The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 21 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season.
Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings – Week 21
1. Winnipeg ICE (47-7-1-0)
2. Seattle Thunderbirds (45-9-1-1)
3. Quebec Remparts (45-9-1-2)
4. Gatineau Olympiques (39-12-4-2)
5. Sherbrooke Phœnix (40-12-3-2)
6. Halifax Mooseheads (40-9-4-3)
7. Ottawa 67’s (41-11-3-2)
8. Kamloops Blazers (38-11-4-2)
9. London Knights (40-15-2-0)
10. Sarnia Sting (31-17-5-3)
HM. Saskatoon Blades (38-13-4-1)
HM. Barrie Colts (34-15-6-2)
HM. Peterborough Petes (30-23-1-2)
The Winnipeg ICE remain the top ranked team after another perfect week in which they went 3-0-0. The ICE’s 10-game road trip had stops through Alberta this week that opened Wednesday with a 5-2 win in Calgary as Connor McClennon and Matthew Savoie (BUF) each scored twice. Savoie would bury the game-winner Friday in a 2-1 win in Red Deer before Zach Benson’s six-point (3G, 3A) effort Sunday saw the ICE win 8-1 in Edmonton and extend their win streak to 10 games. Winnipeg’s 47 wins this year are the most in the CHL.
The Seattle Thunderbirds climbed back to no. 2 for the first time since Week 14 after a trio of wins that took their winning streak to 10 games. Nico Myatovic’s first career hat-trick Tuesday led the offence in an 8-0 win over Victoria before the T-Birds returned home Friday to beat Tri-City 6-1 as Reid Schaefer (EDM) tallied four points (2G, 2A). A 4-1 win over Portland Saturday ensured a perfect week and gave the Thunderbirds their 45th win, tied for the second most in the CHL.
A pair of defeats sees the Quebec Remparts fall out of the top two spots for the first time since Week 14. The Remparts dropped a 3-2 decision to Victoriaville Thursday but rebounded with a 3-1 win over Drummondville the next night as Charle Truchon had two goals. However, Quebec was beaten 4-3 by Halifax Sunday but the Remparts’ 45 wins remain tied for the second most in the CHL.
The Gatineau Olympiques pushed its win streak to 13 games as they scored 21 goals in three games. Cole Cormier had five points (3G, 2A) Thursday in an 8-2 road win over Chicoutimi in the first game of a back-to-back before Tristan Luneau (ANA) had three points (1G, 3A) in a 7-3 win the next night. On Sunday, Alexis Gendron (PHI) scored three times in a 6-1 win against Rouyn-Noranda. The Olympiques’ 39 wins are the fourth most in the QMJHL.
The Sherbrooke Phoenix collected a pair of home wins last week as they pushed their streak to 11-0-1. Olivier Adam shutout the Moosheads 3-0 Friday before Isreal Minascum’s five-point (3G, 2A) showing Sunday was part of a 10-1 win over Val d’Or that saw the Phoenix claim its 40th win of the season.
The Halifax Mooseheads drop to their lowest ranking since Week 14 even though their week ended with a road victory in Quebec. The Mooseheads’ tough 3-on-3 last week started in Victoriaville Thursday where they were beaten 5-2 before they were shutout a day later by Sherbrooke. However, on Sunday, captain Attilio Biasca had three points (2G, 1A) as Halifax beat the QMJHL’s top team to claim their 40th victory of the season.
The top OHL team, the Ottawa 67’s collected five of a possible six points last week. A 6-1 win over Windsor Friday was followed by a 4-1 victory against Mississauga the following night. On Sunday, the 67’s earned a point in a 5-4 overtime loss to Oshawa. Ottawa’s 41 wins and 87 points leads the OHL.
Hosts of the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, the Kamloops Blazers went 2-1-0 last week. Ryan Hofer (MIN) and Connor Levis each had two goals Wednesday as the Blazers doubled up Swift Current 6-3 while Logan Stankoven (DAL) had three points (1G, 2A) Friday in a 6-2 win in Lethbridge. Kamloops concluded its six-game road trip with a 7-3 loss to Medicine Hat a night later but remain comfortably atop the B.C. Division standings with 38 wins.
Over the course of its weekend 3-in-3, the London Knights collected three points. George Diaco had the shootout winner Friday in a 4-3 decision versus Sarnia but the Knights saw defeat the next night as they were beaten 7-5 by Owen Sound. On Sunday, London secured a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to Guelph. The Knights remain atop the Western Conference with 40 wins.
On the back of a 5-0-2 streak, the Sarnia Sting enter the top 10 for the first time this season. The Sting grabbed a point Friday in a shootout loss to London but 24 hours later, beat Saginaw 6-1 on the back of Ty Voit’s (TOR) three-point (1G, 2A) night. They concluded their weekend in emphatic fashion with an 8-2 win over North Bay where Nolan Burke (NSH), Luca Del Bel Belluz (CBJ) and Sasha Pastujov (ANA) all scored twice.
Honorable mentions:
On a 5-0-1 streak, the Saskatoon Blades remains the top team on the outside looking in as they collected three of a possible four points over the weekend. After a 6-5 overtime loss to Prince Albert Friday, the Blades rebounded a day later in the second half of a home-and-home to secure a 3-1 win. Saskatoon’s 38 wins are tied for the third most in the WHL.
For the second time this season, the Barrie Colts find themselves among the honourable mentions. The Colts scored 20 goals in three games this week that started with a 5-1 win over Erie Thursday where Evan Vierling scored twice. On Saturday, the Colts won 6-3 against Oshawa as head coach Marty Williamson set a new franchise record for wins with 306. A day later, Barrie beat Niagara 9-4 to secure their place in the 2023 OHL Playoffs.
It was two wins in two games for the Peterborough Petes this week as they earn an honourable mention for the third time this season. J.R. Avon (PHI) scored two times Thursday in a 6-2 win over Windsor while Brennan Othmann (NYR) found the back of the net twice Friday in a 5-2 road win versus Oshawa that gave the Petes their 30th win of the season and moved them into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
