2024-25 CHL Top-10 Rankings: Week 3

Today, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced the Week 3 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2024-25 season.

Riding a four-game winning streak, the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) moved into the top spot for the first time this season. Right behind them are the Brampton Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), who fell down a spot to second, while the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) remain in third.

Undefeated over the last week, the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL, the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, and the London Knights of the OHL were among this week’s biggest risers. Additionally, as all three sit atop the standings of their respective leagues, the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, and the Everett Silvertips of the WHL are making their Top-10 debut of the season at No. 7, No. 9, and No. 10 respectively.

The next rankings will be released the week of October 21, following the fourth week of regular season action in all three Member Leagues of the CHL.

CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 3

1. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): Having secured a pair of victories this past week to extend their winning streak to a CHL-best four in a row, the Moncton Wildcats (6-1-1-0) have jumped into the top spot of the rankings for the first time this season. Over their two wins over the last seven days, the Wildcats won convincingly – first defeating the previously-ranked Sherbrooke Phoenix 9-3 on Saturday, before edging the Charlottetown Islanders 5-1 on Thanksgiving Monday. 2025 NHL Draft prospect Julius Sumpf continued his hot start to the season, as he tallied three goals and five points in those two victories. The German forward now leads the team with 11 points (5G-6A) through eight games, including a pair of three-point outings against the Islanders. Utah Hockey Club prospect Gabe Smith also had a big week scoring three goals and extending his goal-scoring streak to four straight games. Smith is up to a team-leading five goals and has seven points through five games this season. Among some of the other good news for the Wildcats this week, projected 2025 NHL Draft first-round pick Caleb Desnoyers (1G-1A in 4 GP this season) made his return to the lineup yesterday against the Islanders after missing the last four games. This week, the Wildcats will close out a five-game homestand with games against the Sea Dogs and Saguenéens, before heading to Cape Breton for a date with the Eagles.

Games this week: vs. Saint John (Oct. 17), vs. Chicoutimi (Oct. 18), @ Cape Breton (Oct. 20)

2. Brampton Steelheads (OHL): After winning four straight to start the season, the Brampton Steelheads (4-3-0-0) have since struggled having lost three in a row, including a pair of contests over the last seven days. Their three consecutive losses have, however, come against some of the best clubs in the OHL. Specifically, Brampton fell to the OHL-leading Windsor Spitfires (No.9-ranked), the OHL’s second-place Niagara IceDogs (No.8-ranked), and a tough Barrie Colts squad on the road. Despite the losses, the Steelheads are still enjoying plenty of production from its top line of Dallas Stars prospect Angus MacDonnell, Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf, and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Porter Martone, who collectively factored in on all five of Brampton’s goals against the Spitfires on Friday night. Although he was held pointless in Barrie, Martone continues to share the OHL lead in scoring with 16 points (7G-9A). With a three-point effort against the Spitfires, Martone now has five multi-point outings through seven games this season, including four contests with three or more points. Having given up 11 goals over their two losses last week, the Steelheads will need to do a better job of protecting their net, especially as they continue to play in the absence of goaltender Jack Ivankovic who will remain out of the lineup during games against the 67’s and Spirit this week.

Games this week: vs. Ottawa (Oct. 18), vs. Saginaw (Oct. 19)

3. Prince George Cougars (WHL): Taking home four points out of a possible eight over a stretch of four games last week, the Prince George Cougars (5-3-2-1) remain in third for a second week in a row. Part of their struggles over the last seven days can be attributed to their ability to defend their net, as the Cougars conceded four goals or more in all four of their contests last week. One of them was especially heartbreaking for Prince George as they gave up a four-goal, third-period lead to the Winterhawks, tallied four goals in a matter of 10 minutes to force overtime, and an eventual shootout that Portland would come out victorious from. That said, it wasn’t all that bad for the Cougars. Last week, they welcomed back Los Angeles Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer (3G-3A in 4 GP this season) to their lineup. Ziemmer came in and had an immediate impact, registering points in three of four games last week. Meanwhile, in their lone victory of the week, Prince George got a hat-trick from Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt (4G-7A in 7 GP this season), who registered his fourth multi-point game of the season. Meanwhile, 20-year-old forward Borya Valis continues to lead the team with 15 points (4G-11A) through nine games this season. Valis’ 15 points place him among the top-five scorers in the WHL so far through 2024-25. This week, the Cougars will continue their Alberta road trip with dates in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge against the No. 5-ranked Tigers and the Hurricanes.

Games this week: @ Medicine Hat (Oct. 16), @ Lethbridge (Oct. 18)

4. Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL): As one of just three teams in the CHL currently riding a four-game winning streak, the Rimouski Océanic (5-3-0-0) are up a couple of places to rank fourth in this week’s rankings. Similar to their counterparts in Moncton, the Océanic notched a pair of victories over the last week, earning them on the road against Chicoutimi (5-4 SO) and Québec (4-0). Among the big performers for Rimouski over the last week was Anaheim Ducks prospect Alexandre Blais (3G-5A in 6 GP this season), who tallied two goals and two assists during the Océanic’s two wins. Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford (4G-11A in 6 GP this season) continued his climb up the QMJHL scoring race following another pair of multi-point outings. The reigning QMJHL MVP has now registered two points or more in six straight games to start the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, 2026 NHL Draft prospect William Lacelle turned aside all 19 shots he faced against the Remparts to secure his first career shutout in the QMJHL. Coming into this week, the Océanic’s offense will look to keep the good time rolling. Having scored four goals or more in five of their last six games, Rimouski will hope to achieve more of the same when they hit the road to face the No.-7-ranked Voltigeurs before heading back to Rimouski for the first time this season. Specifically, fans will get to see the new renovations and upgrades done to the Colisée Financière Sun Life ahead of next spring’s 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski when the Océanic host the Foreurs in the CHL Game of the Week on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The CHL Game of the Week is available to fans worldwide throughout the 2024-25 season as a ‘freeview’ on CHL TV.

Games this week: @ Drummondville (Oct. 16), vs. Val-d’Or (Oct. 19), vs. Val-d’Or (Oct. 20)

5. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): After struggling through a four-game skid, the Medicine Hat Tigers (4-4-0-0) caught their stride last week by winning three in a row and jumping up four spots to No. 5 in this week’s rankings. Medicine Hat seemed to put together at both ends of the ice, as they outscored their opponents 14-3 in their three victories last week. They also gave up two goals or fewer in all three of those games, one of which included a 3-0 shutout victory over the Red Deer Rebels, a team that had defeated three times over the last two weeks. In that 3-0 victory, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin (2-2-0-0 record, 2.04 GAA, .922 SV% & 1 SO in 4 GP this season) was excellent, turning aside all 24 shots he faced to secure his first shutout of the season. Meneghin, who was acquired by the Tigers a little over a week ago, was also excellent in a 6-1 Tigers’ win over the Wheat Kings as he made 21 saves to secure a second straight victory. Meanwhile, both 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna (2G-11A in 8 GP this season) and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha (2G-7A in 7 GP this season) also played a big part in the club’s success over the last week. In addition to scoring his first two goals of the 2024-25 campaign, McKenna collected six points (2G-4A) through Medicine Hat’s three contests last week. The 2026 NHL Draft prospect now has 11 points over his last five games. As for Basha, the Flames prospect also registered six points (1G-5A) during the Tigers’ three-game winning streak, which included picking up an assist on four of Medicine Hat’s five goals against the Vancouver Giants. This week, Medicine Hat will have its hands full as it welcomes the No. 3-ranked Cougars to Co-Op Place, before hitting the road for a date in Moose Jaw against the defending WHL champions.

Games this week: vs. Prince George (Oct. 16), @ Moose Jaw (Oct. 18)

6. London Knights (OHL): Having welcomed back Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk back into their lineup, the London Knights (4-3-0-0) looked like their old selves this week – racking up three straight victories. The Knights were especially impressive from a scoring perspective, scoring five goals in wins against Owen Sound (5-4 OT), Barrie (5-4), and Guelph (5-1) over the last seven days. Bonk (1G-3A in 3 GP this season), Barkey (0G-2A in 3 GP this season), and Cowan (2G-2A in 3 GP this season) all factored in the Knights’ three wins. Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson (4G-3A in 5 GP this season) might have had the most impressive week of any London skater. Dickinson was named the first star in both the Knights’ victories over the Attack and Colts, having registered a two-point night (1G-1A) in Owen Sound before scoring a hat trick (3G-0A) against Barrie on Friday. Dickinson’s four goals place him in a tie for first among OHL defencemen in 2024-25. Meanwhile, since returning to the Knights’ lineup, Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O’Reilly (2G-3A in 5 GP this season) has registered a point in all five of his appearances for London. This week, O’Reilly and the Knights will look to extend their respective streaks when they host both the Spirit and Otters at Canada Life Place.

Games this week: vs. Saginaw (Oct. 18), vs. Erie (Oct. 20)

7. Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL): Holding a CHL-best .833 point percentage and sitting in first place in the QMJHL standings, the Drummondville Voltigeurs (7-1-0-1) make their Top-10 debut of the season in seventh. The reigning QMJHL champions have gotten off to a fantastic start, winning seven of their first nine games to start the 2024-25 campaign, including three victories in a row over the last seven days. Drummondville has been particularly good at defending through nine games this season. Specifically, they allowed a CHL-low 17 goals in 2024-25, having given up only 1.89 goals per game. Over the weekend, the Voltigeurs shut out both the Foreurs (2-0) and the Huskies (1-0), and they are currently riding a 121:30 shutout streak as they enter the week. A big part of their success in keeping the puck out of their net has no doubt been the play of their veteran goalie Riley Mercer (6-0-0-0 record, 1.17 GAA, .963 SV%, & 1 SO in 6 GP this season). Through six starts, Mercer has won all six of his starts while registering a 1.17 GAA, and .963 SV% – both of which rank first among any goalie in the CHL in 2024-25. At the same time, captain Luke Woodworth (0G-12A in 7 GP this season) leads the QMJHL with 12 assists, while Sam Oliver (7G-2A in 9 GP this season) has recorded seven goals in nine games. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Gauthier made his debut last Wednesday and over the week he has already tallied six points (2G-4A) in his first three contests of the 2024-25 campaign. This week, the Voltigeurs will be tested when they welcome the No.4-ranked Océanic to Drummondville, before facing the Tigres and Cataractes this weekend.

Games this week: vs. Rimouski (Oct. 16), @ Victoriaville (Oct. 18), vs. Shawinigan (Oct. 20)

8. Niagara IceDogs (OHL): After splitting their two games last week, the Niagara IceDogs (5-1-0-0) continue to rank eighth in the CHL Top-10 Rankings this week. Still holding the best point percentage in the CHL at .833 (alongside the Voltigeurs), the IceDogs conceded more than three goals for the first time this season, including during a 6-4 defeat to the Owen Sound Attack at home – which marked their first loss of the 2024-25 campaign. However, Niagara picked themselves up and bounced back on Saturday night to defeat the Battalion 7-5 and get back in the win column. Over their two games last week, Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He (7G-8A in 6 GP this season) and Seattle Kraken prospect Andrei Loshko (5G-7A in 6 GP this season) continue their scorching hot start to the season. He recorded four points (1G-3A) in those two games to extend his point streak to six contests, while Loshko has now tallied two or more points in three consecutive games. The latter included a three-point (2G-1A) effort against the Battalion, which saw Loshko tally the game-winner shorthanded (on a goal assisted by He) before he scored another late in the third period to put the game away. This week, the IceDogs will look to string another set of victories together as they prepare to face the 67’s, Rangers, and Frontenacs over the next seven days.

Games this week: vs. Ottawa (Oct. 17), @ Kitchener (Oct. 18), vs. Kingston (Oct. 20)

9. Windsor Spitfires (OHL): With marquee wins against the No.2-ranked Steelheads and the Oshawa Generals over the last seven days, the Windsor Spitfires (6-1-1-0) are making their Top-10 debut of the season at No. 9. With wins in five of their previous six games, the Spitfires are sitting in first place in the OHL with 13 points. No team in the CHL has scored more goals than Windsor so far through the 2024-25 campaign, as the Spitifires have potted a total of 46 goals and averaged a CHL-best 5.75 goals per game. Leading the charge offensively for Windsor has been Los Angeles Kings prospect Liam Greentree (3G-13A in 7 GP this season), who ranks tied for first in the OHL with 16 points. Greentree’s 13 assists are the most of any skater in the CHL so far through the 2024-25 season. Additionally, Spits defenceman Anthony Cristoforo (2G-8A in 8 GP this season) has enjoyed a great start to his year, as the 18-year-old blueliner has registered 10 points and eight assists, which both rank first among defencemen in the OHL. In net, 19-year-old netminder Joey Costanzo (6-0-0-0 record, 2.33 GAA, .920 SV%, 1 SO in 6 GP) is tied for the CHL lead with six wins this season. Yet to lose a start this season, Costanzo currently holds a 2.33 GAA and .920 SV%, both of which rank among the top-10 netminders in the OHL. This week, the Spitfires will look to maintain their place both within the CHL Top-10 rankings and atop the OHL standings when they travel to Guelph and Owen Sounds for a pair of road games.

Games this week: @ Guelph (Oct. 18), @ Owen Sound (Oct. 19)

10. Everett Silvertips (WHL): As they sit atop the WHL standings thanks to seven wins through nine games to start the 2024-25 campaign, the Everett Silvertips (7-2-0-0) come in at No.10 in what is their Top-10 debut of the season. Over the last week, the Silvertips came away with an impressive three victories during a four-game road trip through Manitoba and Saskatchewan, scoring victories against Brandon (4-1), Regina (5-1), and Swift Current (6-3). Their only loss was a 4-2 defeat to the reigning WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors. Over the first couple of weeks of the season, 15-year-old defenceman Landon DuPont (4G-8A in 9 GP this season) has showcased his talent. The ninth Exceptional Status Player in CHL history has registered points in eight of nine games to start his WHL career. DuPont’s 12 points rank second among WHL defencemen, trailing only his teammate and Anaheim Ducks prospect Tarin Smith (1G-12A in 8 GP this season) who has also enjoyed a great start to his season. Smith currently leads all WHL skaters with 12 assists. Meanwhile, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Carter Bear (7G-7A in 9 GP this season) has potted seven goals and 14 points to kick start his 2024-25 season, both of which rank among the top-five leaders in the WHL for goals and scoring. This week, Everett will wrap up what has been a seven-game road trip in Portland for what is their lone game on the schedule this week.

Games this week: @ Portland (Oct. 19)