WHL Power Rankings- Week 17
Every playoff berth could be clinched by the end of the weekend- but prime seeding and home-ice advantage are still up for grabs.
Here’s how teams are trending in the penultimate edition of this season’s WHL Power Rankings.
1. Portland Winterhawks
1st U.S.- 44-15-2-1
The Hawks are flying.
With wins over Wenatchee (7-1) and Spokane (3-2) this week, Portland has extended its win streak to five games to challenge Prince George for first in the Western Conference.
The Winterhawks remain the top-scoring team in the WHL with 296 lamp-lighters.
Gabe Klassen netted a goal and two assists to break the 100-point mark and James Stefan is just six points away from joining the century club.
The Winterhawks can clinch the U.S. Division for a sixth time this weekend versus Wenatchee.
2. Prince George Cougars
1st B.C.- 44-15-1-3
Prince George beat Vancouver (5-3, 6-3) and Kelowna (6-5 OT) to extend the team’s point streak to 12-0-1-1.
Zac Funk tallied five goals and two assists to breeze past the 60-goal mark and is just one point away from tying Jagger Firkus for the WHL points lead.
Super rookie Terik Parascak has three goals and four assists in his last three games to climb to 97 points and will look to become the third Cougar to hit triple digits this weekend when the Cats take on the Victoria Royals.
3. Saskatoon Blades
1st East- 46-12-2-3
The stingiest team in the WHL snagged a seventh shutout with a 4-0 win over Brandon to go along with a 3-1 defeat of Medicine Hat and an emotional 2-1 overtime victory against Edmonton on Frank Banham jersey retirement night.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky played hero with an overtime penalty shot game-winner and Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov had four goals on the week to sit at 49 on the season.
Austin Elliott finished the week with a .50 goals-against average and fourth shutout to sit second in clean sheets among WHL goalies.
The Blades clash with fellow Eastern Conference powerhouse Moose Jaw in a home-and-away set on Friday and Saturday.
4. Everett Silvertips
2nd U.S.- 41-18-2-3
The Silvertips are buzzing after a home-and-home sweep of Victoria (4-1, 6-2).
While Parascak and Gavin McKenna run away with the rookie scoring race, first-year import Julius Miettinen has quietly become a force for Everett.
The top 2024 NHL Draft prospect led his team with two goals and three assists on the week while Vegas Golden Knights prospect Ben Hemmerling and Dominik Rymon potted two goals and two assists each.
The Tips have prided themselves on scoring by committee, with six players surpassing 20 goals and two more forwards within striking distance of the milestone.
5. Swift Current Broncos
1st Central- 36-20-4-2
Swift Current is dishing out some playoff-style hockey with wins over Brandon (6-3) and Prince Albert (4-2) to improve to 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games.
Arizona Coyotes prospect Conor Geekie continues to thrive in Speedy Creek, adding three goals and three assists to sit at 19 goals in a Broncos sweater (he has 39 on the season).
The red-hot Broncos have also leapfrogged the Tigers to lead the Central Division.
Swift Current now has a chance to clinch the division in an all-important weekend home-and-away series with Medicine Hat.
6. Moose Jaw Warriors
2nd East- 41-19-0-3
Moose Jaw snagged three of a possible four points by doubling up Regina (6-3) and falling to Lethbridge in a shootout (3-2).
Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie led the squad with three goals and an assist, while Atley Calvert saw his astounding point streak come to a close against the Hurricanes.
Calvert scored 20 goals and 21 assists for 42 points in 21 games from January 17 to March 8.
The Warriors get back in the saddle to battle the Blades on Friday night.
7. Red Deer Rebels
3rd Central- 33-22-2-6
Red Deer is on the upswing after sweeping a three-game set against Calgary (2-1, 4-3, 5-2).
NHL Draft-eligible forward Ollie Josephson scored his 11th goal of the season shorthanded on March 8 while rookie Jeremiah Roberts put up four assists in two nights- including a career-high three-assist outings.
The Rebels now turn their attention to a weekend set against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
8. Kelowna Rockets
2nd B.C.- 31-28-4-1
Kelowna has rocketed up the B.C. Division standings and clinched a playoff berth with a 7-1-1-1 record in its last 10 games.
Andrew Cristall’s career-best seven-point (two goals, five assists) night against Kamloops earned him Tempo WHL Player of the Week honours as the Washington Capitals prospect surpassed 100 points on the season.
The Rockets followed up the 9-1 win with a 4-3 victory of Kamloops and a 6-5 overtime loss to Prince George.
Tij Iginla has tallied eight times in his last seven matches to sit sixth in the WHL goals race with 46.
With a set against Everett on tap this weekend, Kelowna has a chance to climb into fourth in the Western Conference to secure home ice advantage in round one of the WHL Playoffs.
9. Medicine Hat Tigers
2nd Central- 35-22-5-2
The battered Tigers are limping along with losses to Saskatoon (3-1) and Prince Albert (8-3) but have plenty of time to get things back on track before playoffs.
Medicine Hat still boasts the third-best powerplay (28.8%) and penalty kill (81.4%) in the league.
Rookie sensation Gavin McKenna is also chasing history with 31 goals and 59 assists in 58 games.
He’s one helper away from tying for third in all-time single-season assists by a 16-year-old and eighth in all-time points by a 16-year-old.
The 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward looks to pad those stats and get back in the win column against Swift Current this weekend.
10. Wenatchee Wild
3rd U.S.- 32-26-4-0
Wenatchee defeated Tri-City (8-1) before being smoked by Portland (7-1).
Such is the teeter-totter of life.
It was a triumphant return to the ice for Briley Wood, who had a two-goal, three-assist performance against the Americans after missing nearly a month with an injury.
Kenta Isogai also hit the 30-goal marker with a powerplay strike.
The Wild are set for a pair of U.S. Division tilts against Spokane and Portland on Friday and Saturday.
11. Prince Albert Raiders
4th East- 30-28-2-3
Prince Albert had a .500 week with an overtime loss to Edmonton (3-2), a win against Medicine Hat (8-3) and a loss to Swift Current (4-2).
Sloan Stanick’s career-best season continued with two goals (including a shorthanded marker) and three assists in three games to snag first-star honours against the Oil Kings and Tigers.
Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Ryder Ritchie is also finding his groove after a lengthy injury absence, scoring three goals this week to improve to seven points in eight games back.
The Raiders hit the road this weekend to face Regina and Brandon- with a chance to leapfrog the Wheat Kings in the standings and clinch a playoff berth.
12. Lethbridge Hurricanes
4th Central- 30-28-5-0
The highs were high and the lows were low for Lethbridge with a shutout at the hands of Brandon (4-0), a shootout win over Moose Jaw (3-2) and a tough loss to Edmonton (6-1).
Brayden Edwards scored his 27th and 28th goal of the season against Moose Jaw and Edmonton, while Logan Wormald buried the shootout-winner.
The Hurricanes have the fewest goals scored of any team in a playoff position, and they’ll need the offence to step up with the chance to clinch a spot in the postseason this weekend.
13. Brandon Wheat Kings
3rd East- 30-28-6-1
Brandon just has Lethbridge’s number this season.
Goals by Matteo Michaels, Joby Baumuller, Jayden Wiens and Brett Hyland powered the Wheat Kings to a 4-0 win over the Hurricanes, marking the third time Brandon has shut out Lethbridge this season.
The Wheaties tumbled after that with a hectic 6-3 loss to Swift Current and a 4-0 shutout at the hands of Saskatoon.
Brandon has a big match against Prince Albert on tap as the teams jockey for a playoff berth and positioning.
14. Vancouver Giants
4th B.C.- 30-29-4-0
Vancouver hit a speed bump with a pair of losses to Prince George (5-3, 6-3) before storming back to a 5-1 win over Tri-City.
After breaking the Giants’ record for goals by a 16-year-old, Cameron Schmidt is closing in on another major milestone.
With 26 goals and five games remaining, Schmidt has a chance to join the esteemed ranks of players who scored 30 in their 16-year-old-year.
In the past 30 years, only five players have hit the milestone- including the likes of Connor Bedard and Patrick Marleau.
Schmidt and the Giants look to stay in the win column and inch closer to the landmark in a weekend set against Kamloops.
15. Victoria Royals
3rd B.C.- 28-27-5-4
The Royals are stinging after a weekend sweep at the hands of Everett (4-1, 6-2).
The losses are especially bitter since Victoria initially led both matches.
Hayden Chaloner was a bright spot with his first WHL goal.
With four games left on the regular season slate, Victoria looks to finish strong against Prince George and Wenatchee.
16. Spokane Chiefs
4th U.S.- 27-30-5-1
The Chiefs are just one point away from locking down the final playoff berth in the Western Conference after splitting against Seattle (5-4L, 5-1W) and a narrow loss to Portland (3-2).
Spokane is sneakily one of the top-scoring teams in the league.
Entering Friday’s action, the Chiefs are one of only two teams to boast 40+ goal-scorers with 2024 top NHL Draft prospect Berkly Catton (50) and Connor Roulette (40).
The Chiefs will try to punch their ticket to the postseason against Wenatchee on Friday night.