The Canadian Hockey League announced today the Week 2 edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 2
1. Winnipeg ICE
2. Sherbrooke Phoenix
3. Quebec Remparts
4. Seattle Thunderbirds
5. Kamloops Blazers
6. Gatineau Olympiques
7. Portland Winterhawks
8. Halifax Mooseheads
9. Mississauga Steelheads
10. Ottawa 67’s
HM. Red Deer Rebels
HM. Everett Silvertips
HM. Windsor Spitfires
One of four teams atop the WHL, the Winnipeg ICE broke even on the week, coming away with one victory in two appearances as the club downed Regina in a 5-2 road win that saw budding centre Zach Benson continue to impress as he put up a pair of assists en route to his side’s then fifth-straight victory. A projected early first-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, Benson has taken hold of the offensive reins in Winnipeg this season as he has collected a team-leading nine points through six outings.
Showing signs of an offensive juggernaut, the Sherbrooke Phoenix have paced the competition for 35 goals through seven outings this season to remain undefeated in regulation – a stretch that has seen the club secure 13 of 14 points. The past week saw the Phoenix combine for 18 goals that counted a season high of eight coming against Moncton as centres Justin Gill and Ethan Gauthier each picked up a pair. The duo currently sits first and second in league scoring with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Adding two more victories on the week, the Quebec Remparts have now found the win column in five of six appearances this season, with their most recent wins coming against Blainville-Boisbriand and Rimouski. The former contest also marked the return to the lineup for Florida Panthers draftee and training camp participant Evan Nause, a gifted rearguard in the offensive zone who collected three points in the weekend outings, including the eventual game-winning goal over the Oceanic.
Still perfect through the season’s early goings, the Seattle Thunderbirds notched two more victories on the week that counted a pair of road wins over Kelowna and Vancouver, with the latter seeing offensively minded blue-liner Kevin Korchinski play the hero in the extra frame to grant his squad the 3-2 overtime victory. A first-round selection by the Chicago Blackhawks this past summer, since returning to the lineup Korchinski has picked up where he left off last season, already with three points in two games.
Winners of three of four this season including two in the past week, the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Kamloops Blazers picked up back-to-back victories over Victoria in which the club combined for eight goals. Up front, talented left-wing Caedan Bankier, a 2021 third-round selection of the Minnesota Wild, continues to turn heads early as he has recorded one goal in each of his three games since returning from NHL training camp. Bankier finished last season just shy of point-per-game production.
Winners of three straight, the past week saw the Gatineau Olympiques close out an abbreviated home stretch that counted victories over Val-d’Or, Rouyn-Noranda, and the defending President Cup champion in Shawinigan. Combining for 12 goals, the early portion of the season has seen the Olympiques witness an exciting contribution from 2002-born right-wing Cole Cormier who has lit the lamp seven times in eight games while being held off the scoresheet on only two occasions.
One of three WHL clubs to remain undefeated this season, the Portland Winterhawks added two more victories over the week, first defeating Medicine Hat in overtime before taking to the road where the club came away with a pair of points against rival Spokane. The latter contest saw veteran right-wing Robbie Fromm-Delorme tally twice as he continues to show exciting offensive progression in his overage campaign that counts a team-leading nine points through five appearances.
Undefeated in regulation through four appearances, the Halifax Mooseheads continue their ascent with the past week underscored by three of four points coming against Victoriaville and Charlottetown. Columbus Blue Jackets draftee Jordan Dumais has dominated early, already with 11 points in only four contests that has counted four consecutive multi-point efforts. The talented right-wing continues to build on last season when he was one of only seven QMJHL skaters to reach the 100-point club.
Adding two more victories on the week, the Mississauga Steelheads have come away with the win in three of four outings to begin 2022-23. Bookending the weekend was an impressive 4-0 road win against another contender in Owen Sound that saw Swiss-born netminder Alessio Beglieri shine in a limited workload en route to his first career shutout. Through three appearances this season, Beglieri has been dominant in the blue paint as he has come up with a .936 save percentage and 1.61 goals-against average.
Winners of four straight to begin the new season, the Ottawa 67’s have backed it up offensively in putting 20 pucks past opposing netminders. Coming away with a total of nine goals in wins over Kitchener and North Bay, the 67’s have been led by a dynamic one-two punch of 2023 NHL Draft prospect Luca Pinelli and Calgary Flames up-and-comer Jack Beck. Rounding out the dazzling forward group is Austrian-born right-wing and Montreal Canadiens draftee Vinzenz Rohrer who has tallied four points in as many games.
Honourable mention:
The Red Deer Rebels have been dominant at both ends of the ice, highlighted by a plus-13 goal differential and having surrendered only nine markers to the competition. That impressive pace continued this past week as the Rebels first shut out Lethbridge before limiting Calgary to a pair in an overtime victory.
Defeating Prince George on Saturday after following short versus Medicine Hat the night prior, the Everett Silvertips closed out the weekend on a high note as the club put six by the opposition including a pair coming courtesy of 2022 import selection and Czech native Dominik Rymon.
Collecting seven of eight points on the season, the Windsor Spitfires remain undefeated in regulation with the past week keeping up those efforts with a trio of victories. Among the highlights was Monday’s overtime decision against the Soo in which veteran Alex Christopoulos netted the game winner to extend his goal streak to three contests.
