WHL Power Rankings: Week 18
For the first time since November 15, 2024, we have a new Power Rankings leader to announce…
1. Medicine Hat Tigers
Gavin McKenna’s Wednesday Night in the Dub hat trick has helped lift the Medicine Hat Tigers to the top of the leaderboard.
After the 7-3 rout, the Tigers’ win streak has reached 11 straight games- including a perfect 4-0-0-0 on their U.S. Division road trip.
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin has picked up back-to-back WHL Goaltender of the Week wins, while McKenna has paced all WHLers with five goals and five assists in one week.
The projected top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft was also in on all three goals against Spokane in a statement 3-2 win, is tied for the CHL scoring lead with 83 points (Fellow ’07 Michael Misa also has 83 points with one more game played) and is riding a 24-game point streak.
McKenna is sitting on 198 career points heading into Friday’s match against the Portland Winterhawks.
2. Calgary Hitmen
2nd Central- 29-12-3-2
The Hitmen are a lovely runner-up this week with a 5-0-0-1 streak of their own.
Calgary picked up a trio of important wins against Central Division foes by snapping Lethbridge’s eight-game heater before blowing out Red Deer and Edmonton.
Daniel Hauser collected his 110th career win in a 25-save shutout against the Oil Kings, while Oliver Tulk netted his 100th career goal on the same night.
The Hitmen have seen plenty of performances worth highlighting, including Vancouver Canucks pick Sawyer Mynio and Ottawa Senators prospect Carter Yakemchuk combining for three goals and three assists against the Rebels and Ben Kindel racking up five more points (1G-4A) to tie for second in the scoring race with 78 points.
3. Everett Silvertips
1st U.S.- 34-7-4-3
Everett has been playing a lottttt of hockey.
The Tips fell to Wenatchee in overtime before beating Seattle and Tri-City in overtime before getting rolled by the Tigers on Wednesday night.
Notably, rookie defenceman Landon DuPont switched things up by suiting up as a winger in a 6-1 win against the Thunderbirds.
Anaheim Ducks prospect Tarin Smith enjoyed a breakout week with two goals and five assists, while co-captain and Seattle Kraken pick Kaden Hammell was right behind him with five points (1G-4A).
Projected 2025 first-round NHL pick Carter Bear is still in the hunt in the WHL goals race, sitting one tally behind Spokane’s Shea Van Olm.
Everett’s stacked schedule continues with tilts against Kelowna, Spokane and Kamloops on tap, and if all goes well, the Silvertips could become the first team to clinch a berth in the 2025 WHL Playoffs next week.
4. Lethbridge Hurricanes
3rd Central- 29-15-1-1
Calgary managed to snap Lethbridge’s impressive eight-game winning streak, but it was a tight affair that saw the Hurricanes claw within a goal in the third period. The Canes have since rebounded with a win over Edmonton to sit 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games. Leo Braillard impressed with a hat trick against Red Deer while the team’s big guns stepped up against Calgary and Edmonton. Four players registered four or more points on the week, highlighted by a two-goal, three-assist effort from Logan Wormald, two goals and two assists from Brayden Edwards and a goal and three helpers from Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager.
Yager is sitting at 298 career points as the Canes prepare to host Edmonton on Saturday.
5. Spokane Chiefs
2nd U.S.- 30-16-0-0
Spokane fell to Medicine Hat in its lone match of the week, but it was another tight game that saw the Tigers prevail with all three of its goals coming in a five-minute stretch of the third period.
Top-ranked goaltenders Meneghin and Dawson Cowan battle to the end. Cowan was named third star with a 27-save effort, with one of three goals against coming on the powerplay.
One of the WHL’s most formidable lines, comprised of Shea Van Olm, Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall and Seattle Kraken pick Berkly Catton, combined for another goal to keep Van Olm in the lead in the league goals race and Cristall sitting second in points.
6. Victoria Royals
1st B.C.- 26-13-3-5
The Victoria Royals fell, the Victoria Royals got back up.
After getting Scott Ratzlaff-ed by Seattle and snagging a single point in a shootout against Swift Current, the Royals put up their most dominant offensive effort of the season in an 11-1 win over Kelowna.
Teydon Trembecky had a hat trick plus change with a single helper, while 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Cole Reschny recorded two goals and three assists in the match.
New acquisitions Kenta Isogai and Trembecky surpassed 50 career goals and Kelowna will look for some revenge as the B.C. Division squads square up for next week’s Wednesday Night in the Dub freeview match.
7. Prince Albert Raiders
1st East- 26-15-3-1
The Raiders have a glorious chance to pull away from the pack after climbing the rankings and jumping into the East Division lead with a 7-0-0-1 run.
Prince Albert took seven of a possible eight points off the week, including a pair of wins against the rival Saskatoon Blades.
St. Louis Blues prospect Tomas Mrsic and Roblin, Man. product Brayden Dube were among the top WHL skaters on the week with seven points each over four games.
Veteran Max Hildebrand stood tall with 40 saves in an overtime win against the Blades and now leads all goaltenders in save percentage (.914) and is tied for second in wins (22).
8. Portland Winterhawks
3rd U.S.- 27-16-2-1
Portland picked up key divisional wins by trouncing Tri-City and Wenatchee.
Kyle Chyzowski’s incredible campaign hit a new milestone as the Captain surpassed 200 career points and 80 career goals with a one-goal, five-assist week.
The Hawks face two interesting tests this weekend with Medicine Hat slated for a visit on Friday and the B.C. Division-leading Royals rolling through the following night.
9. Prince George Cougars
2nd B.C.- 26-15-3-2
The Cougars seesawed to start the week by splitting against Brandon and Kamloops before breaking their slump in style with an 8-3 victory against the Swift Current Broncos.
Vegas Golden Knights prospect Viliam Kmec popped off for a career-best one-goal, four-assist night against the Broncos, while Ben Riche reached 50 career goals.
2025 NHL Draft-eligible Joshua Ravensbergen was named second star against Brandon with 29 saves, while Borya Valis added a goal and assist to sit on 199 career points entering this weekend.
10. Edmonton Oil Kings
4th Central- 25-18-1-2
Draft-eligible forward Lukas Sawchyn netted two goals and an assist as the Oil Kings peppered the Moose Jaw Warriors with more than 40 shots in a 5-1 win, but the goals dried up against Lethbridge and Calgary.
Rylen Roersma hit an important milestone as he suited up for his 250th WHL game- and scored the lone goal against Lethbridge to deny Jackson Unger’s shutout bid… But no one was able to solve Dan Hauser and the Hitmen to wrap up the week.
Things could get *greasy* as the Oil Kings look to change the result with rematches against the Canes and Hitmen on the docket for this weekend.
11. Brandon Wheat Kings
3rd East- 23-16-3-2
Wheaties Captain Quinn Mantei played a huge role on an extended road trip with 13 points in his last eight games.
The defenceman earned Tempo WHL Player of the Week Honours thanks to his efforts, but Brandon still ended up with a split against Prince George and Red Deer, beating the latter in their long-awaited return to Westoba Place.
Another defender, Luke Shipley, went off for a goal and four assists for his first five-point night in the win over the Rebels.
12. Swift Current Broncos
4th East- 24-19-1-1
Swift Current muscled out two hard-fought wins against Victoria and Vancouver to open their B.C. Division road trip before stumbling in Prince George.
Carlin Dezainde carried the torch with three goals and two assists, while Trae Wilke netted a regulation goal and the shootout winner against Victoria.
2025 NHL Draft-eligible Peyton Kettles and veteran Hunter Mayo also combined for seven assists (three and four, respectively) from the blueline.
The roady continues with tilts against Kamloops and Kelowna (featuring former Bronco, Dawson Gerwing) on tap this weekend.
13. Vancouver Giants
3rd B.C.- 23-17-6-0
The G-men collected three of a possible four points on the week with a high-scoring win against Kelowna and a narrow OT loss to the visiting Broncos.
Cameron Schmidt remains in the top heat of the league goals race with his 32nd marker, while Captain Mazden Leslie’s career season continues to be one of the best stories of the Giants’ season. Leslie is up to 12 goals and 39 assists for 51 points to sit second in scoring among all blueliners. He’s also riding a 10-game point streak (5G-12A) and is two lamp-lighters away from 50 in his career.
14. Saskatoon Blades
2nd East- 23-16-3-3
The Blades did manage to salvage a point, but a rivalry weekend between two teams that, frankly, love to take swipes at each other tilts in Prince Albert’s favour. Tyler Parr led the charge with a goal in Friday’s loss and three assists to force overtime two nights later.
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner is still ranked sixth among all qualified WHL netminders with a .906 save percentage, but his biggest win came off the ice this week with a $4,650 donation to Diabetes Canada with the proceeds guaranteed to stay in Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon continues a three-game homestand as they prepare to host the Wenatchee Wild for the very first time on January 31.
15. Tri-City Americans
4th U.S.- 23-18-4-1
Tri-City hung tough with Portland and Medicine Hat, but couldn’t find the win column last weekend.
However, the Ams were able to pick up a single point in an overtime loss against Everett before breaking through for a major win against Kamloops.
2025 NHL Draft-eligible Jackson Smith strung together three assists versus Portland, while Brandon Whynott his 50 career goals and Savin Virk tacked on two goals and three assists.
Tri-City now faces Prince George in three straight matches, setting up a critical juncture in the season for both squads.
16. Kamloops Blazers
4th B.C.- 17-25-3-0
While the aforementioned loss to the Cougars definitely stung, Kamloops turned out impressive wins over Prince George and Kelowna in their previous matches to stay in the Western Conference playoff mix.
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Harrison Brunicke has three assists in three games as the defenceman made his return to the lineup, while Detroit Red Wings pick Emmitt Finnie is closing in on the 30-goal mark with three goals and three apples on the week- the duo even linked up for the overtime winner against the Rockets.
The Blazers will host the Rockets before journeying south for tilts against the Giants and Silvertips.