Victoria, Medicine Hat and Brandon all crack the Top 10.
Every week, the CHL releases a list of the top-10 teams in the league. Throughout the season, we at The Hockey News will be keeping track of which WHL teams are in the rankings, as well as who finishes the year ranked highest. Here is a look at the three WHL teams that made the pre-season rankings.
No. 3 – Victoria Royals
After narrowly missing a playoff tiebreaker last season, the Victoria Royals enter 2026-27 with a definitive win-now roster and sky-high expectations. The Royals made a massive offseason splash by acquiring Dallas Stars prospect Cameron Schmidt, an elite goal-scorer who tied for the CHL lead with 51 goals and amassed 100 points last season. The Royals also added Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Filip Novak in the CHL Import Draft. On the back end, newcomer Nate Yellowaga joins 2027 NHL Draft prospect Odin Vauhkonen, giving Victoria a well-rounded roster capable of a serious championship push.
No. 6 – Medicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are no strangers to the CHL rankings, having built a sustained culture of winning that includes a 2025 Memorial Cup final appearance and a deep playoff run last spring. This season, they remain built to contend. Their high-octane offense is driven by Pittsburgh Penguins prospects Liam and Markus Ruck, who combined for an incredible 146 points last year. The Tigers' attack is further bolstered by teh acqusition of 20-year-old forward Josh Evaschesen and potential 2027 NHL Draft first-rounders Noah Davidson and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, making Medicine Hat one of the most dangerous and deepest offensive teams in the entire league.
No. 10 – Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings retain more than enough firepower to stay firmly in the contender conversation. The offense will be spearheaded by local product and top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Jaxon Jacobson, alongside 40-goal scorer Joby Baumuller. Defensively, the team will look a bit different, but they have stability in the crease with Minnesota Wild fifth-rounder Filip Ruzicka backstopping.
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