OHL Power Rankings: Sept. 30, 2024

Opening Week gave fans lots to cheer about with some tight games and outstanding individual performances from up-and-comers across the league. Here’s how things shook down on the first edition of OHL Power Rankings:

Who’s up:

Brampton Steelheads – up one spot to #1 this week
Not a bad way to start the tenure in Brampton, right? The Trout came away winners against the Brantford Bulldogs, defeating them 7-0 in their home opener before besting the Erie Otters 5-2 in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Top NHL Draft target Porter Martone got off to a strong start with six points (1-5–6) last week. The schedule-maker didn’t go easy on Brampton to start the season as they’ll have challenges against Barrie and London this coming week.

Brantford Bulldogs – up one spot to #3 this week
It’s not every week you can lose a game 7-0 and still climb a spot, but the Bulldogs beat the team directly ahead of them in the Oshawa Generals, causing them to leapfrog on the list. Nick Lardis made his return to the Brantford lineup on Saturday, scoring twice while adding an assist in the 6-2 triumph. Washington Capitals prospect Patrick Thomas also had a big night, finishing with five points (1-4–5). The Bulldogs will put their first encounter with Brampton in the rearview mirror, looking forward to their next meeting on Nov. 10th.

Guelph Storm – up two spots to #9 this week
The Stormers took care of business against Owen Sound on opening week, defeating the Attack by scores of 6-4 and 2-1. Brayden Gillespie was in the crease on both occasions, grabbing first star honours with 30 saves on Saturday at the Bayshore. Blueliner Cam Allen paced the offence with four points (1-3–4) over the two games, starting the Cory Stillman coaching era with back-to-back wins.

North Bay Battalion – up one spot to #11 this week
The Troops beat both Peterborough and Barrie last week. Mike McIvor stole the show on opening night at the Gardens, making 36 saves in a 4-0 shutout victory after the Battalion raised their third straight Central Division title banner to the rafters. Rookie Charlie Larocque took over on Saturday in Barrie, making 23 saves for his first OHL win as the Battalion triumphed by a score of 4-1. Lirim Amidovski and Ethan Procyszyn both scored a pair of goals last week.

Windsor Spitfires – up three spots to #13 this week
The Spitfires got some peoples’ attention on opening week, spoiling the opening night party in Saginaw on Jack Nesbitt’s OT winner last Wednesday and coming up short against the Sarnia Sting on Friday before a commanding 12-2 win over Kitchener at the WFCU Centre on Saturday. Ethan Belchetz made a strong first impression, finishing tied for the OHL scoring lead with eight points (4-4–8) over three games, powered by a six-point outing (4-2–6) on Saturday. Other standouts included blueliner Anthony Cristoforo (1-6–7) and rookie forward Jean-Christophe Lemieux (2-3–5).

Niagara IceDogs – up two spots to #15 this week
It took until January for the IceDogs to establish a presence on the power rankings last season, and they manage to get in for Week 1 in 2024-25. Niagara scored road wins over Ottawa and Kingston, getting out of the gate 2-0 with some excellent goaltending from Owen Flores. Kevin He was a difference-maker on Sunday in Kingston, scoring a pair of third period goals 25 seconds apart to turn the tide of the game. Also of note, newcomer Andrei Loshko paced the Dogs offensively on opening week, recording five points (2-3–5) over his first two games.

Who’s down:

London Knights – down one spot to #2 this week
Missing a number of names still off at NHL camps, the Knights surrendered an uncharacteristic seven goals in their home opener, but rebounded on Saturday in Flint as rookie Alexei Medvedev won his first OHL start, making 33 saves. Evan Van Gorp carried over his strong play from the preseason, leading London with four points (2-2–4) last week.

Oshawa Generals – down one spot to #4 this week
The Gennies defeated the Kingston Frontenacs on opening night before dropping a pair of decisions against Brantford and Ottawa. Saturday wasn’t Oshawa’s best effort, falling 6-2 to the Bulldogs before returning home to pick up a point on Sunday as they allowed a lead to get away against the 67’s, eventually losing in overtime. Beckett Sennecke and Ben Danford have started the season with injuries while possible returnees Calum Ritchie (Colorado) and Dylan Roobroeck (NY Rangers) remain in the pro ranks.

Kingston Frontenacs – down three spots to #12 this week
The Fronts got off to a hot start, defeating the Peterborough Petes 7-2 on Thursday before losing consecutive outings. The Oshawa Generals took a 3-2 decision in Kingston’s home opener on Friday before the Fronts fell to the Niagara IceDogs 5-2 on Sunday, a game that was close until late in the third period. Calgary Flames prospect Jacob Battaglia had a productive start, recording seven points (3-4–7) over three games. Kingston hosts North Bay and Ottawa next weekend.

Kitchener Rangers – down three spots to #16 this week
The Rangers manage to hang around on the list, but opening week wasn’t pretty for the Blueshirts. The Rangers were outdone in their home opener, falling 5-2 to Erie before a forgettable 12-2 hammering at the hands of the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday. It marks the first time the Rangers have lost by a 10-goal margin since 2000. A home date with the Flint Firebirds on Friday offers a shot at redemption.

Soo Greyhounds – down two spots and off the list this week
The Hounds surrendered six goals on back-to-back nights at home, suffering losses to Saginaw and Sudbury. They hit the road this week with games in Windsor, Guelph and Sarnia.