2023-24 CHL Top-10 Rankings: Week 6
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 6 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2023-24 season.
With five straight wins, averaging just shy of five goals a game over that stretch, the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) are in the top spot for a second straight week. Right behind them in second place are the high-flying Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL), who lead the WHL with 12 wins. The Portland Winterhawks of the WHL round out the top three as they got back into the win column with a pair of victories last week.
Among the week’s biggest movers were the QMJHL-leading Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who jumped up three spots to No. 5 having won a CHL-best eight games in a row. Additionally, following their victory on Sunday against the No.8-ranked Knights to grab a share of first place in the OHL, the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) are making their Top-10 debut in tenth.
The next rankings will be released the week of November 13, following the seventh week of regular season action in all three member leagues of the CHL.
CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 6
1. Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL): Having strung together five straight wins, including three victories over the last seven days, the Mooseheads (13-4-1) continue to lead the CHL Top-10 rankings. Halifax started the week in impressive style, rallying from a four-goal deficit in the third period against Acadie-Bathurst to secure a 5-4 victory in a shootout. They then carried on from there by narrowly defeating the Océanic 3-2 in overtime before beating the Phoenix 5-1 over the weekend. With three goals and four assists over his last three games, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais continues to be a force for the Mooseheads. Averaging a CHL-best 2.63 points per game, Dumais is up to 21 points (9G-12A) in eight contests this season. He’s also registered five straight games with multiple points and he sits tied for first in the QMJHL with four game-winning goals this season despite the small number of games he’s played. At the same time, the Mooseheads continue to get excellent performances from Vegas Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford (2G-3A over last 3 GPs), San Jose Sharks prospect Jake Furlong (1G-4A over last 3 GPs) and goaltender Mathis Rousseau (2.26 GAA & .920 SV% over last 3 starts). This weekend, Halifax will head out to Saint John on Friday before hosting Shawinigan and Cape Breton on consecutive nights.
Games this week: @ Saint John (Nov. 10), vs. Shawinigan (Nov. 11), vs. Cape Breton (Nov. 12)
2. Prince George Cougars (WHL): Despite dropping a tightly contested 5-3 game to the No. 6-ranked Blades, the Cougars (12-5-0-0) scored a pair of victories this week by beating the Wheat Kings in overtime (3-2) before later shutting out the Raiders (5-0) on Saturday. Leading the way for Prince George was Los Angeles Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer (1G-3A) and Minnesota Wild 2023 second rounder Riley Heidt (2G-2A) who both had four points during the Cougars’ slate of three games last week. Ziemmer now has points in eight of his last nine, having collected four goals and 15 points over that stretch. At the same time, Heidt is riding a nine-game point streak (4G-11A), and he’s been held off the scoresheet just once in 15 games this season. Among some of the other notable performances from the Cougars this past week: 2024 NHL Draft prospect Terik Parascak scored his CHL-leading 18th goal of the season, Zac Funk registered three points to put his 2023-24 total to 33 (tied for first in the CHL), and Joshua Ravensbergen made 38 saves to secure his CHL-best third shutout of the campaign. Impressively, the rookie netminder Ravensbergen has won three straight starts dating back to Oct. 6 and he has three shutouts in just five starts this season. This week, the Cougars will hope to maintain their place in the CHL top three when they play host to the Rebels on Friday.
Game this week: vs. Red Deer (Nov. 10)
3. Portland Winterhawks (WHL): Following three straight losses to start an eight-game road trip in Western Canada, Portland (10-4-0-1) bounced back nicely over the last week by winning two of their three contests. Specifically, the Winterhawks doubled up Medicine Hat 6-3 and edged Lethbridge 3-1 on Saturday, with their only loss coming against the Swift Current Broncos in a shootout (4-3). Florida Panthers prospect Josh Davies was excellent, scoring three goals and an assist in Portland’s three games. Meanwhile, although 2024 NHL Draft prospect Diego Buttazzoni saw a 14-game point streak (10G-9A) snapped in Lethbridge on Saturday, the Winterhawks’ centreman still added a pair of goals and an assist to his collection over the week. 20-year-old Gabe Klassen continues to pace the team with 22 points (8G-14A) this season, having registered a goal and five assists in Portland’s wins against the Tigers and Hurricanes. San Jose Sharks prospect Luca Cagnoni started a new three-game point streak after he tallied six assists last week. Cagnoni now has 17 helpers on the season, ranking him third among all CHL defencemen this season. This week, the Winterhawks will aim to wrap up their Western Canada road trip on a high note when they face the Blazers and the Giants in British Columbia.
Games this week: @ Kamloops (Nov. 8), @ Vancouver (Nov. 10)
4. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): Highlighted by a notable 6-0 victory over the No.9-ranked Wildcats, the Huskies (10-3-1-3) tallied wins in both of their games last week to remain unbeaten in regulation since Oct. 20. Rouyn-Noranda has now won four of their last five with their one loss coming in a shootout against the Voltigeurs. In their two wins against Moncton and Charlottetown over the last seven days, Antonin Verreault continued his spectacular play – recording four goals and six points between both games. Verreault now ranks tied for third in the QMJHL with 26 points and he has registered a point in 14-of-17 games this season. At the same time, Rouyn-Noranda netminder William Rousseau secured his second shutout of the campaign with a 36-save performance against Moncton, while Arizona Coyotes prospect Jérémy Langlois tallied a goal and three assists against Moncton and Charlottetown to increase his total to 11 points (3G-8A) over his last six games. As they look ahead, the Huskies will aim to build on their recent success when they hit the road to Québec City for a date with the Remparts before they play a pair of games in Rimouski this weekend.
Games this week: @ Québec (Nov. 8), @ Rimouski (Nov. 10), @ Rimouski (Nov. 11)
5. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL): There is arguably no hotter team in the CHL right now than the Drakkar (15-2-2-0). They are currently riding a CHL-best eight-game winning streak, they are the only club across all three member leagues to have attained 15 wins, and their .842 point percentage also ranks first in the CHL. Over the last week, Baie-Comeau reached eight straight wins by besting Shawinigan 4-2, before defeating Blainville-Boisbriand twice (both times by a score of 5-3). The Drakkar have tallied five or more goals in six of their last eight contests as they are averaging 5.25 goals per game over their current eight-game winning streak. Helping them to achieve the latter continues to be New York Islanders prospect Justin Gill and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Justin Poirier. Gill is up to 30 points on the season (1G-4A over last 3 GPs), which ranks as the most of any player in the QMJHL. The 20-year-old is also currently on an 11-game point streak (7G-17A over that stretch). Meanwhile, Poirier is on a five-game goal streak (5G-0A over last 3 GPs), having scored two or more goals in three of his last five contests. Poirier is now up to 17 goals on the campaign, which leads the QMJHL and places him in a tie for second among all CHL skaters. The Drakkar, Gill and Poirier will look to extend their streaks as they prepare to face the Saguenéens, the Voltigueurs and the Foreurs this week.
Games this week: vs. Chicoutimi (Nov. 8), @ Drummondville (Nov. 10), vs. Val-d’Or (Nov. 12)
6. Saskatoon Blades (WHL): After losing three straight games, the Blades (11-5-0-0) rebounded in a big way last week, winning three in a row, including a 5-3 victory against the No.2-ranked Cougars on Friday night. In each of their wins, Saskatoon tallied five goals or more, scoring a combined 18 goals against the Raiders, Cougars and Pats. Five of those 18 goals came from Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov, who has scored in eight of his last 10 games. The latter includes the hat-trick that he tallied against the Pats on Sunday night. In 14 games this season, Sidorov has failed to score a goal on only four occasions. Speaking of monster weeks, captain Trevor Wong was also a standout player for Saskatoon as he recorded nine points (1G-8A) in their three wins to extend his point streak to five. Wong’s eight helpers in three games now have him at 22 assists on the season, which rank second in the WHL. Meanwhile, Nashville Predators 2023 first-round pick Tanner Moldendyk collected points in all three wins (1G-5A) last week and he now has points in 10-of-12 games this season. The Blades, who have allowed a CHL-best 36 goals during the 2023-24 campaign, will aim to string together a pair of wins on the road as they travel to Regina and Swift Current this week.
Games this week: @ Regina (Nov. 8), @ Swift Current (Nov. 10)
7. Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): After an impressive week that saw the Warriors take down two clubs ranked in the CHL Top-10, Moose Jaw (10-8-0-0) faltered over the last seven days, falling to two clubs with records below .500. The Warriors started their week by falling to Edmonton 7-5 on Friday, before losing to Calgary 2-1 two nights later. In both games, the Warriors were outshot by a combined total of 88 to 58, which included 50 shots allowed against Calgary on Sunday. Despite the pair of losses, Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus continued his torrid start to the season as he picked up a total of four points (1G-3A) in both road games. Firkus is currently riding a 12-game point streak (14G-12A over that stretch) and he sits tied for first among all CHL skaters with 33 points this season. Meanwhile, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Denton Mateychuk also extended his point streak to 11 games. The defenceman has yet to be held off the scoresheet this season and he has tallied a total of four goals over his last four games (which includes a goal against Calgary on Sunday). This week, the Warriors will look to get back on track when they host Brandon and Medicine Hat as part of a three-game homestand.
Games this week: vs. Brandon (Nov. 9), vs. Medicine Hat (Nov. 10)
8. London Knights (OHL): Having won three of their last four, the Knights (9-5-0-1) come in at No. 8 following a week that saw the club go to 2-1-0-0. First, on Friday, London earned a narrow 3-2 overtime victory over the Bulldogs thanks to Max McCue’s game-winner in overtime, which was created by a great takeaway and feed by Toronto Maple Leafs 2023 first rounder Easton Cowan. Cowan continued his excellent play the following nights by scoring a goal and nabbing an assist on the GWG against Owen Sound on Saturday, before registering another two points (1G-1A) in a 4-2 loss to No.10-ranked Kitchener on Sunday. Cowan now has points in eight of ten games this season, including in four straight contests (3G-6A over that stretch) heading into this week. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey was another bright spot for the Knights as he tallied a point (2G-1A) in all three Knights’ games to bring his total to 19 this season. Barkey has failed to register a point in just two of 15 games during the 2023-24 campaign. As they look ahead to this week, London will endeavour to score victories against Windsor, Owen Sound and Guelph in the hopes of climbing up both the OHL standings and the CHL Top-10 Rankings.
Games this week: @ Windsor (Nov. 9), vs. Owen Sound (Nov. 10), vs. Guelph (Nov. 11)
9. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): Although they suffered a 6-0 loss to the No. 4-ranked Huskies, the Wildcats (13-4-1-0) managed to score wins against the Foreurs (6-2) and Olympiques (7-4) this week – doing it all in the absence of their leading scorer Yoan Loshing in addition to a pair of players (including rookie Caleb Desnoyers) who are representing Canada at the U17 World Challenge. In their absence, rookie Julius Sumpf stepped up, collecting six points (1G-5A) in Moncton’s three games last week. Sumpf, an 18-year-old from Germany, now leads all QMJHL rookies with 20 points (7G-13A) this season. Preston Lounsbury had himself a strong week as he scored his first career QMJHL hat-trick against Gatineau a few days after tallying a goal against Val-d’Or. Additionally, Calgary Flames prospect Étienne Morin, who missed the Wildcats games against the Huskies and Foreurs, returned to the lineup in a big way on Saturday tallying his fifth goal of the season and a pair of assists against Gatineau. Morin’s five goals place him in a tie for first among QMJHL defencemen. Witn victories in eight of their last nine games, the Wildcats will aim to continue their winning ways when they host Charlottetown and Shawinigan this weekend.
Games this week: vs. Charlottetown (Nov. 10), vs. Shawinigan (Nov. 12)
10. Kitchener Rangers (OHL): Holding a share of first place in the OHL after doubling up the No.8-ranked Knights 4-2 on Sunday, the Rangers (11-5-0-0) enter the Top-10 for the first time this season at No. 10. As one of only two teams in the OHL with 11 wins, Kitchener lead the OHL with 77 goals this season and they’ve won seven of their last 10. The Rangers’ success can no doubt partially be attributed to the play of Seattle Kraken 2023 second rounder Carson Rehkopf (30 points), Vancouver Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz (27 points), and centreman Matthew Sop (27 points) – as all three continue to pace the OHL in points. Rehkopf, who registered seven points (3G-4A) in three games last week, has tallied goals in nine of his last 11 games. Rehkopf is now up to 17 goals this season, which are the most in the OHL and place him in a tie for second among all CHL skaters. Meanwhile, Brzustewicz’s 27 points are the most of any OHL defenceman and rank second among all CHL defencemen (trailing only Wenatchee’s Graham Sward by a single point). Sop had his ninth multipoint game of the season on Sunday. He’s been held off the scoresheet just once since Oct. 13, having recorded points in 10 of his last 11 games. Plus, if that wasn’t enough, Kitchener has enjoyed the return of Montreal Canadiens 2022 first round pick Filip Mešár to their lineup. In just five games this season, Mešár has collected two goals and seven assists, having tallied at least one point in all of his games during the 2023-24 campaign. Kitchener will look to continue its impressive play under first-year head coach Juusi Ahokas when they face Owen Sound, Peterborough and Sault Ste. Marie this week. Their road game against the Attack on Wednesday in Owen Sound will be featured as the CHL Game of the Week on TSN+ and it can be streamed live as a freeview on CHL TV.
Games this week: @ Owen Sound (Nov. 8), vs. Peterborough (Nov. 10), vs. Soo (Nov. 12)