THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The latest Canadian Junior Hockey League top 20 rankings have been released with one Superior International Junior Hockey League making a move up while another slid down a couple notches.
Coming off a 3-0 week, including a pair of wins at the SIJHL Showcase, the Fort Frances Lakers moved up one slot in the ratings to sixth overall while the Thunder Bay North Stars, who went 2-1 and suffered their first loss in regulation time since Dec. 16, dropped to places to 13th nationally in the listings which are compiled each week in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.
Fort Frances continues to top the SIJHL standings with 68 points on a 33-6-0-2 record while second place Thunder Bay has 59 points, but also holds a pair of games in hand on the Lakers. The North Stars record sits at 27-7-1-4.
Both teams will look to improve on that that this evening as SIJHL action resumes tonight on two fronts.
Fort Frances will be in Hoyt Lakes to take on the Minnesota Iron Rangers while Thunder Bay heads to Ear Falls to meet the English River Miners in a pair of 7 p.m. CT starts.
The top team in the CJHL this week is the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
They are followed by the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds in second. The NOJHL front-runners are currently riding an impressive 19-game winning streak.
Rounding out the top three are the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
They too are on a roll having won 18 straight contests.
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. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) (2)
2. Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) (3)
3. Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) (4)
4. Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) (5)
5. Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) (1)
6. Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) (7)
7. Kingston Voyageurs (OJHL) (9)
8. Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) (6)
9. Melville Millionaires (SJHL) (14)
10. Langley Rivermen (BCHL) (18)
11. Penticton Vees (BCHL) (NR)
12. Brooks Bandits (AJHL) (16)
13. Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL) (11)
14. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners (NOJHL) (13)
15. Powell River Kings (BCHL) (8)
16. Kindersley Klippers (SJHL) (12)
17. Les Pantheres de Saint Jerome (LHJAAAQ) (19
18. Aurora Tigers (OJHL) (15)
19. Truro Bearcats (MHL) (17)
20. Dieppe Commandos (MHL) (NR)
Honourable Mention: West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL), Battlefords North Stars (SJHL), Dauphin Kings (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.
