The WHL boasts half of the top ten squads on the CHL’s Week 5 rankings of the best teams.
The Winnipeg ICE topped the list courtesy of their 12-1-0-0 record, complimented by their ridiculous plus-49 goal differential to start the season. The squad is cooking with a solid mix of young stars like Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie, and veteran contributors such as Connor McClennon and Jakin Smallwood. Nine of the top 15 WHL scorers right now play in the Manitoba capital.
The only squad to beat the Winnipeg ICE this season were the Edmonton Oil Kings. Their win halted the ICE’s quest for the best start in WHL history. It’s been an impressive start for Edmonton, who’s scoring by committee and are playing great hockey after being the WHL’s best team last year.
The Kamloops Blazers round out the top five, and only Winnipeg has more goals on the season than the Blazers. They have a six-point cushion atop the BC Division to start the year.
Later down the standings, the Everett Silvertips and and Saskatoon Blades ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.
No team has allowed less goals than the Silvertips to start the year, and it’s a big reason why Everett is undefeated in regulation to start the campaign. The Blades, meanwhile, pack a one-two punch unmatched early in the year. Tristen Robins and Kyle Crnkovic rank first and third in WHL scoring to start the year, combining for 40 points.
The QMJHL had three of the top ten teams, while the OHL had two squads make the list. The full rankings can be found here.
