2023-24 CHL Top-10 Rankings: Week 25
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 25 and final edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2023-24 season.
Heading into the playoffs on a 19-game point streak (17-0-1-1), the longest active point streak in the CHL, the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) closed out the regular season as the No.1-ranked team in the CHL. The Cougars finished the 2023-24 campaign with a +129 goal differential, which ranked as the best of any club in the CHL this season. Right behind them is the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), who won their two games last week to earn the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL Regular Season Champions. It marked the seventh time in club history that the Knights have earned this distinction and the first time in 11 years. Finally, rounding out the top three was the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, who posted their first 50-win and 100-point campaign in franchise history as they prepare to host the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow at the end of May.
The highest-ranked team from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) was the No.4-ranked Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who led all CHL clubs with 53 wins this season and were one of four teams across the CHL to top 50 wins. Another club to achieve the latter was the No.6-ranked Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, who along with the Drakkar, gave up the fewest amount of goals in the CHL this season – as both allowed an average of 2.40 goals per game. The Drakkar and the Blades also finished the year as the regular season champions of the QMJHL and WHL, respectively.
CHL TV will be the destination for fans worldwide to watch the Road to the 2024 Memorial Cup as they’ll be able to stream games starting right from the first round of the playoffs all the way through to the conclusion of the Championship Series for the WHL (Ed Chynoweth Cup), OHL (J. Ross Robertson Cup), and QMJHL (Gilles-Courteau Trophy).
To see the full playoff schedule for all three of the CHL’s member leagues, please visit these WHL, OHL, and/or QMJHL web pages.
CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 25
1. Prince George Cougars (WHL): Capping off the regular season on a 19-game point streak (17-0-1-1), the longest active point streak in the CHL, the Cougars (49-15-1-3) wrapped up the 2023-24 campaign as the No.1-ranked team in the CHL Top-10 for the third week in a row. In total, Prince George was ranked in the top spot over a total of four weeks this season. Their success down the stretch helped earn them first place in the WHL’s Western Conference for the first time since the Cougars arrived in Prince George in 1994. They also finished the year with the CHL’s best goal differential with a +129 and set a new franchise record for victories in a single season (49). Washington Capitals prospect Zac Funk was the CHL’s leading goal scorer with 67 goals in 2023-24. He’s just the 10th CHL skater since 2000 to top 65 goals in a single season. Funk also tallied 31 power-play goals, which is the most in a single WHL campaign since Eric Fehr hit that same mark in 2004-05. The Cougars also saw excellent performances from Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Terik Parascak. While Funk registered a new single-season record for the Cougars with 123 points (67G-56A), Heidt stands right behind him in second thanks to his 117-point (37G-80A) campaign in 2023-24. Heidt’s 80 assists, however, are the most ever recorded by a Prince George skater in a single season. Meanwhile, Parascak put together a year to remember by leading all CHL rookies with 105 points (43G-62A). With the recent return of Los Angeles Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer to their lineup, the Cougars will hope this will be the year they earn a WHL championship and make their first trip to the Memorial Cup since doing so in 1981 as the Victoria Cougars.
2. London Knights (OHL): As one of just four teams in the CHL to reach the 50-win plateau during the 2023-24 campaign, the Knights (50-14-1-3) finished the season ranked second in the CHL Top-10 rankings. Over the last 10 weeks, the Knights never dropped out of these rankings’ Top-5. Having won 50 games for the seventh time in franchise history, London was crowned as the OHL’s Regular Season Champions for a seventh time, earning their first Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 11 years. Their power play was excellent all season, as the Knights led the CHL with a 32.6% power play, the highest power-play percentage recorded in the OHL since special teams percentages were first recorded online in 1997-98. Conversely, London also recorded 29 shorthanded goals, matching an OHL record set by the 1989-90 Niagara Falls Thunder, which ranks tied for ninth in CHL history. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan capped off the year in style by extending his franchise record-long point streak to 36 games – the third-longest run in the CHL since 2000. Meanwhile, overage netminder Michael Simpson stopped all 19 shots he faced on Sunday to earn his OHL-leading fourth shutout of the season. Simpson, who was the MVP of last year’s OHL Playoffs, wrapped up the 2023-24 campaign with the best GAA (2.61) and save percentage (.905) in the OHL. As the Knights prepare for what they hope will be a long postseason run, they will be vying for a fifth OHL title and a sixth appearance at the Memorial Cup in franchise history.
3. Saginaw Spirit (OHL): With their first 50-win and 100-point season in franchise history complete, the Spirit (50-16-1-1) climbed up to finish third in the CHL Top-10’s final rankings of the season. As they prepare to host the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow in a couple of months, the Spirit are capping off what has been a special season. Saginaw set a new franchise record by registering 102 points this season, besting their previous mark of 98 that was set during the 2018-19 season. It allowed the Spirit to secure their fourth OHL West Division title in franchise history. Scoring at a 4.46 goals-per-game average, Saginaw finished the season as the third-highest-scoring team in the OHL. Helping to lead their offense were none other than 2024 NHL Draft prospect Zayne Parekh, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Michael Misa, and Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck. Parekh led all blueliners in the CHL with 96 points (33G-63A) this season. His 96 points are the most by an OHL defenceman since Ryan Ellis tallied 100 points as a member of the Windsor Spitfires in 2010-11, and he’s just the second rearguard in the OHL to top 95 points since 2000. If that wasn’t enough, Parekh led all CHL defencemen with 33 goals and he’s one of just eight draft-eligible defencemen in CHL history to score 30-plus goals in a single season (alongside Calgary’s Carter Yakemchuk). At the same time, Misa recorded 75 points (29G-46A) this season, which ranks as the most by a Spirit player in the 16-year-old season. While, Beck closed out the 2023-24 campaign on a 20-game point streak, which stands as the second-longest in the OHL season behind London’s Easton Cowan‘s historic run of 36 straight games. Set to make their first-ever appearance as a Memorial Cup this spring, the Spirit will also be aiming to win their first-ever J. Ross Robertson Cup before hosting the historic tournament in late May.
4. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL): With 53 wins this season, no club in the CHL won more games than the Drakkar (53-12-2-1) during the 2023-24 campaign. For their efforts, Baie-Comeau finished the year as the QMJHL’s Regular Season Champions having earned the Jean-Rougeau Trophy for the third time in franchise history and for the first time in 10 years. Their 53 victories and 109 points this season, along with the 25 wins they collected on the road, are all franchise records for the club. Giving up only 2.40 goals per game, the Drakkar allowed the fewest amount of goals in the CHL this season alongside the Saskatoon Blades who allowed the same average. By scoring a QMJHL-best 51 goals this season, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Justin Poirier became the first-ever recipient of the Mario-Lemieux Trophy as the QMJHL’s leading goal scorer. Poirier was also the first 17-year-old in the QMJHL to hit the 50-goal plateau since Sidney Crosby achieved the feat in 2004-05, and he’s one of only five QMJHL skaters over the last 32 years to score 50-plus goals as a 17-year-old. Additionally, New York Islanders prospect Justin Gill had a memorable year by topping the 40-goal plateau for the second straight season, while 2024 NHL Draft prospect Raoul Boilard finished the season as the QMJHL’s rookie scoring leader with 62 points (22G-40A). Baie-Comeau centreman Félix Gagnon also created some history by finishing the season with a 64.0% faceoff winning percentage (882 faceoff wins), which ranks as the sixth-highest winning percentage in QMJHL history. Looking ahead to the postseason, the Drakkar will be looking to secure a first-ever trip to the Memorial Cup in their franchise history all while aiming for a first Gilles-Courteau Trophy as well.
5. Portland Winterhawks (WHL): Averaging a CHL-best 4.85 goals per game this season, the Winterhawks (48-15-4-1) find themselves in fifth as the regular season comes to a close. As one of only three teams in the WHL to top 100 points during the 2023-24 campaign, Portland came away with its first U.S. Division title since 2020. With 48 victories this year, the Winterhawks also put together what was their 13th campaign with 40-plus wins since 2009. They also capped off their season by stringing together 11 straight games with a point (9-0-2-0). Helping them achieve the heights they reached this season was no doubt Edmonton Oilers prospect James Stefan and San Jose Sharks prospect Luca Cagnoni. Stefan finished the 2023-24 campaign as one of only eight skaters in the CHL to top 50 goals this season. He was also one of five players in the CHL to score 50 goals and top 100 points this season. Meanwhile, his teammate Cagnoni finished as the WHL scoring leader among defencemen with 90 points. Ultimately, Cagnoni was just one of three rearguards in the CHL to top 90 points, and he was the first WHL blueliner to post a 90-point season in 30 years. The Sharks prospect also led all WHL blueliners with 72 assists, which is a category that he ranked second among CHL defencemen. Looking ahead to the 2024 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien, the Winterhawks will have their sights on a fourth Ed Chynoweth Cup and sixth appearance at the Memorial Cup.
6. Saskatoon Blades (WHL): By capping off their season with a victory, the Blades (50-13-2-3) registered what was the third 50-win campaign in franchise history and their first since the 2010-11 season. The latter is what helped the team earn its fifth Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy in club history as the WHL Regular Season champions. The Blades were particularly good in Saskatoon, winning a CHL-best 29 games on home ice this season. Saskatoon also had the best penalty kill in the CHL thanks to their league-leading 86.1 penalty-kill percentage. The Blades allowed only 29 power-play goals in 68 games this season, which is the fewest in WHL history, eclipsing the previous mark of 30 set by the Everett Silvertips in 2003. The Blades also gave up the fewest amount of goals in the CHL this season alongside the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who both allowed only 2.40 goals per game. Helping to achieve the latter was rookie netminder Evan Gardner, who finished the regular season with the CHL’s best GAA (1.91) and save percentage (.927). Meanwhile, Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov became the first Blades skater since 1995-96 to hit 50 goals in a season. Sidorov also led the CHL with 12 game-winning goals this season, and he’s now in sole possession of the Blades’ franchise record for career game-winning goals with 25. Additionally, Blades captain Trevor Wong became the first Saskatoon skater to top 100 points in 28 years. Wong also led the CHL in assists this season with 86 helpers, six more than the nearest skater, Prince George’s Riley Heidt. Having appeared in just two Memorial Cups in franchise history as hosts, the Blades will be hoping to make the 2023-24 season a memorable one by securing a first Ed Chynoweth Cup and a third-ever trip to the Memorial Cup.
7. Everett Silvertips (WHL): With 45 victories this season, the Silvertips (45-18-2-3) managed to top the 45-win plateau for the fifth time in seven years. Everett managed to achieve their latter thanks to their excellent finish which saw the club close out the season on a 12-game point streak (10-0-1-1). Given their strong play, the Silvertips appear poised to win their first playoff series since 2019. They also were particularly dominant at home, holding the WHL’s third-best record on ice at 26-5-2-1. Everett also enjoyed some great performances from Vegas Golden Knights prospect Ben Hemmerling and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Julius Miettinen. Hemmerling finished the season with 91 points (30G-61A), which ranks fourth in Silvertips’ franchise history and stands as the most by an Everett skater since the 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, Miettinen collected 31 goals and 67 points this season, which both rank third among rookie skaters in the WHL this season (behind Prince George’s Terik Parascak and Medicine Hat’s Gavin McKenna). Additionally, Miettinen’s 67 points are the third-most by a draft-eligible skater in Silvertips history, while his 31 goals rank second among that same group. The 18-year-old from Helsinki also closed out the season on a high note, registering two or more points in nine of his last 10 games all while scoring a goal in eight of those contests. Still looking for a first Memorial Cup appearance and a first WHL Championship title, the Silvertips will hope players like Hemmerling and Miettinen can help them achieve both for the first time in club history.
8. Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL): Finishing the season as one of eight teams in the CHL to reach the 100-point plateau this season, the Voltigeurs (48-14-5-1) come in at No.8 in the final rankings of the season. With 102 points during the 2023-24 campaign, Drummondville topped 100 points for the fourth time in franchise history and for the first time since 2019. Moreover, the Voltigeurs’ 48 wins marked only the second time they have won more than 45 games since the 2011-12 campaign. Averaging 4.5 goals per game, Drummondville finished the season as the highest-scoring team in the QMJHL. Drummondville also finished the season with a +123 goal differential, which ranks fifth in the CHL, while their 183 goals allowed this season (and 2.69 goals allowed per game) ranks third in the Canadian Hockey League. As the Voltigeurs come into the postseason, they have won seven games in a row, including a notable 4-2 victory over the No. 4-ranked Drakkar in their final game of the regular season. Impressively, they have gone on this run in the absence of Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alexis Gendron, captain Luke Woodworth, and Arizona Coyotes prospect Maveric Lamoureux, who have been out of the lineup due to injuries. In their absence, Buffalo Sabres prospect Vsevolod Komarov has continued his strong play as he closed out the 2023-24 campaign with 55 assists and 69 points, both of which rank first among defencemen in the QMJHL. Meanwhile, the Voltigeurs have four skaters who topped 30 goals this season (Ethan Gauthier, Justin Côté, Sam Oliver, and Peter Repcik). It’s the first time that the Voltigeurs have had four 30-goal scorers since the 2018-19 season. With Drummondville officially announcing on Monday that Lamoureux will miss the 2024 QMJHL Playoffs due to surgery, the Voltigeurs will hope to continue their strong play in his absence and aim to secure their first Gilles-Courteau Trophy since 2009.
9. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): With eight wins over their last 10 games, along with points in seven straight games (6-0-0-1), the Huskies (47-15-1-5) sit in ninth as the regular season comes to a close. Rouyn-Noranda was one of just three teams in the QMJHL to top 100 points this season, and part of a group of eight teams across the CHL to achieve the feat. Moreover, the 2023-24 campaign represented only the third time in franchise history that the Huskies have reached 100 points in a season (2018-19 and 2015-16). With 107 points (36G-71A) this season, Antonin Verreault won the Jean-Beliveau Trophy as the QMJHL leading scorer. Verreault was the only skater in the QMJHL to top 100 points this season, finishing with nine more than the next closest QMJHL skater (Baie-Comeau’s Justin Gill – 98 points). He’s also just the third Rouyn-Noranda player to finish the season as the QMJHL’s top scorer (Mike Ribeiro – 1998-99 & Peter Abbandonato – 2018-19). Verreault also led the QMJHL with 71 assists this season, which placed him in a tie for sixth among skaters in the CHL. Meanwhile, Huskies netminder William Rousseau finished the season with a 2.24 GAA and eight shutouts, which both ranked first in the QMJHL. Rousseau’s eight shutouts this season set a new QMJHL single-season record and were the most by a goalie in the CHL this season. His .924 save percentage and 2.24 GAA also ranked third in the CHL. Additionally, with 62 points (17G-45A) this season, Arizona Coyotes prospect Jérémy Langlois finished second in the QMJHL’s scoring race among defencemen. Langlois’ 17 goals were also the most of any rearguard in the QMJHL. With a Memorial Cup title earned in 2019 along with a pair of Gilles-Courteau trophies already to their name, the Huskies should have a good chance of adding to their collection as they enter the postseason.
10. Oshawa Generals (OHL): Back on December 9, the Generals (40-19-7-2) seemed to be in trouble. The club was sitting ninth in the OHL’s Eastern Conference with a 9-12-3-1 record. However, from that point on, Oshawa turned it around in a major way. The club won 31 of its final 43 games (31-7-4-1) to rally from the bottom of the standings all the way to the top of the Eastern Conference. Thanks to a victory on the final day of the regular season, which marked a 12th straight win, the Generals finished in place in the OHL’s Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Moreover, their 12-game winning streak, which stands as the longest active winning streak in the CHL, is also their longest winning streak since 1986-87. A part of their resurgence certainly was aided by the play of Colorado Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie. Since returning to the lineup on November 12 following his recovery from shoulder surgery, Calum Ritchie has collected 80 points (28G-52A) in 50 games, which ranks fifth among all skaters in the OHL over that time. Ritchie is also entering the postseason riding a 12-game point streak, which coincides with Oshawa’s 12-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Generals goalie Jacob Oster has been outstanding of late. Over the last month, Oster held a perfect 9-0-0-0 record along with a 2.33 GAA and .914 save percentage in nine starts in March. Thanks to his strong play over the last 30 days, Oster also finished tied for first in the OHL with a .905 SV% and he finished the 2023-24 season with a CHL-best 35 wins. Oster’s 2.82 GAA also ranked second, trailing only London’s Michael Simpson (2.61 GAA). With five Memorial Cup titles and thirteen OHL Championships over their long history, Oshawa will hope to add to what is already one of the most impressive resumes of any club in the CHL.