Aspinall continues to pace the OHL with 57 points, while He—acquired in late December—has made an immediate splash with eight points (4G-4A) in six games as a Firebird and found the back of the net in each of last week’s victories. Flint now heads out for the start of a four-game road trip that will take it to Barrie, Sudbury, and North Bay.
Games this week: @ Barrie (Jan. 15), @ Sudbury (Jan. 16), @ North Bay (Jan. 18)
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