Rangers, Spirit and Knights included in Week 15 edition of CHL Top 10 Rankings

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 15 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2023-24 season.

Having extended their point streak to 18 games (14-0-2-2), the longest streak of its kind in the CHL this season, the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL) find themselves at No. 1 for the first time during the 2023-24 campaign. Right behind them in second is the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), who remain the only club in the CHL to have topped the 30-win plateau this season. Finally, rounding out the top-three is the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, whose 29 wins are tied for the second-most in the CHL and trail only Baie-Comeau (34 wins).

At the same time, powered by a CHL-best 12-game winning streak, the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) were one the biggest risers in this week’s rankings, moving up two spots to No. 7. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL are also up a place in fifth after winning three of four games last week, including a 4-0 shutout victory in Baie-Comeau, while the Everett Silvertips of the WHL enter the Top-10 for the first time this season thanks to their WHL-best five-game winning streak.

The next rankings will be released the week of January 22, following the 16th week of regular season action in all three member leagues of the CHL.

CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 15

1. Saskatoon Blades (WHL): Having secured a point in each of their last 18 games (14-0-2-2), the Blades (29-8-2-2) have climbed up to the No. 1 spot for the first time this season. No club in the CHL has had a longer point streak than Saskatoon this season. The closest one to the Blades comes from Baie-Comeau, who went on a 13-game winning streak back in November and December. Saskatoon managed to extend their streak last week by securing wins at home against Vancouver (7-2), Victoria (5-4 OT) and Regina (6-1). The Blades have now won 16 of 18 games in Saskatoon, holding a 16-1-1-0 record at the SaskTel Centre, giving them arguably the best home record in the CHL. Helping power them to their big week was one of their newest additions, Washington Capitals prospect Alexander Suzdalev, who tallied a hat-trick against the Giants last Wednesday. Playing in his first three games back from Sweden, where he captained Team Canada at the 2024 World Juniors, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten extended his point streak to five games, collecting five assists over the Blades’ three victories. Similar to Minten, Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk (1G-4A) and Toronto Maple Leafs Brandon Lisowsky (3G-2A) registered five points last week. Lisowsky now has points in 13 of his last 14 games (8G-11A over that stretch). This week, the Blades will look to extend their current streak and maintain their play at the top of the rankings when they travel to Alberta for games against the Rebels, Hitmen and Oil Kings.

Games this week: @ Red Deer (Jan. 17), @ Calgary (Jan. 19), @ Edmonton (@ Jan. 21)

2. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL): For the first time in six weeks, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (34-6-2-0) are not in the top spot, having slipped to second in this week’s rankings. This is not slight on the Drakkar, who remain the only 30-plus win team in the CHL so far this season. With only two games on the schedule last week, both of them at home against the No. 5-ranked Huskies, the Drakkar dropped the first one 4-0 on Saturday, before bouncing back the following day and winning the second by the same scoreline. The initial loss to the Huskies, however, was the first time that Baie-Comeau had lost at home in regulation this season. They now own an 18-1-2-0 record at the Henry-Leonard Centre, which remains arguably the best home record outside of possibly the No.1-ranked Blades, who have a 16-1-1-0 in Saskatoon this season. On Sunday, helping them to a 4-0 victory over Rouyn-Noranda were some familiar faces. New York Islanders prospect Justin Gill scored two goals to push his season total to 58 points this season, which ranks tied for third in the QMJHL. Fresh off leading all CHL skaters at the World Juniors in scoring, Matyas Melovsky registered a pair of points (1G-1A) in the game, while 2024 NHL Draft prospect Raoul Boilard added an assist as he continues to lead all QMJHL with 41 points this season. Boilard will also be one of 20 players competing with Team Red at the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday, January 24. This week, the Drakkar will hope to replicate Sunday’s 4-0 result against the No.5-ranked Huskies when they face them again on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET, but this time in Rouyn-Noranda. The latter is a contest that fans can watch for free on CHL TV as part of the CHL Game of the Week.

Games this week: @ Rouyn-Noranda (Jan. 18), @ Val-d’Or (Jan. 19), @ Val-d’Or (Jan. 20)

3. Prince George Cougars (WHL): With only two games against Kelowna on the schedule last week for the Cougars (29-12-0-1), Prince George won the first contest in convincing fashion (5-2), before falling 3-2 in a shootout the following night. Winners in six of their last 10 games, the Cougars hold 29 wins this season, which ranks tied for second with Kitchener, Saskatoon and London in the CHL, behind only Baie-Comeau who have the most with 34 victories. Cougars forward Carlin Dezainde recorded a hat-trick in the Cougars’ 5-2 win over the Rockets, while new addition Borya Valis had three assists in that same contest. In six games with his new club, Valis has collected 10 points and registered three multi-points with Prince George. At the same time, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Terik Paracak tallied points in both of the Cougars’ contests, extending his point streak to six games (1G-7A over that stretch). Parascak, who will be competing for Team White at the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 24, now has points in 14 of his last 15 games (22 points over that stretch). As they look ahead to this week, the Cougars will have to be at their best as they prepare to welcome No.9-ranked Portland for a pair of games at the CN Centre in Prince George. Specifically, the Cougars contest against the Winterhawks on Friday (Jan. 19) at 7:00 p.m. PT will be available for viewers on TSN+.

Games this week: vs. Portland (Jan. 19), vs. Portland (Jan. 20)

4. Kitchener Rangers (OHL): Notching a pair of victories at home against Erie (6-4) and Ottawa (4-2), the Rangers (29-11-2-0) have climbed up a spot to find themselves in fourth this week. Kitchener has now won six of their last 10, including three in a row. Over the last seven days, the Rangers saw Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf score a hat-trick in a second straight game as he tallied three against Erie last Friday. With goals in seven of his last 10 games with the Rangers (12 goals over that stretch), Rehkopf is now up to 37 goals, which leads the OHL and trails only Prince George’s Zac Funk (42 goals) for the CHL lead. Meanwhile, Vancouver Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz recorded five assists in the Rangers’ two victories last week, to push his point total to 67 points on the season, which gives him a share of the lead in the OHL’s scoring race alongside North Bay’s Anthony Romani. Over his last 17 games, Brzustewicz has points in 15 of those contests, having registered 27 points (2G-25A) during that time. This week, Kitchener will aim to keep its place among the Top-5 teams in the CHL when they face No. 7-ranked London for a pair of games this weekend.

Games this week: @ Guelph (Jan. 17), vs. London (Jan. 19), @ London (Jan. 20)

5. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): Having won three of four contests this week, including a key 4-0 win in Baie-Comeau against the No.2-ranked Drakkar on Saturday, the Huskies (28-9-1-4) are up a spot in this week’s rankings. By edging the Drakkar in Baie-Comeau last week, Rouyn-Noranda actually became the first QMJHL team to defeat the Drakkar at home in regulation this season, snapping a 19-game point streak that Baie-Comeau had going at Henry-Leonard Centre. In addition to their triumph in Baie-Comeau, the Huskies also tallied victories against Val-d’Or (6-5 SO) and Chicoutimi (5-4 SO). Their only loss came in the second contest of a back-to-back against the Drakkar on Sunday, where they fell 4-0. Among Rouyn-Noranda’s leading scorers over the last week were Daniil Bourash (1G-4A), Arizona Coyotes prospect Jérémy Langlois (2G-3A), and Antonin Verreault (2G-3A), who each collected five points over the Huskies’ four games last week. Verreault continues to lead the QMJHL in scoring as he’s now up to 67 points on the campaign. Meanwhile, netminder William Rousseau, who went undefeated in December winning all nine of his starts, picked up his 6th shutout of the season by making 32 saves against the Drakkar on Saturday. Rousseau’s six shutouts place him in a tie for first in the CHL alongside Prince George’s Joshua Ravensbergen. This week, the Huskies will aim to score another victory against No.2-ranked Baie-Comeau when they face off against the Drakkar on Thursday night in Rouyn-Noranda at 7:00 p.m. ET. The latter is a game that fans can watch for free on CHL TV as part of the CHL Game of the Week.

Games this week: vs. Baie-Comeau (Jan. 18), @ Gatineau (Jan. 20), @ Sherbrooke (Jan. 21)

6. Saginaw Spirit (OHL): Although they won two of their three contests last week, Saginaw (26-12-0-1) slid a couple of places more so due to the excellent play of other clubs ranked in the Top-10. However, the Spirit did suffer a troubling loss in London when they fell to the red-hot Knights, who defeated them 6-1 last Friday night. Saginaw did manage to bounce back the following day by edging the Storm 5-2 and earlier in the week they notched an impressive 11-3 victory over the Spitfires. During the latter, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Zayne Parekh tallied his second hat-trick and fourth multigoal game of the season. Parekh now has seven goals and 14 points over his last five games, and he’s up to 20 goals and 59 points in 39 games this season. He continues to lead all 2024 NHL Draft eligible blueliners in goals (20), assists (39), and points (59) this season. Ranked No. 10 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Parekh will be playing for Team Red when he hits the ice for the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 24. Meanwhile, not to be forgotten was newcomer and Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck, who matched a single-game record for the Spirit by registering six points (2G-4A) in his debut. Beck is up to nine points (3G-6A) in three games with Saginaw so far. This week, Saginaw will travel to Eastern Ontario for a trio of games against the 67’s, Petes, and Frontenacs.

Games this week: @ Ottawa (Jan. 19), @ Peterborough (Jan. 20), @ Kingston (Jan. 21)

7. London Knights (OHL): With 12 straight wins, the longest active winning streak of any club in the CHL, the Knights (29-11-0-1) are up a couple of spots this week. With 29 wins on the season, the Knights are now just one of five clubs in the CHL to have achieved the feat so far through the 2023-24 campaign. Over the last week, they were absolutely dominant, outscoring their opponents 25-3, which included wins against Sarnia (9-2), No. 6-ranked Saginaw (6-1), and Owen Sound (10-0). The Knights have now scored five goals or more in nine contests in row, along with achieving the feat in 11 of their last 12 games. A big part of their success has been the play of Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk and netminder Michael Simpson, who were both recognized as Top Performers in the OHL on Monday. First, Bonk collected 11 points over the last week, including a career-high five points (2G-3A) against Sarnia last Wednesday. The 19-year-old is currently on an eight-game point streak (7G-13A), having also registered seven multipoint outings during that stretch of games. Meanwhile, Simpson turned aside 58 of the 59 shots he faced over his two starts last week, which included a 28-save shutout against the Attack on Sunday. The 20-year-old from London, Ont., leads the OHL with 23 wins and a 2.58 GAA this season. This week, the Knights will attempt to stretch out their winning streak to 14 games, which would stand as the longest of the season in the CHL (Baie-Comeau won a CHL-best 13 in a row from Nov. 12 to Dec. 16). Standing in their way will be the No.4-ranked Rangers, who they will face twice as part of a home-and-home series with Kitchener.

Games this week: @ Kitchener (Jan. 19), vs. Kitchener (Jan. 20)

8. Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL): On a 11-game point streak (10-0-1-0), having also extended their winning streak on home ice to 14 victories in a row, the Voltigeurs (28-9-4-1) come in at No. 8 this week. Helping them achieve the latter, Drummondville notched victories at the Marcel Dionne Centre against Blainville-Boisbriand (3-2) and Val-d’Or (6-0). Newcomer Alexis Gendron continues to be a force for the Voltigeurs. In just five games with his new club, the Philadelphia Flyers prospect is up to seven goals and 10 points, having tallied multiple goals in three contests and multiple points on four occasions. At the same time, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Gauthier continued his strong season, along with Peter Repcik, who was fresh off his World Junior experience with Team Slovakia. Over Drummonville’s pair of contests last week, Gauthier extended his point streak to 12 games (12G-5A over that stretch), which is the longest in the QMJHL right now. He’s also tallied goals in eight of his last 10 games. Meanwhile, in his first game back with Drummondville, Repcik tallied a pair of assists against Val-d’Or to extend his point streak to 10 games (5G-13A over that stretch). Repcik has now also registered an assist in nine straight games. This week, the Voltigeurs will look to extend their point streak to 13 games, which would match the longest streak of its kind in the QMJHL this season (Baie-Comeau – 13 games – Nov. 12 to Dec. 16).

Games this week: @ Rimouski (Jan. 19), @ Québec (Jan. 21)

9. Portland Winterhawks (WHL): With 11 wins over their last 13 games, including points in 12 of those contests, the Winterhawks (26-10-2-1) are at No. 9 for the second week in a row. Given that their game on Saturday at home against Seattle was postponed due to inclement weather, the Winterhawks only played a pair of games last week. They first fell in Seattle to the Thunderbirds 5-4 in overtime, before cruising to a big 7-1 victory over Kamloops on Monday. During the latter, Florida Panthers prospect Josh Davies extended his goal streak to five games. He’s now got seven goals over that five-game stretch, and he’s also scored in eight of his last 10 contests. With a goal and an assist on Monday, 20-year-old Gabe Klassen extended his point streak to 13 games (5G-21A). Up to 70 points through 39 games this season, Klassen has established a new single season career-high, besting his previous mark of 69 points from last season. This week, Portland will travel up to British Columbia for a contest in Kelowna before they will head to Prince George for a pair of games against the No.3-ranked Cougars. Specifically, the Winterhawks’ game against the Cougars on Friday (Jan. 19) at 7:00 p.m. PT will be available for viewers to see on TSN+.

Games this week: @ Kelowna (Jan. 17), @ Prince George (Jan. 19), @ Prince George (Jan. 20)

10. Everett Silverips (WHL): Having strung together five wins in a row, the longest active streak in the WHL, the Silvertips (27-14-1-2) have found their way in the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the first time this season. To achieve the feat, Everett was dominant in its three games last week, defeating Kamloops twice (8-2 & 4-1) before downing the Wild 7-3 in Wenatchee. Thanks to that string of victories, Silvertips now have a point in six straight contests, and they’ve won seven of their last 10 games (7-2-0-1). One of the players giving the Silvertips a boost has no doubt been 2024 NHL Draft prospect Julius Miettinen, who will be competing with Team Red at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game in Moncton on January 24. Miettinen amassed eight points in Everett’s three victories over the last seven days. The 17-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, now has points in seven straight games (8G-7A) and he’s also scored goals in nine of his last 11 games. Meanwhile, coming off winning a bronze medal at the 2024 World Juniors, Dominik Rymon collected four goals and six points in the last week. Over his last seven games, going back to December, Rymon has five multi-point outings over that stretch. This week, Everett will look to maintain its place in the Top-10 when they travel to Spokane to face the Chiefs before coming home for a game against the Americans on Sunday.

Games this week: @ Spokane (Jan. 19), vs. Tri-City (Jan. 21)