The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today the Week 9 edition of its CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2023-24 season.
Having won eight of their last 10 games and sitting alone atop the WHL standings, the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) are No.1 for the first time this season. Right behind them is the red-hot Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), who have won seven in a row and lead the QMJHL with a 4.61 goals per game average. Rounding out the top-three is the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, who fell a couple of spots to No. 3 after ranking first for four straight weeks.
Meanwhile, the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL jumped up three spots to sixth having won a pair of games last week. With seven wins over their last eight contests, the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL are back in the Top-10 at No. 7, while both the Saginaw Spirit and the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) are reentering the rankings after being absent from this list since October.
The next rankings will be released the week of December 4, following the tenth week of regular season action in all three member leagues of the CHL.
CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 9
1. Prince George Cougars (WHL): Having won nine of their last 11 games, including a 3-1 victory at home against Everett last night, the Cougars (18-6-0-0) have jumped up to the top spot for the first time this season. Prince George is just one of four teams in the CHL with 18 wins so far through the 2023-24 campaign. Their 4.75 goals per game and +48 goal differential both rank second in the CHL behind only the Kitchener Rangers (who have a 5.04 goals per game average and a +54 goal differential). This past week, it was the usual cast of characters who led Prince George to a pair of victories. Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt (2G-6A in last two games) extended his point streak to 16 games, 20-year-old forward Zac Funk (3G-0A in last two games) is up to 21 goals on the season, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Terik Parascak (1G-2A in last two games) shares the WHL lead with 22 goals on the year, and rookie netminder Joshua Ravensbergen stopped 28-of-29 shots on Monday to improve his record to 8-1-0-0 this season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all positive for the Cougars as they may have to carry forward without Los Angeles Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer (2G-1A in win vs. Lethbridge) who left Monday’s game with an injury. Tonight at 7 p.m. PT, Prince George will once again face the Silvertips in what will be the CHL Game of the Week – it’s a contest that can be seen live on CHL TV for free. Following tonight’s CHL GOTW, the Cougars will then head south of the border for contests against Tri-City, Spokane and Portland to round out their week.
Games this week: vs. Everett (Nov. 28), @ Tri-City (Dec. 1), @ Spokane (Dec. 2), @ Portland (Dec. 3)
2. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL): It was a marquee week for the Drakkar (23-3-2-0), who won all three of their games this past week, including an important 4-3 overtime victory over the No.3-ranked Mooseheads. Now riding a seven-game winning streak, having also won 16 of their last 17 games since October 20, Baie-Comeau continue to sit atop the QMJHL standings. The Drakkar’s three regulation losses (let alone their five total losses) this season are the fewest of any club in the CHL. In their three victories over the last seven days, centreman Félix Gagnon was especially good. The 19 year-old from Jonquière, Que., was named to the QMJHL’s Team of the Week having scored a pair of goals and registered five assists in those three wins. Gagnon is now averaging a point per game this season (27 points in 26 games). Additionally, although Justin Gill saw his 19-game point streak get snapped on Saturday against Cape Breton, the New York Islanders prospect tallied a pair of assists and continues to rank tied for second in the CHL with 44 points. 2024 NHL Draft prospect Justin Poirier potted his QMJHL-leading 23rd goal of the season (which ranks 2nd in the CHL), while 2024 NHL Draft prospect Raoul Boilard continues to lead all QMJHL rookies with 28 points this season. This week, the Drakkar will look to extend their winning streak to nine games when they host Blainville-Boisbriand for a pair of games this weekend.
Games this week: vs. Blainville-Boisbriand (Dec. 1), vs. Blainville-Boisbriand (Dec. 2)
3. Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL): After winning a CHL-best 10 games in a row, the Mooseheads’ (19-5-2-0) winning streak came to halt last Thursday as a result of a 4-3 overtime loss to No.2-ranked Baie-Comeau. From there, Halifax struggled in a 3-0 shutout loss in Cape Breton on Friday, before they salvaged their week by blanking No.6-ranked Moncton 4-0 on Sunday. Among the Mooseheads to have strong weeks were once again Markus Vidicek (4G-1A in last three games) and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais (1G-5A in last three games) who is the only player in the QMJHL averaging two points per game (2.31) this season. Both Vidicek and Dumais now each have 37 points on the year, which ranks second to only Justin Gill in the QMJHL scoring race. Meanwhile, although he suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since last spring’s QMJHL playoffs, goaltender Mathis Rousseau rebounded nicely against the Wildcats by turning aside all 35 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. Having lost just twice in regulation since October 20, Halifax will look to continue its strong play when they hit the road to face Blainville-Boisbriand, Val-d’Or and Rouyn-Noranda this week.
Games this week: @ Blainville-Boisbriand (Nov. 29), @ Val-d’Or (Dec. 1), @ Rouyn-Noranda (Dec. 2)
4. Kitchener Rangers (OHL): Although they fell in consecutive games for the first time since the beginning of October, the Rangers (18-7-0-0) still managed to score a pair of wins against Erie (10-3) and Flint (3-1) at the bookend of their week to maintain their place at No. 4. Kitchener continues to have the best goal differential (+54) of any club in the CHL and they are the only club in the CHL to average five goals a game (5.04) this season. Helping them achieve the latter continues to be Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf (2G-4A in last four games; leads CHL with 45 points), Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mešár (5G-2A in last four games; nine multi-point games in 14 games played this season) and 20-year-old forward Matthew Sop (2G-2A in last four games; 39 points this season rank third in the OHL). Additionally, the Rangers benefitted from the excellent play of Antonino Pugliese, who tallied a career-high four goals against Erie before later tallying another goal in Kitchener’s loss to Guelph. This week, the Rangers will hope to string together another winning streak when they play games against the Otters, IceDogs and Sting.
Games this week: @ Erie (Nov. 29), vs. Niagara (Dec. 1), @ Sarnia (Dec. 3)
5. Portland Winterhawks (WHL): It was a week of mixed results for the Winterhawks (15-7-0-1), who came away with five out of a possible eight points over the last seven days – scoring wins against No.10-ranked Saskatoon (5-4 OT) and Victoria (4-3 SO). Portland’s .674 point percentage ranks third in the WHL, behind only the Prince George Cougars (0.750) and Medicine Hat Tigers (0.708). Florida Panthers prospect Josh Davies (4G-2A in last four games) and 20-year-old James Stefan (3G-5A in last four games) were among the biggest bright spots for the Winterhawks last week. Davies now leads the team with 17 goals on the season, which places him among the top-10 goal scorers in the WHL. Meanwhile, Stefan is up to 33 points (14G-19A) during the 2023-24 campaign, trailing only Gabe Klassen’s 41 points for the team lead. As they look ahead to the weekend, Portland’s schedule doesn’t get much easier as they will face the surging Wenatchee Wild for a pair of contests, before welcoming the No.1-ranked Cougars for a Top-10 matchup on Sunday.
Games this week: @ Wenatchee (Dec. 1), vs. Wenatchee (Dec. 2), vs. Prince George (Dec. 3)
6. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): Despite suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the No. 3-ranked Mooseheads on Sunday, the Wildcats (17-6-1-1) still had a strong week highlighted by an impressive 6-5 victory against the previously ranked Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (a game that took place on the same night that Moncton retired Corey Crawford’s No.29). With a pair of wins over the last seven days, the Wildcats now hold the third-best point percentage (0.720) of any club in the QMJHL. They continue to get great offensive production from rookies Julius Sumpf (2G-1A in win vs. Charlottetown) and Caleb Desnoyers (0G-2A in win vs. Rouyn-Noranda), along with their leading scorer Yoan Loshing (0G-2A in win vs. Rouyn-Noranda). Sumpf (24 points) and Desnoyers (21 points) trail only Baie-Comeau’s Raoul Boilard (28 points) in the QMJHL rookie scoring race. As they look ahead to this week, Moncton will close out its five-game homestand with contests against Saint John and Chicoutimi.
Games this week: vs. Saint John (Nov. 30), vs. Chicoutimi (Dec. 2)
7. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): Despite falling out of the CHL Top-10 rankings last week, the Tigers (16-6-2-0) jumped up to a season-best seventh after outscoring both the Regina Pats (8-0) and Brandon Wheat Kings (6-1) by a combined score of 14-1. Medicine Hat has now won seven of its last eight games to place themselves behind the WHL-leading Cougars in the standings. The Tigers also have the second-best point percentage (0.708) in the WHL and they have given up one goal or fewer in six of their last eight contests. Over the last week, Medicine Hat has especially benefited from the strong play of 2024 NHL Draft prospect Andrew Basha, who tallied six points (4G-2A) in the Tigers’ two games which helped earn him Tempo WHL Player of the Week honours. Basha now has a total of 31 points (11G-20A) during this 2023-24 campaign, just two points shy of team leader and fellow 2024 NHL Draft prospect Cayden Lindstrom. Lindstrom also had another excellent week himself, tallying two goals and three assists during the Tigers’ two victories, while rookie Gavin McKenna registered three assists to extend his point streak to seven games (3G-8A over that stretch). McKenna’s 26 points this season trail only Prince George’s Terik Parascak (37 points) in the WHL’s rookie scoring race. This week, Medicine Hat will hit the road to play Swift Current before returning home for a three-game homestand, including the Teddy Bear Toss game against Prince Albert on Saturday
Games this week: @ Swift Current (Nov. 29), vs. Calgary (Dec. 1), vs. Prince Albert (Dec. 2)
8. Saginaw Spirit (OHL): Having won a franchise-record 10 games in a row (which also matches the longest winning streak in the CHL this season), the Spirit (14-7-0-1) have surged back into the CHL Top-10 Rankings for the first time since October. Over the last week, Saginaw outscored their three opponents (Erie, Niagara and Flint) by a combined score of 18-6. The Spirit have now scored at least six goals in three straight games, along with having achieved the feat in four of their last six contests. The Spirit have also given up just two goals or fewer in seven of their last nine games, which coupled with their scoring surge, helps explain why the club has turned things around. Leading the charge offensively for the Spirit, especially in the last week, has no doubt been Vegas Golden Knights prospect Matyas Sapovaliv, who recorded 11 points (4G-7A) in Saginaw’s three victories and was recognized as the OHL Cogeco Player of the Week. At the same time, newcomers Rodwin Dionicio and Alex Christopolous are settling in nicely into their new digs. Anaheim Ducks prospect Dionicio has five points (3G-2A) in five games with his new club, while 20-year-old Christopolous is up to four points (1G-3A) as a member of the Spirit. Saginaw also continues to enjoy some solid offensive production from Minnesota Wild prospect Hunter Haight (3G-5A in last four games; riding seven-game point streak), 2024 NHL Draft prospect Zayne Parekh (2G-4A in last four games; riding four-game point streak), and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Michael Misa (2G-7A in last four games; has points in 13 of his last 14 games). This week, the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow hosts will look to continue their upward climb when they face the No.9-ranked Greyhounds for a pair of games, before welcoming previously ranked London for a showdown in Saginaw on Saturday night.
Games this week: vs. Soo (Nov. 29), @ Soo (Dec. 1), vs. London (Dec. 2)
9. Soo Greyhounds (OHL): With points in all three of their games last week, including wins against Brantford (8-2) and Mississauga (5-2), the Greyhounds (15-7-2-0) are back in the CHL Top-10 for the first time since October 10 (Week 2). Since November 11, Sault Ste. Marie have won four times and lost in regulation on only one occasion (that being a 5-3 loss to No. 4-ranked Kitchener). Over the last seven days, Vegas Golden Knights prospect Arttu Karki has continued to be a force for the Greyhounds. During his team’s three games last week, the Finnish defenceman collected three points (1G-2A) including his 15th goal of the season, which currently ranks as the most of any defencemen in the CHL during the 2023-24 campaign. Meanwhile, 18-year-old forward Marco Mignosa has also been a force of late, having scored goals in five straight contests (5G-5A over that stretch), while 20-year-old Jack Beck has five points (2G-3A) in his last two games as he continues to pace the Greyhounds in scoring with 28 points this season. This week, the Soo will look to maintain its place among the CHL’s Top-10 when they face the No.8-ranked Spirit for a pair of games before they will welcome Barrie for a Saturday night showdown at GFL Memorial Gardens.
Games this week: @ Saginaw (Nov. 29), vs. Saginaw (Dec. 1), vs. Barrie (Dec. 2)
10. Saskatoon Blades (WHL): It was a tough four-game stretch in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for the Blades (16-8-1-0), who lost games to Wenatchee (4-2), Everett (6-2) and No.5-ranked Portland (5-4 OT) over the last week. Their sole win during their trip to the U.S. over American Thanksgiving was a 3-1 victory over Seattle on Friday. Although they gave up four or more goals in three of those contests, the Blades have allowed just 2.76 goals per game – the second lowest mark of any club in the WHL (behind the Cougars’ 2.75). Saskatoon also bolstered its lineup last week by acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Fraser Minten from the Kamloops Blazers. Minten had a goal in his Blades’ debut on Saturday to extend his point streak to seven games and he has registered a point in seven of the eight games he’s played in this season. Captain Trevor Wong collected three assists to bolster his total to 33 assists on the year, which is the most of any skater in the WHL (it’s also one assist shy of Kitchener’s Hunter Brzustewicz for the CHL lead). Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Brandon Lisowsky recorded a pair of goals and assists last week to give him points in six of his last eight games, while Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov scored his 21st goal of the season to maintain his place among the top-five goal scorers in the CHL. Saskatoon will aim to cap off their seven-game road trip with positive results as they travel to Tri-City, Spokane and Lethbridge this week.
Games this week: @ Tri-City (Nov. 28), @ Spokane (Nov. 29), @ Lethbridge (Dec. 1)