CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 1

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 1 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2023-24 season. 

Moving into the top spot following its opening weekend is the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Following right behind them is the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) who jumped up a spot to second, while the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) fell to third. 

At the same time, entering the Top-10 for the first time is the unbeaten Val-d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL at No. 7, while the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, who remain unbeaten in regulation, slid in at No. 10.

The next rankings will be released the week of October 9, following the second week of regular season action in all three member leagues of the CHL.

CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 1

1. London Knights (OHL): It was a great start to the season for the Knights (2-0-0-0) and their newest acquisition Kasper Halttunen (SJS). The Finnish forward and San Jose Sharks prospect tallied three goals in his first two career OHL games to grab a share of the OHL lead all while helping his Knights grab two victories over the Niagara IceDogs. Speaking of new acquisitions, the 2023 OHL Playoffs MVP and former Petes netminder Michael Simpson looked sharp playing for his hometown club. The London native turned aside 57-of-60 shots for a 1.50 GAA and .950 SV% in his first two starts with the Knights.

Games this week: @ Sault Ste. Marie (Oct. 4), vs. North Bay (Oct. 6), vs. Guelph (Oct. 7)

2. Portland Winterhawks (WHL): After dropping their opening night contest to the WHL’s newest franchise, the Wenatchee Wild, the Winterhawks (2-1-0-0) have rebounded nicely by winning their last two games. As expected, they have been led in scoring by overagers Gabe Klassen (3G-4A) and James Stefan (2G-4A) who have both been dynamite to begin this new season. Plus, after extended stays at NHL training camps, Portland welcomed back this week Czech netminder Jan Špunar along with defensemen Marek Alscher (FLA), Luca Cagnoni (SJS), and Carter Sotheran (PHI), who all undoubtedly helped strengthen the Winterhawks’ backend in their 6-1 victory on Saturday night over the reigning WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds.

Games this week: vs. Everett (Oct. 6), vs. Vancouver (Oct. 7)

3. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): It might not have been the start that Rouyn-Noranda (1-0-1-2) was hoping for, but there still have been some positives for them to draw upon. Among their scoring leaders, the Huskies have received important contributions from key players like 40-goal scorer Daniil Bourash (2G-2A), new acquisition Antonin Verreault (2G-2A), and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Bill Zonnon (2G-2A) through four games. As it stands, they also remain one of only four QMJHL clubs who have yet to lose in regulation this season. As a result, despite three losses (two of them in a shootout and one in overtime), Rouyn-Noranda has collected points in all of their matches and should remain a threat to do so given the strength of their lineup, which only just welcomed back Jérémy Langlois (ARI) and Andrei Loshko (SEA) over this past week.

Games this week: @ Gatineau (Oct. 4), @ Drummondville (Oct. 5), @ Shawinigan (Oct. 7)

4. Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): Although they lost their first two contests of the season during the WHL’s opening weekend, the Warriors (3-2-0-0) rebounded in a major way last week, thanks in part to the return of their dynamic duo of Jagger Firkus (SEA) and Brayden Yager (PIT). For his efforts, Firkus was named the Tempo WHL Player of the Week thanks to his three goals and seven points in three victories this week. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the Penguins 2023 first-rounder Yager tallied three goals and five points in his first two games back in the Warriors’ lineup. Maybe just as impressive, the success of this Moose Jaw squad this past week came despite the absence of their captain and defenseman Denton Mateychuk (CBJ) who remains with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Games this week: @ Lethbridge (Oct. 6), @ Medicine Hat (Oct. 7)

5. Saginaw Spirit (OHL): The Spirit (1-1-0-0) had a bit of an up-and-down start to this new season. First, in their opening game against the Rangers, Saginaw’s first two shots on net were goals tallied by 2023 OHL Rookie of the Year Michael Misa with primary assists on both coming from promising 2024 NHL Draft prospect and defenseman Zayne Parekh. However, the 2024 Memorial Cup hosts proceeded to allow three unanswered goals to the Rangers and ultimately fell in the dying minutes of that game. They did make sure to rebound nicely in their home opener against Sarnia on Saturday where a timely goal from rookie Jacob Cloutier and a 24-save performance from Andrew Oke lifted the Spirit to their first win of the 2023-24 campaign. This week, they’ll seek to avenge that loss to Kitchener when they welcome the Rangers at home on Saturday.

Game this week: vs. Kitchener (Oct. 7)

6. Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL): After being outscored 9-2 by the Charlottetown Islanders during the QMJHL’s opening weekend, the Mooseheads (2-2-0-0) returned the favour to the Moncton Wildcats and Acadie-Bathurst Titan this weekend, outscoring them by a combined 12-2 scoreline. A big part of the turnaround had to do with the performance of rookie forward Lou Lévesque (2G-3A in his last two games) and netminder Mathis Rousseau (1.00 GAA & .970 SV% in his last two games), who were both named to the QMJHL’s Team of the Week on Monday. Rousseau, who spent time at Arizona Coyotes training camp, wasn’t the only player to make his return for Halifax this weekend. The Mooseheads also benefited from the return of defensemen Jake Furlong (SJS) and Dylan MacKinnon (NSH), along with forward Mathieu Cataford (VGK), who had a goal and four assists in his first two games of the season.

Games this week: @ Cape Breton (Oct. 4), vs. Victoriaville (Oct. 6), @ Blainville-Boisbriand (Oct. 7)

7. Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL): As it stands, there is only one four-win unbeaten team in the CHL and it happens to be the Foreurs (4-0-0-0), who have arguably been the biggest surprise of this season’s first couple of weekends. It was certainly no easy feat for Val-d’Or to have accomplished this early on in the 2023-24 campaign. The Foreurs started things off by notching consecutive wins against the previously top-ranked Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on the opening weekend, before scoring impressive victories against Shawinigan and Drummondville. The Foreurs have relied upon the strength of their offense to carry them through their four-game winning streak, as they have scored 19 goals so far this season, one shy of QMJHL leaders Moncton. A big part of Val-d’Or’s offense has come from Tomas Cibulka, who currently sits tied atop the QMJHL’s scoring leaderboard with seven points (2G-5A). Cibulka was also named to the QMJHL’s Team of the Week on Monday thanks to his performance over the last weekend (2G-3A in two games). With the winless Remparts on the docket twice this week, the Foreurs seem poised to stay unbeaten and among the CHL’s Top-10.

Games this week: @ Québec (Oct. 6), @ Québec (Oct. 7)

8. Sudbury Wolves (OHL): It was a tale of two different games this weekend for Sudbury (1-1-0-0). The Wolves got their latest campaign off on the right foot by putting together a dominant 6-2 effort at home against the Brantford Bulldogs on Friday. Seattle Kraken prospect and Wolves captain David Goyette (SEA) registered four assists on the night, while Kocha Delic had a three-point effort (1G, 2A). Two nights later, despite getting an early lead, Sudbury struggled to solve North Bay netminder and Winnipeg Jets prospect Dom DiVincentiis (WPG) in a 2-1 loss. With some important pieces still missing for Sudbury, it feels as though they will only get stronger as a group in the coming days and weeks.

Games this week: @ Peterborough (Oct. 5), @ Kingston (Oct. 6), @ Ottawa (Oct. 7)

9. Saskatoon Blades (WHL): It has been a mixed start to the season for the Blades (2-2-0-0), but with the return of key players over the course of this last week, they managed to earn an impressive 3-2 overtime win against the Medicine Hat Tigers this past weekend. Namely, during that contest, the Blades saw 2023 NHL first-round pick Tanner Molendyk (NSH) score the game-tying goal, before Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov (ANA) potted the winner in the extra frame, all while goalie Austin Elliott made 29 saves in what his first game back from Nashville Predators training camp. Despite experiencing a loss to Calgary the following day, the Blades appear to be catching their stride with these important players back in the fold.

Games this week: vs. Edmonton (Oct. 4), vs. Regina (Oct. 7)

10. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): As one of only two WHL clubs unbeaten in regulation through the first two weekends, the Tigers (3-0-1-0) have really impressed early on in the season. If it weren’t for a 3-2 overtime loss to the Blades on Saturday, which was a game they led late into the third period, the Tigers would be a perfect 4-0 and off to their best start in franchise history. However, despite this not being the case, there’s no doubt that Medicine Hat has to be happy with how things have begun. They won their first three games for the first time in nine years and unsurprisingly, they’ve been led in scoring by talented rookie Gavin McKenna (1G-6A) and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Cayden Lindstrom (3G-2A). This week, they’ll face a great test on Saturday when they welcome the Moose Jaw Warriors at home.

Games this week: @ Regina (Oct. 4), @ Swift Current (Oct. 6), vs. Moose Jaw (Oct. 7)