THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The latest Canadian Junior Hockey League top 20 rankings announced Monday have a pair of Superior International Junior Hockey League clubs remaining among the top Jr. A teams nationally.
Both the Fort Frances Lakers and the Thunder Bay North Stars garnered recognition in the CJHL listings once again this week in the tabulations compiled in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.
Fort Frances was slotted in the No. 6 spot in rankings while Thunder Bay comes in at No. 16.
The Lakers lead the SIJHL standings with 73 points on a 35-6-1-2 record while the North Stars sit in second spot in the league with 61 points with a 28-8-1-4 mark. They also hold three games in hand on the SIJHL front runners.
There is also a new No. 1 team in the CJHL this week and that is the red-hot Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Sault Ste. Marie has won 22 games in a row under former Thunder Bay head coach Jordan Smith, who made the move to the Thunderbirds in the off-season.
A pair of Alberta Junior Hockey League clubs round out the top three sides in the CJHL with the Spruce Grove Saints at No. 2 and the Fort McMurray Oil Barons at No. 3.
The following are this week’s CJHL top 20 rankings along with the five clubs who earned honourable mention:
CJHL TOP 20
RANK TEAM (LEAGUE) (LAST WEEK)
1. Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) (2)
2. Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) (5)
3. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) (1)
4. Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) (3)
5. Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) (4)
6. Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) (7)
7. Aurora Tigers (OJHL) (18)
8. Powell River Kings (BCHL) (15)
9. Kingston Voyageurs (OJHL) (7)
10. Brooks Bandits (AJHL) (12)
11. Langley Rivermen (BCHL) (10)
12. Dauphin Kings (MJHL) (HM)
13. Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) (NR)
14. Battlefords North Stars (SJHL) (HM)
15. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners (NOJHL) (14)
16. Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL) (13)
17. Kindersley Klippers (SJHL) (16)
18. Saint-Jerome Panthers (LHJAAAQ) (17)
19. Weeks Crushers (MHL) (NR)
20. Miramichi Timberwolves (MHL) (NR)
Honourable Mention: Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL), Drumheller Dragons (AJHL), Portage Terriers (MJHL), Toronto Lakeshore Patriots (OJHL), Smiths Falls Bears (CCHL)
ABOUT THE CJHL TOP 20
The CJHL Top 20 weekly rankings are based upon a variety of factors, including the league in which the team plays, winning percentage, win-loss record, total points accumulated, goals-for versus goals-against ratio, etc.
ABOUT THE CJHL
The Canadian Junior Hockey League is a national organization comprised of all 10 Jr. A hockey leagues in Canada.
The CJHL represents 128 teams and over 2,500 players and has over 2,800 alumni furthering their hockey careers at the professional, major junior and college level across North America.
For the latest CJHL news and features, visit www.cjhlhockey.com as well as follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/cjhlhockey or @cjhlhockey.
