WHL Power Rankings: Week Three
It may be Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, but it’s all about the U.S. Division in Week Three of the WHL Power Rankings.
There’s a three-way tie between Everett, Spokane and Portland for the best record in the WHL’s overall standings, but we’re giving the edge to the Silvertips.
1. Everett Silvertips
1st U.S.- 6-1-0-0
Everett has been perfect since its narrow opening-night loss to Calgary.
The Silvertips are on a six-game win streak- including their current 4-0 run on an East Division road trip.
And how often do you see a pair of defencemen leading a top team in scoring?
Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect Tarin Smith leads the Tips and is tied for second in points among all WHL skaters with 12 (one goal, 11 assists) in six games, while Landon DuPont leads all rookies with 11 points (four goals, seven assists).
2. Spokane Chiefs
2nd U.S.- 6-1-0-0
The only player with more points than Tarin Smith?
That would be Tempo WHL Player of the Week Shea Van Olm, who has a whopping three goals and five assists in his last three games.
Van Olm also recorded his first four-point night in the WHL in a 7-2 win over the Thunderbirds.
Star goaltender Dawson Cowan is 4-0-0-0 since returning to the league and just posted a 27-save shutout against Prince Albert to extend Spokane’s win streak to five games.
3. Portland Winterhawks
3rd U.S.- 6-1-0-0
Portland and Prince George have delivered the drama we all need and, frankly, the drama we deserve.
Three straight tilts between these Western Conference powerhouses have been decided by a single goal, but the Winterhawks have come out on top every time.
Seattle Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth had a goal and two assists as Portland stormed back from a 4-0 deficit to snag a 5-4 shootout victory on October 9.
The season is young, but this looks like a dream playoff matchup right now.
4. Prince George Cougars
1st B.C.- 4-2-2-1
Good news for the Cougars: Los Angeles Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer impressed with three goals and an assist in his first two games of the season.
Good news for the fans: Prince George and Portland have one more regular-season showdown set for Friday, December 13 in the Rose City.
5. Brandon Wheat Kings
2nd East- 4-2-0-1
The Wheat Kings earned three of a possible six points on this week’s homestand with a win over Edmonton, a shootout loss to Swift Current and a tough defeat at the hands of Everett.
Draft-eligible Roger McQueen remains tied at the top of the league goals leaderboard with eight tallies but saw his six-game point streak snapped by the Tips.
Brandon now faces a big test with a weekend road trip to face a Medicine Hat squad that’s desperate to get things on track and a Lethbridge team that has taken many by surprise
6. Saskatoon Blades
1st East- 4-1-1-0
Swift Current managed to hand Saskatoon its first loss of the season, but the Blades’ effort of the week came in a 5-4 overtime loss to Everett.
Saskatoon scored twice late in the third period to force the extra frame against the Silvertips and earn a single point.
First-year forward Cooper Williams was named WHL Rookie of the Week after continuing his strong play.
The 16-year-old is second only to DuPont in rookie scoring with four goals and five assists in six games.
7. Victoria Royals
2nd B.C.- 4-1-1-0
The Royals are nipping at the heels of the Cougars in the B.C. Division standings after splitting the week with a 5-3 loss to Portland and a decisive victory against Wenatchee.
Spencer Michnik earned WHL Goaltender of the Week recognition after picking up his first WHL shutout- and the league’s first shutout of the season- in a 3-0 takedown of the Wild.
The 18-year-old turned aside 22 shots and held Wenatchee scoreless on two powerplays to seal the win- and wouldn’t you know it- the Wild and Royals play twice more this weekend.
8. Vancouver Giants
3rd B.C.- 4-2-0-0
Go off, cap!
Fresh off of attending Vegas Golden Knights camp, Giants Captain Mazden Leslie erupted for three goals and five assists in three games to help Vancouver win two of three matchups this week.
The Giants boast the league’s top powerplay, and no one has taken advantage more than NHL Draft-eligible Cameron Schmidt, who has netted five of his eight goals on the man advantage.
The G-men continue a central division road trip this weekend with showdowns against Lethbridge and Medicine Hat on tap.
9. Red Deer Rebels
1st Central- 4-2-1-0
The Rebels aren’t just a force to be reckoned with in the dub, they also cracked the CHL Top-10 list with a seventh-place finish.
Red Deer kicked off the week with a third-straight victory over Medicine Hat (6-3) and followed it up with a 5-2 win over another Central Division rival in Calgary.
But the Rebs were dished back-to-back losses by Vancouver and the Tigers- can Ollie Josephson and company get the train back on the tracks against Edmonton on Saturday?
10. Lethbridge Hurricanes
2nd Central- 4-1-0-0
Alternate Captain Brayden Edwards took centre stage with a pair of goals in the Hurricanes’ 4-3 win over Moose Jaw last Friday.
Lethbridge looked solid in its lone match of the week, and they’ll have some extra firepower with the addition of veteran forward Shane Smith, who was acquired in a trade with Medicine Hat on October 8.
11. Medicine Hat Tigers
3rd Central- 2-4-0-0
Could the early-season pains be nearing an end for the Tigers?
Saddled with sky-high expectations entering the season, Medicine Hat has stumbled out of the gate.
The team has made a big splash by trading for 2024 WHL Goaltender of the Year nominee Harrison Meneghin. While his first outing as a Tiger didn’t go great against Moose Jaw, the veteran puckstopper bounced back with a 3-0 shutout of the Rebels.
Now, we’ll see if the tabbies can carry that positive momentum against the Wheat Kings on Friday…
12. Swift Current Broncos
3rd East- 4-3-0-0
The Broncos’ rise through the rankings has been, well, Swift.
After starting out 0-3-0-0, the boys from Speedy Creek have strung together four straight victories.
A five-point night from Rylan Gould and hat trick by Ty Coupland helped the Broncos slap Saskatoon with its first loss of the year, and they followed it up with comeback wins against Brandon and Calgary.
Don’t look now, but Kraken prospect and Captain Clarke Caswell is averaging nearly two points a game and netted the shorthanded game-winning goal against Calgary…
13. Moose Jaw Warriors
5th East- 2-3-1-0
Noted Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager has three goals and two assists in just two games since returning to the WHL?
Weird, who would’ve guessed?
The CHL Sportsman of the Year has had an immediate impact, nearly dragging the Warriors to a third-period comeback in a loss to Lethbridge and adding a goal and two primary assists in a 6-3 win against Medicine Hat.
Next up, the Warriors will try to snap Everett’s formidable six-game win streak at the Hangar.
14. Wenatchee Wild
4th U.S.- 2-2-2-0
Wenatchee will be hungry to fill the net after scoring just one goal in two games last week- though they did pick up a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to Kamloops.
The Wild have also established themselves as a stingy group that doesn’t allow many goals. They also have the league’s best penalty kill at a near-perfect 94.7 percent.
Wenatchee will face off against the team that shut them out last week with a pair of road tilts against Victoria on tap.
15. Calgary Hitmen
4th Central- 2-4-0-0
Calgary’s lone win of the week came in a nailbiter 4-3 decision against Vancouver, powered by a two-goal performance from Connor Hvidston.
However, the tide could be turning for the Hitmen with Ottawa Senators prospect Carter Yakemchuk ready to return to the lineup this weekend after a fantastic preseason showing with the NHL club.
Yaks will make his season debut in a Thanksgiving Monday showdown against Prince George at the Saddledome.
16. Regina Pats
4th East- 3-3-0-0
Another Saskatchewan club has clawed its way into the top 16 this week!
Kelton Pyne’s 33 saves and shootout heroics combined with Corben Almen’s regulation and shootout-winning goal downed the visiting Oil Kings to keep Regina trending in the right direction.
The Pats couldn’t overtake the Everett Silvertips but have another chance to climb higher when they take on the Broncos in WHL Friday night action.
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