Red Deer is among the Brandon Wheat Kings and Prince George Cougars to represent the WHL on the list.
Red Deer is among the Brandon Wheat Kings and Prince George Cougars to represent the WHL on the list.
The Canadian Hockey League has released their weekly power rankings, and while there are two mainstays, one has taken a fall while a newcomer quickly rises in the ranks.
Red Deer Rebels (Unranked --> 7)
After a torrid start to the season, including being the last WHL team to be defeated in regulation, the Rebels enjoy themselves a spot near the top of the CHL. Forward Matthew Gard leads the team in points, tied with blueliner Matteo Fabrizi with six points through six games. In goal, Rhett Stoesser has taken the reigns for now with a .920 save percentage through three starts. Despite a first regulation defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Giants on Tuesday, Red Deer is still poised for a big season.
Prince George Cougars (7 --> 3)
The Cougars continue to rise, after picking up wins in three of their last four contests on an arduous stretch of hockey; all of those games taking place in seven nights, with travel. Prince George returns home Wednesday night to complete a home-and-home set against the Portland Winterhawks, in an effort to gain the top spot in the WHL. With the return of star forward Koehn Ziemmer, and six players at or above a point per game, there doesn't appear to be much stopping the Cougars.
Medicine Hat Tigers (2 --> 9)
Widely expected to be the favorites coming into the season, Medicine Hat has had an underwhelming campaign so far. Currently sitting at the bottom of the Western conference, the Tigers' lone win came on opening night against the Edmonton Oil Kings. There is upside here: Medicine Hat are among the teams with the fewest games played with five, and have made significant moves to improve their roster. With the young players still aclimating to full time WHL hockey, it won't be long before the Tigers start to gel even more.
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