The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 3 edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 3
1. Winnipeg ICE
2. Sherbrooke Phoenix
3. Quebec Remparts
4. Seattle Thunderbirds
5. Portland Winterhawks
6. Gatineau Olympiques
7. Kamloops Blazers
8. Mississauga Steelheads
9. Ottawa 67’s
10. Red Deer Rebels
HM. Windsor Spitfires
HM. Halifax Mooseheads
HM. Everett Silvertips
Earning top honours nationally for the fourth week running, the Winnipeg ICE picked up a pair of road victories coming against Lethbridge and Prince George to improve to 7-1-0-0 on the season. Solid at both ends of the ice, Winnipeg boasts four skaters scoring north of a point-per-game pace headlined by overage left-wing Owen Pederson who has put up a team-leading 12 points across eight appearances. The ICE are also solid between the pipes where 2004-born Daniel Hauser remains undefeated in six outings.
Undefeated in nine contests and standing atop the QMJHL with 19 points, the Sherbrooke Phoenix continue to dominate the opposition, owning a plus-26 goal differential following weekend wins over Saint John and the defending President Cup champion Shawinigan. An offensive powerhouse, Sherbrooke owns the league’s scoring picture with the top three performers all part of the Phoenix, namely 2003-born centre Justin Gill, Montreal Canadiens up-and-comer Joshua Roy, and 2023 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Gauthier.
Leading the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference with a 7-1-0-1 showing, the week saw the Quebec Remparts add five points across three outings counting victories over Acadie-Bathurst and the defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John. Combining for 13 goals in the two victories, the Remparts recently saw the return of St. Louis Blues training camp participant Zachary Bolduc who has since notched three goals and five assists in five outings including a single-game high of five points coming against the Sea Dogs.
Undefeated in seven outings, the Seattle Thunderbirds kept up their perfect pace over the past week in finding the win column three times bookended by an 11-3 road win in Everett in which eight skaters found the back of the net for the winning side while nine players finished with a multi-point effort. Among those was Calgary Flames 2021 sixth-round selection Lucas Ciona who netted his first career hat-trick as part of a dominant six-point night.
Climbing the ranks, the Portland Winterhawks won a pair on home ice contests counting victories over Edmonton and nationally ranked Kamloops to extend their perfect start to the season to seven-straight wins. Coming away with a shootout decision against the Blazers, the Saturday outing saw the home side rally for a trio of goals in the game’s second half with two coming courtesy of Robbie Fromm-Delorme. The seasoned right-wing has picked up a point in six of seven outings on the season.
Picking up a pair of victories in Baie-Comeau, the Gatineau Olympiques improved to 6-2-2-0 on the season. Coming away with a 4-0 decision Friday, among the goal scorers for the Olympiques was budding blue-liner and Anaheim Ducks 2022 second-round selection Tristan Luneau who picked up his second tally of the season, while between the pipes veteran netminder Tye Austin turned aside 24 shots to record his first career shutout. Austin remains undefeated in four appearances in which he has surrendered just seven total goals.
Adding three of four points on the week, the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Kamloops Blazers first came away with a big road win in Tri-City before a hard-battled shootout final versus nationally ranked Portland the next night. The two contests saw the return of captain and hometown product Logan Stankoven who following his training camp audition with the Dallas Stars scored three times and added two assists in the weekend set with the Blazers.
Earning national recognition for the third time in 2022-23, the Mississauga Steelheads pushed their win streak to five following a perfect week that counted victories over London, Oshawa, and Sarnia to improve to 6-1-0-0 on the season. Among the storylines to watch early in Mississauga this season has been the emergence of 2003-born blue-liner Chas Sharpe who sits second among OHL rearguards with nine points through seven outings. Sharpe finished the prior campaign with 28 points in 62 games.
Standing atop the OHL’s Eastern Conference with a perfect record through six contests, the Ottawa 67’s continued to find success this past weekend after adding victories against Oshawa and Guelph. The weekend set saw an impressive performance come from budding right-wing and Ottawa Senators 2021 first-round selection Tyler Boucher who after netting the game winner Friday followed up two nights later with his first multi-goal effort of the season. Boucher has recorded six points in four games since returning from Senators’ training camp.
Perfect through seven, the Red Deer Rebels move into the national spotlight for the first time this season following a solid weekend showing that counted road wins in Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Defensive stalwarts, the Rebels limit scoring chances against, shutting down the opposition with aplomb. That dominance continues in the blue paint where 18-year-old rookie goaltender Kyle Kelsey has posted a .941 save percentage alongside a 1.83 goals-against average in six winning outings.
Honourable mention:
Picking up three points in their weekend set, the Windsor Spitfires continue to earn national consideration. Undefeated in regulation through six outings, the squad stands atop the OHL’s Western Conference. Among the club’s top early performers is gifted right-wing and New York Islanders 2022 fifth rounder Matthew Maggio with eight points in four games.
Drawing even on the week, the Halifax Mooseheads came away with a home ice victory over Drummondville before falling short three nights later in Moncton. The former contest saw the club rally for five goals that included a two-point performance from 2004-born centre Markus Vidicek who sits second in team scoring with 11 points in only six outings.
Winning three of four on the week, the Everett Silvertips continue to flash their offensive flair, headlining the WHL with a league-best 42 goals. Leading the way is the dynamic one-two punch of forwards Austin Roest and Jackson Berezowski who sit first and second, respectively, in league scoring.
