Steelheads, Knights, Generals and Bulldogs included in Preseason Edition of CHL Top 10 Rankings

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the preseason edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2024-25 season. 

Sitting atop the list to begin the regular season is the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL), followed by the Brampton Steelheads the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the London Knights of the OHL who round out the top three.

The preseason rankings were determined with input from NHL Central Scouting ahead of the start of the regular season, which officially begins this Friday (September 20) with 17 games across the CHL. Specifically, nine of those contests on September 20 will kick start the latest QMJHL campaign, while on that same night, eight games in the WHL will usher in a new season. Then, just a few nights later, the Saginaw Spirit will mark the beginning of the latest OHL regular season by raising their 2024 Memorial Cup Championship banner before hosting the Windsor Spitfires on Wednesday, September 25.

CHL Top-10 Rankings – 2024 Preseason

1. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): Set to feature as many as six NHL prospects along with 2023-24 CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year Gavin McKenna, the Medicine Hat Tigers come into the season as the top-ranked team in the CHL and in search of a first Memorial Cup appearance since 2007. Coming into the 2024-25 season, Medicine Hat holds one of the most potent top-six forward groups of any club in the CHL, highlighted by the 2024 CHL Top Prospect Award winner, Cayden Lindstrom. Drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in June, Lindstrom scored a goal in nearly 60% of his games (19 of 32) during what was an injury-shortened campaign in 2023-24. No doubt Lindstrom will be aiming to increase his production this season as he looks to come back stronger and healthier. Among the big acquisitions made by the Tigers this summer was Minnesota Wild prospect Ryder Ritchie, who will also hope to play a full season after an injury cut his year in Prince Albert shorter than expected in 2023-24. Ritchie has averaged nearly a point per game throughout his career in the WHL. Meanwhile, the additions of Finnish defencemen Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas Stars) and Veeti Vaisanen (Utah Hockey Club) during the 2024 CHL Import Draft should provide some much-needed support for Medicine Hat on the back end. Not to be forgotten are also Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna, who will look to top 100 points after he set a Tigers franchise record for points (34G-63A-97 PTS) by a 16-year-old last season. 

Next three games: vs. Edmonton (Sept. 21), @ Red Deer (Sept. 27), vs. Red Deer (Sept. 28)

2. Brampton Steelheads (OHL): Having added some talent, in addition to their young stars benefiting from a year’s worth of experience, the Steelheads appear poised for a special season in their new home of Brampton for 2024-25. Coming into the year as the No.2-ranked team, the Steelheads should be serious contenders to win a first-ever OHL championship title and reach their first-ever Memorial Cup this season. Over the summer, head coach and GM James Richmond made a splash by acquiring 2023-24 CHL Third-Team All-Star and Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf, who scored 52 goals last season (including an OHL-best 16 on the power play). Given his ability to score, Rehkopf will certainly be a contender to lead both the OHL and CHL in that category this season. Meanwhile, Brampton also added 20-year-old defenceman Spencer Sova, who brings plenty of experience to the table having played 190 career games in the OHL. On top of these vets, the Steelheads feature two of the more promising prospects heading into the 2025 NHL Draft in right winger Porter Martone and goaltender Jack Ivankovic. Martone, who could be the first CHL skater drafted next June, led the Steelheads in goals last season with 33. Set to man the crease following the departure of netminder Ryerson Leenders (Buffalo Sabres) to Brantford, Ivankovic will hope to build off a campaign that saw him post a 2.72 GAA, which was the best among any OHL rookie in 2023-24. Moreover, with the additional firepower in the lineup, talented playmaker Luke Misa (Calgary Flames) could be a candidate for 100 points, having tallied 81 points and a Steelheads record 55 assists only a year ago.

Next three games: vs. Brantford (Sept. 27), @ Erie (Sept. 28), @ Barrie (Oct. 3)

3. London Knights (OHL): The OHL hasn’t seen a repeat champion since the London Knights achieved the feat in 2012 and 2013. However, this year’s edition of the Knights should have a chance of repeating history in 2024-25. Having won their fifth J. Ross Robertson Cup last May, the No.3-ranked London Knights return a significant portion of their roster that fell just one game short of lifting the Memorial Cup last June. Among the expected returnees are star defencemen Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks) and Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers). Bonk scored 24 goals including 15 on the power play, a CHL-best among defencemen last season. Up front, London should remain a force given that their forward group is set to feature the likes of Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey, who was one of just five OHL players in 2023-24 to break the 100-point plateau. Of course, there will be some questions about whether the reigning OHL MVP Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Kasperi Halttunen (San Jose Sharks) will return to the fold with the Knights, as both skaters will be vying to secure spots on their NHL clubs in the coming weeks. Should either one return, let alone the potential inclusion of talented 20-year-olds like Ruslan Gazizov, Landon Sim, or Jacob Julien (Winnipeg Jets), London should be able to score some goals. Just last year, they were the third-highest-scoring team in the CHL, having averaged 4.74 goals per game, and there’s nothing to suggest why they won’t have a potent attack again in 2024-25. That said, the departure of goaltender Michael Simpson to the AHL’s Bellville Senators does leave a hole in the net that the Knights will be hoping will be filled by either Owen Willmore, Alexei Medvedev, or Finn Wilson – something that won’t be an easy feat for either netminder given Simpson’s consistent last season.

Next three games: vs. Flint (Sept. 27), @ Flint (Sept. 28), vs. Erie (Oct. 4)

4. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): With new head coach and former 2022 Memorial Cup champion Gardiner MacDougall at the helm, along with a roster with plenty of talent, the 2024-25 edition of the Moncton Wildcats will be a must-watch team in the QMJHL this season. The club will be in search of their first Gilles-Courteau Trophy in over 10 years, let alone their first appearance at a Memorial Cup since 2010. As they enter this newest campaign, the Wildcats are set to see the return of eight of nine leading scorers from last season, including captain Yoan Loshing who led Moncton with 37 goals and 70 points a year ago. Along with Loshing, Vincent Collard, Preston Lounsbury, Calgary Flames prospect Etienne Morin, and goaltender Jacon Steinman should provide the Wildcats with some valuable experience as they aim to have a deep playoff run this spring. To help with the latter, Moncton should also benefit from the acquisitions of 40-goal scorer Markus Vidicek, Slovakian forward Juraj Pekarcik (St. Louis Blues), and defenceman Dylan MacKinnon (Nashville Predators). Plus, expectations are high for 2025 NHL Draft projected first-round pick Caleb Desnoyers, who closed out his first season in the QMJHL averaging nearly a point per game. Collectively, the Wildcats should be in good hands thanks to the leadership of their new head coach Gardiner MacDougall. Between coaching the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, MacDougall won an impressive 56 straight victories behind the bench for both teams. Although technically that streak came to a close during the preseason, MacDougall will be looking to carry that success forward as he begins his first campaign with the Wildcats.

Next three games: @ Saint John (Sept. 20), @ Charlottetown (Sept. 22), vs. Acadie-Bathurst (Sept. 28)

5. Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL): Coming into one of their biggest seasons in recent memory, the Rimouski Océanic appears ready for a big year as they begin their journey towards hosting the 2025 Memorial Cup next spring. Over the past couple of months, in preparation for this important season, Rimouski made one of the biggest moves of the offseason in the CHL by acquiring the reigning QMJHL MVP Mathieu Cataford (Vegas Golden Knights). A CHL Third-Team All-Star in 2023-24, Cataford was one of only two players in the QMJHL last season to register 40-plus goals and 50-plus assists, and he should be expected to accomplish big things again, only this time in Rimouski. The Océanic are also set to bring back their four leading scorers from a season ago, including Anaheim Ducks prospect Alexandre Blais, who led all first-time draft-eligible skaters in the QMJHL with 84 points (24G-60A) in 2023-24. In addition to Cataford and Blais, scoring shouldn’t be an issue for the Océanic as they count four more 20-plus goal scorers in Jacob Mathieu, Quinn Kennedy, Maël St-Denis, and Dominic Pilote on their roster. On the back end, Rimouski features one of the strongest goaltending duos in the CHL. Despite losing goaltender Quentin Miller (Montreal Canadiens) for six months due to shoulder surgery about a week ago, Rimouski was quick to bring in a solid and experienced netminder in Samuel St-Hilaire to play alongside one of the QMJHL’s most promising goalie prospects, William Lacelle. In front of their net, the Océanic should be able to rely on a pair of NHL prospects Spencer Gill (Philadelphia Flyers) and Luke Coughlin (Florida Panthers) to play important minutes on their blueline. Rimouski also acquired 20-year-old, puck-moving defenceman Pier-Olivier Roy along with Swiss import Basile Sansonnens (Vancouver Canucks) to bolster their defence, which along with their potent attack, should make Rimouski a mainstay in the CHL Top-10 for much of the 2024-25 season.

Next three games: @ Baie-Comeau (Sept. 20), @ Baie-Comeau (Sept. 21), @ Gatineau (Sept. 28)

6. Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL): Only a few months removed from a deep playoff run that saw the Eagles reach the QMJHL semi-finals for the first time in 17 years, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cape Breton find themselves back in that same spot in 2024-25. Many of the pieces that helped carry them through last year’s postseason run to the QMJHL’s final four are back, including New Jersey Devils prospect Cam Squires. After leading the Eagles in the regular season with 72 points (33G-39A) in 66 games, Squires put together a dominant run through the 2024 QMJHL Playoffs by racking up nine goals and 20 points in just 14 postseason contests. Given his talent and what he has shown over the last season, Squires could be one of a handful of players in the conversation for QMJHL MVP. Additionally, Squires is one of six players returning to Cape Breton who tallied 10 or more goals for the Eagles last season – a list that includes 30-goal scorer Olivier Houde and veteran forward Jacob Newcombe, who recorded 24 points (11G-23A) in just 26 games after he missed time to receive treatment for his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A former number one overall pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft, Tomas Lavoie returns to Cape Breton months after being selected by the Utah Hockey Club in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft. As he enters into what will be his third season in the QMJHL, Lavoie should provide some much-needed stability on the backend for this Eagles’ team this season. Meanwhile, following the departure of Nicolas Ruccia to the Charlottetown Islanders, Czech netminder Jakub Milota (Nashville Predators) will take over the crease as he looks to improve on the 2.82 GAA and .905 SV% he posted in 33 appearances last season.

Next three games: @ Acadie-Bathurst (Sept. 20), @ Acadie-Bathurst (Sept. 21), vs. Halifax (Sept. 27)

7. Prince George Cougars (WHL): Throughout the 2023-24 campaign, the Prince George Cougars were one of a select group of teams who were consistently ranked within the CHL’s Top 10 throughout last season – and this year feels like it’s shaping out to be similar one. Although the Cougars might have said goodbye to 21-year-old Zac Funk (Washington Capitals), Prince George is still set to welcome back another Washington Capitals prospect in Terik Parascak, who took the league by storm last season by registering the most points (105) by a rookie in the CHL since 2006-07. Prince George will also have 20-year-old Borya Valis back in their lineup. Valis recorded 37 points (13G-24A) in 32 games with the Cougars in 2023-24 and he led the team with nine goals during the 2024 WHL Playoffs. One of the bigger question marks for this club going into this season will be the status of Riley Heidt (Minnesota Wild), who will be aiming to jump to the NHL and crack the Minnesota Wild roster this fall. Should he be unsuccessful in that endeavour and return to the Cougars for another year in the WHL, there’s no doubt that Heidt will be a threat to lead the CHL in scoring after he finished in a tie for third with 117 points (37G-80A) only a season ago. Meanwhile, Prince George should also benefit from the continued development of 2025 NHL Draft prospect Joshua Ravensbergen between the pipes. Last season, the 17-year-old Ravensbergen posted impressive numbers, including a 2.46 GAA, .907 SV%, and six shutouts during his rookie campaign in the WHL. With many eyes watching him as he prepares for his draft year, Ravensbergen’s growth will be one of many important factors that could see the Cougars return to WHL’s final four and possibly have them going further during the 2024-25 campaign.

Next three games: vs. Spokane (Sept. 20), vs. Spokane (Sept. 21), @ Vancouver (Sept. 27)

8. Oshawa Generals (OHL): Although they didn’t find themselves ranked within the CHL Top 10 for much of the 2023-24 campaign, the Oshawa Generals managed to sneak into the rankings at the end of last season thanks in large to a 12-game winning streak heading into the playoffs. The Generals then used that momentum to carry themselves to their first OHL Championship Series since 2015, which is where they ultimately fell to the London Knights. This year, however, Oshawa will be expected to find themselves among this list of Top 10 clubs more often than they did in 2023-24. Much of that Generals roster from last season is expected to remain intact. On the backend, Oshawa should be anchored by defencemen and NHL prospects Luca Marelli (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Ben Danford (Toronto Maple Leafs). Critically, the 2023-24 OHL Goaltender of the Year Jacob Oster will be in the net for the Generals after he led the OHL with 35 wins last season all while setting a new club mark with 3,569 minutes played in a single season. Up front, Oshawa is expected to see the return of an elite forward group such as Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks), whose return to Oshawa will be delayed until likely sometime in October as Sennecke continues to recover from a foot fracture sustained during his offseason training. Calum Ritchie (Colorado Avalanche) is another who could be a huge factor for the Generals this season, but the latter will depend on whether he cracks the Avalanche roster. That said, a crop of 20-year-olds that could include the likes of forwards Luke Torrance, Dylan Roobroeck (New York Rangers), and/or defenceman Luca D’Amato should help make the 2024-25 Generals squad a force to be reckoned with in the OHL under their new head coach Steve O’Rourke.

Next three games: @ Kingston (Sept. 27), @ Brantford (Sept. 28), vs. Ottawa (Sept. 29)

9. Brantford Bulldogs (OHL): Following their first full season in Brantford, the Bulldogs seem destined to be contenders not only in the OHL’s Eastern Conference title but also for a J. Ross Robertson Cup. Brantford is set to bring back a significant part of its core from 2023-24, including 2025 NHL Draft prospect and the reigning OHL Rookie of the Year Jake O’Brien, who led all OHL rookies with 51 assists and 64 points last season, both of which established new rookie records for the Brantford Bulldogs. In addition to O’Brien, the Bulldogs are expected to have Chicago Blackhawks prospects Nick Lardis and Marek Vanacker back in their lineup. Vanacker, however, will start the season recovering from the shoulder surgery he received last June, and he is expected back by sometime in December. Vanacker led the Bulldogs in both points (82) and goals (36) last season, while Lardis tallied over 50 points in just 37 games after an injury shortened his season. If both Lardis and Vanacker can stay healthy, and the pair can continue to be complemented by 20-goal scorer Patrick Thomas (Washington Capitals) and 30-goal scorer Zakary Lavoie, the Bulldogs should have plenty of firepower among their top-six forward group in 2024-25. Meanwhile, at the other end of the ice, Brantford will rely on its newest acquisition, goaltender Ryerson Leenders (Buffalo Sabres), to help lift the club this season. Leenders, who was acquired in a trade with the Steelheads, led the OHL with a .909 SV% in 46 games during the 2023-24 campaign and should play a big role in Brantford’s success this season.

Next three games: @ Brampton (Sept. 27), vs. Oshawa (Sept. 28), vs. Owen Sound (Oct. 4)

10. Kelowna Rockets (WHL): Coming off a season that saw the Rockets win their first playoff series in seven years, Kelowna seems destined for bigger and better things as they head into the 2024-25 campaign. Part of that will rest on the shoulders of the first-ever NHL draft pick by the Utah Hockey Club, Tij Iginla, who will be hoping to build off of what was an impactful first year in Kelowna. Specifically, Iginla, registered 47 goals last season, the third-most by a Rockets player over the past 20 years. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him top the 50-goal plateau and lead the CHL in that category this season. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Andrew Cristall (Washington Capitals), who is looking to crack his NHL club’s roster this season. Having been just one of five skaters in the WHL last season to top 110 points, Cristall returning to Kelowna would undoubtedly provide this team with a big boost as he would likely contend for the scoring lead in the WHL and CHL in 2024-25. Additionally, following what was an impressive rookie season in the WHL with 50 points (21G-29A) in 68 games, Nashville Predators prospect Hiroki Gojsic should be another important piece up front for the Rockets. Kelowna might also see the return of 20-year-old Max Graham (New Jersey Devils), who would no doubt be one of the leaders on the team should he be back with the Rockets this season. Plus, not to be forgotten is also puck-moving defenceman Caden Price (Seattle Kraken), who should provide a source of offense for the club much like he did last season having tallied 13 goals and 55 points in 62 games in 2023-24.

Next three games: vs. Portland (Sept. 21), vs. Victoria (Sept. 27), @ Everett (Sept. 29)