WHL Power Rankings: Week 15
The 2025 WHL Trade Deadline has passed, all World Juniors participants have returned to their teams and rosters are locked and loaded as we hit the second half of the season.
Here’s a breakdown of how the Sweet Sixteen shook out this week:
1. Everett Silvertips
1st U.S.- 28-5-3-2
The Everett Silvertips reign supreme despite a pair of narrow back-to-back losses to the Victoria Royals in extra time.
Still, the ‘Tips are on a 4-0-1-1 streak and continue to lead the WHL in points, goals for and fewest goals against.
Everett also made a splash by announcing the Nashville Predators intend to assign former co-captain Austin Roest to the squad after he completes rehabilitation from an injury sustained in September.
Roest led the Silvertips in goals last season (38) and is nearly a point-per-game with 15 points (7G-8A) in 16 career playoff games.
Tonight’s match will be a must-watch as the Silvertips face the Spokane Chiefs and their newest addition, Andrew Cristall.
2. Calgary Hitmen
2nd Central- 22-11-3-1
Undefeated in 2025!
The Hitmen are rolling on a four-game win streak, including wins over Regina, Red Deer and Moose Jaw this week, and are 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 outings.
2025 NHL Draft-eligible Ben Kindel has set a new franchise record for longest point streak with a 21-game heater, while Oliver Tulk netted a hat trick in Wednesday Night in the Dub action
The pair are now tied for third in the WHL scoring race with 61 points each.
Calgary has made it clear they’re aiming for a deep playoff run with some big moves- including the addition of 2023 WHL Champion and Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio, who is set to make his Hitmen debut this weekend.
3. Spokane Chiefs
2nd U.S.- 26-13-0-0
Spokane posted back-to-back wins over the Kamloops Blazers last weekend, with veteran netminder Dawson Cowan collecting his 50th career win in front of a crowd of nearly 10,000 fans at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nathan Mayes scored the game-winner on night two as the Chiefs improved to 14-0-0 on home ice this season.
Spokane also landed one of the biggest names available at the trade deadline with the addition of Andrew Cristall.
Cristall is fifth in the WHL points race with 60 (26G-34A) in just 28 games and leads the league in points per game.
He’ll slot into the lineup over the weekend as the Chiefs also get Captain and Seattle Kraken pick Berkly Catton back from World Juniors.
4. Prince George Cougars
1st B.C.- 24-10-3-2
After being shocked by the Seattle Thunderbirds on home ice, Prince George bounced back with a shutout win and a pair of victories over the visiting Vancouver Giants.
Cooper Michaluk posted his first WHL clean sheet with a 24-save effort against Seattle, while newly-acquired Ben Riche played hero with a last-minute goal to down the Giants 6-5 on January 8.
The game-winning tally marks his first goal with Prince George.
Minnesota Wild prospect and Cats Captain Riley Heidt led the squad with three goals and six assists (he’s also on a five-game point streak) while 20-year-old Borya Valis is right behind his with seven points (3G-6A) of his own.
5. Medicine Hat Tigers
|1st Central- 23-15-2-0
The Tigers fell to Swift Current but turned it around with big wins over the Broncos and Prince Albert Raiders.
Gavin McKenna picked up right where he left off in his first game back from World Juniors, potting a goal and an assist against the Raiders to move back into a tie for first in the WHL scoring race with 62 points.
New addition Tanner Molendyk- the second Nashville Predators prospect we’ve mentioned today- also earned his first point as a Tiger with a helper on McKenna’s goal.
Veteran Mat Ward also played his way into the history books with two goals in six seconds, tying for the second-fastest consecutive goals by a single player in WHL history!
6. Victoria Royals
2nd B.C.- 21-11-3-4
Two straight wins against the top team in the league? What, like it’s hard?
At least, Rookie of the Week Keaton Verhoeff made it look easy.
The defenceman scored the overtime winner and had the game-tying goal the next night as Victoria took a pair of extra-time wins against the Everett Silvertips and took down the Seattle Thunderbirds this week.
Goaltender Jayden Kraus shined as he went 3-0-0-0 with a .946 save percentage- including stops on four of five opponents in the shootout against Everett.
Victoria is actually 3-0 against Everett this season, and are one of only five teams that the Silvertips haven’t beaten in 2024-25.
Victoria, Spokane and Moose Jaw have won all of their appearances against Everett, while the ‘Tips have yet to face Medicine Hat and Prince George.
The Royals now turn their attention to a tilt against the upstart Wild, where Kenta Isogai will play his first game in Wenatchee since being traded.
7. Lethbridge Hurricanes
4th Central- 21-14-1-2
Taking two of a possible six points against the Edmonton Oil Kings? Not great for Lethbridge.
Adding Seattle Kraken prospect and highly-touted defenceman Caden Price? Very nice.
With a shootout win against Edmonton and a steamrolling of a depleted Warriors squad, Lethbridge has two straight wins to stay in the mix for the top of the Central.
Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager is crushing it in his return from World Juniors with a goal and four assists in three games- he’ll reunite with his Canada teammate Price this weekend.
8. Edmonton Oil Kings
3rd Central- 21-14-1-2
If the 2025 WHL Playoffs started today, the Edmonton Oil Kings would have home-ice advantage in Round One.
The Oil Kings have come a long way this season and have cracked the WHL Power Rankings Top 10 for the first time.
Edmonton went 3-0-0-1 this week with two wins and a shootout loss against Lethbridge before doubling up the Saskatoon Blades.
Florida Panthers prospect Gracyn Sawchyn led all WHL skated with nine points (2G-7A) including a gorgeous shorthanded strike in four games.
The Oil Kings close out a five-game homestand against Prince Albert and Medicine Hat this weekend.
9. Portland Winterhawks
3rd U.S.- 21-14-2-1
Portland was edged by Tri-City in a shootout before getting doubled up by the pesky Wenatchee Wild.
The goals have been plentiful with Portland tied with Prince George for the league’s highest-scoring team, they just need to keep a few more out.
Captain Kyle Chyzowski’s four-assist week has him sitting first in the WHL scoring race with 62 points (Chyzowski’s 27 goals give him the tie-breaker over Gavin McKenna).
The Winterhawks are still 7-2-0-1 in their last 10, and they’ll look to come home with points aplenty as they kick off a six-game eastern road trip against…
10. Brandon Wheat Kings
2nd East- 19-11-3-2
Brandon dominated with road wings against Saskatoon and Prince Albert and quietly hold the fourth-best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference (.614, .600 on the road).
While the Wheat Kings are saying goodbye to Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Charlie Elick, they’re bringing in 2025 NHL Draft Eligible forward Jordan Gavin, who was a key part of Tri-City’s early-season success.
Gavin was also a Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy nominee for Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2024 and has just two career penalties in 174 regular season WHL games. One was a bench minor.
Marcus Nguyen also hit 20 goals for the fourth time in his WHL career and will face off against his former team, the Portland Winterhawks, for the first time on January 10.
11. Saskatoon Blades
1st East- 22-13-2-2
It’s a 2-2 split on the week for the East Division-leading Blades after falling to Brandon and Edmonton but beating Moose Jaw and Red Deer.
The reigning Scotty Munro Trophy winners moved out some major pieces with players like Molendyk, Riche and Brandon Lisowsky finding new teams, but have added young talent and a pile of much-needed draft picks.
Saskatoon’s Central Division road trip continues against Calgary on Friday.
12. Vancouver Giants
3rd B.C.- 19-16-4-0
Burke. Hood.
That’s all.
The WHL Goaltender of the Week posted back-to-back shutouts against Wenatchee and Kelowna and held his team close in a narrow loss to Prince George.
Hood closed out the week with a 1.01 goals-against average, 99 saves and a near-perfect .970 save percentage.
25 NHL Draft-eligible Cameron Schmidt’s three-goal, three-assist week has also launched him back to first place in the WHL goals race with 29.
Vancouver has a pit stop in Kamloops before returning to the Langley Events Centre for a three-game homestand.
13. Prince Albert Raiders
3rd East- 19-14-3-0
Prince Albert snuck out of Moose Jaw with a single point in the shootout after a brilliant performance from Warrior’s netminder Josh Banini before falling to Brandon and Medicine Hat.
Overall, just not Prince Albert’s week.
Seattle Kraken prospect Lukas Dragicevic was a standout with two goals and two assists, while Aiden Oiring will look to hit a major milestone on Friday as he enters the match against Edmonton with 49 career goals.
14. Swift Current Broncos
4th East- 19-17-0-1
The Broncos traded blows with the Medicine Hat Tigers as the teams split their meetings this week.
Luke Mistelbacher’s career-best campaign is looking even brighter after the 19-year-old lit the lamp four times (!!) in a 4-1 victory. He even had one of Swift Current’s two goals in the rematch.
The Broncos will enjoy a lighter schedule this weekend as they host Lethbridge on Friday and Edmonton on Wednesday.
15. Tri-City Americans
4th U.S.- 20-12-2-1
How’s this for whiplash? Tri-City’s four-goal second period helped lift them to a shootout victory against Portland before getting lit up by Wenatchee in a 10-2 loss.
Colorado Avalanche prospect Max Curran led the squad with four assists while Jake Gudelj chipped in three goals.
The Ams will also get a big boost on the blueline with the addition of 6-foot-3 right-shot defenceman Charlie Elick.
Tri-City looks to shake its recent woes when the team hosts Seattle on Friday.
16. Wenatchee Wild
5th U.S.- 15-18-3-1
Wenatchee rebounded in a big way after getting shut out by Vancouver by crushing Portland and Tri-City.
Captain Evan Friesen was named Tempo WHL Player of the Week with a six-goal, four-assist week- highlighted by four goals and a helper against the Americans.
The Wild have three home games at the Town Toyota Center on Tap, starting with the Victoria Royals on Friday.
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