Hurricanes storm into third in pre-season CHL Top 10 Rankings
Toronto, Ont. – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the pre-season edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2018-19 season. The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.
With exciting talent throughout their lineup, the Lethbridge Hurricanes earned the third spot in the pre-season rankings. The Hurricanes posted a 3-2-0-0 record in five pre-season contests and look like a squad determined to claim their first Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history. Leading the team this year is captain and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Jordy Bellerive while Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy winner Dylan Cozens looks to raise his stock ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver, B.C. The team will also look to the likes of Penguins prospect Calen Addison on the blue line and New Jersey Devils prospect Akira Schmid in net to lead the team deep into spring. The Hurricanes begin their season at home, hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday, September 21 (7:00 p.m. MT) at the Enmax Centre.
The Spokane Chiefs were the next WHL team to feature in the CHL Top 10 this week, earning spot number six on the list. With a 4-1-1-0 record in pre-season play, the Chiefs had the best record among Western Conference clubs. They’ll look to extend that success to the regular season, leaning upon a quartet of talent drafted into the NHL. Up front, Los Angeles Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan led the team last year with 91 points (40G-51A) while San Jose Sharks prospect Jake McGrew had a strong first season in the WHL, posting 38 points (19G-19A) in 65 games. On the blue line, New Jersey Devils prospect Ty Smith will be one of the league’s top defenders with Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Filip Kral also looking to further impress. The Chiefs will begin their season on the road against the Tri-City Americans on Saturday, September 22 (7:05 p.m. PT).
Right behind the Chiefs were one of their U.S. Division rivals in the Portland Winterhawks, who occupied spot seven on the list. In five pre-season games, the Winterhawks went 2-2-1-0. Vegas Golden Knights prospect Cody Glass enters the season as one of the top-ranked forwards in the league following a 102-point (37G-65A) performance in 64 games last season. On defence, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Brendan De Jong will enter the season looking to guide a young, but experienced Winterhawks’ defence as the team awaits further news on the status of both Henri Jokiharju and Dennis Cholowski from their respective NHL camps. The Winterhawks opening game of the season will see them play the role of visitor against the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, September 22 (6:05 p.m. PT) at the accesso ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash.
Earning an honourable mention this week were the B.C. Division’s Vancouver Giants. The Giants went 2-3-0-1 in pre-season play, but expect to challenge for the division title and Ed Chynoweth Cup this season with a number of strong prospects occupying key roles for the club. The leading storyline for the club this season in defenceman Bowen Byram, who has been projected as the top defenceman available at the 2019 NHL Draft. Washington Capitals prospect Alex Kannok-Leipert and Arizona Coyotes prospect David Tendeck will occupy key roles on the blue line and between the pipes respectively. Up front, Calgary Flames prospect Milos Roman will look to provide a stronger offensive presence after recording 32 points (10G-22A) in 39 games last season. The Giants will open their season at the Langley Events Centre against the defending Western Conference Champion Everett Silvertips on Friday, September 21 (7:30 p.m. PT).
CHL Top 10 Rankings – Pre-season
| Rank: | Team: | Last Week Rank: | Number of Weeks Ranked: |
| 1 | Halifax Mooseheads | – | – |
| 2 | London Knights | – | – |
| 3 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | – | – |
| 4 | Drummondville Voltigeurs | – | – |
| 5 | Niagara IceDogs | – | – |
| 6 | Spokane Chiefs | – | – |
| 7 | Portland Winterhawks | – | – |
| 8 | Saginaw Spirit | – | – |
| 9 | Rimouski Oceanic | – | – |
| 10 | Ottawa 67s | – | – |
| Honourable Mention: | |||
| Cape Breton Screaming Eagles | – | – | |
| Vancouver Giants | – | – | |
| Oshawa Generals | – | – |
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
