Broncos saddle up to third in CHL Top 10 Rankings

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the week 23 edition of the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2017-18 season. The weekly rankings of the CHL’s Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

There was plenty of change in this week’s rankings, including the Swift Current Broncos moving up to third during their 20^th straight week on the charts. The Broncos’ week began with a 4-2 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors. Embarking on their final tour of Alberta for the regular season, the Broncos followed up a 5-3 loss to the Red Deer Rebels with an 8-0 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings and a 6-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. WHL Goaltender of the Week Stuart Skinner (Edmonton Oilers) went 7-1-0-1 in the month of February with a 2.78 goals-against-average, .916 save percentage and one shutout to help the Broncos challenge the Warriors for first place in the East Division, Eastern Conference and Western Hockey League. Undefeated at home in their last 11 and 8-1-1-0 record in their last 10 games overall, the Broncos will go in search of another home win Friday, March 2 (7:00 p.m. CST) against the Prince Albert Raiders.

Coming in right behind the Broncos were the Warriors, who split their four-game week, losing 4-2 and 4-3 games to the Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes respectively while also picking up 3-2 and 4-2 wins over the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades. The WHL’s leading goal scorer, Jayden Halbgewachs (San Jose Sharks), saw his seven-game goal streak come to an end Tuesday in Lethbridge, but with 59 goals in 62 games, he’s still producing at an incredible rate and could soon join some exclusive company. Only two players, Spokane’s Mitch Holmberg and Portland’s Oliver Bjorkstrand, have recorded 60-goal seasons since the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign. The Warriors will continue their four-game road trip in British Columbia Wednesday, February 28 (7:00 p.m. MST), closing out their season series with the Kootenay ICE.

The Everett Silvertips also slipped one spot in this week’s rankings, going from eighth to ninth. The Silvertips scored a 4-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1 wins against the Vancouver Giants and Seattle Thunderbirds and took a 5-2 loss against the Chiefs to conclude their week. Garrett Pilon (Washington Capitals) led all Silvertips in February with 15 points (8G-7A) in 12 games. That’s helped the Silvertips clinch their 15th straight playoff appearance, the WHL’s longest active streak, while also challenging to capture the U.S. Division and Western Conference crowns. Everett’s next test comes Friday, March 2 (7:35 p.m. PST) when they host the Kelowna Rockets.

Earning an honourable mention this week were the Portland Winterhawks, who lost a 3-1 result to the Kamloops Blazers to begin their week, but ended it with a weekend sweep of the Victoria Royals on the road followed by a 9-0 trouncing of the Tri-City Americans. Hanging on to second place in the U.S. Division by just three points, the Winterhawks will look to extend their winning streak to four games when they play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday, March 2 (7:00 p.m. PST).

CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 23

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.