Regina Pats (14-0-3-0) .912
What do you say about a team that is now 17 games into the season and has yet to lose in regulation? WOW? AMAZING? Not sure if that is even enough. The Pats are on a role the likes of which many of us have not seen. They have scoring coming from every direction. They do have some issues in net, they tend to allow more than a couple of goals a game but when you are putting up about 6 goals a night, I am not sure it matters.
Goals: Sam Steel / Filip Ahl (16)
Assists: Sam Steel / Adam Brooks (18)
Points: Sam Steel (34) 1st overall
Rookie Scoring: Filip Ahl (16g,8a) 1st among rookies
The WHL’s pre-season favourites have not disappointed. If anything, they’ve exceeded expectations. Sam Steel and Connor Hobbs were great players a year ago and are better this year. The Pats were also able to add Filip Ahl to add to their offensive depth. The Pats are deep and balanced and their record reflects that.
Regina will have theirs ups and downs this season — every team does — but if they’re even remotely healthy come spring, there’s no reason not to make them the favourites for a league title
— Matthew Gourlie
Moose Jaw Warriors (11-4-4-0) .684
The Warriors have been playing well to this point in the season. Draft eligible Nikita Popugaev has taken the next step after his successful first season in the WHL. GM Alan Millar may have pulled off the deal of the season when he acquired Brayden Burke from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Not sure if it will be enough to reign in the Regina Pats but it certainly appears to assure them a playoff position, so long as Burke maintains a positive attitude in the Moose Jaw locker room.
Goals: Nikita Popugaev (14)
Assists: Matt Sozanski (14)
Points: Nikita Popugaev (27)
Rookie Scoring: Luka Burzan (5g,5a)
The Moose Jaw Warriors have likely exceeded some expectations, but not their own. They boast the fifth-best winning percentage in the WHL and yet have struggled with consistency for much of the season. Nikita Popugaev and Jayden Halbgewachs have helped fill the offensive void. They will be under less pressure to produce when Brett Howden returns from injury and Brayden Burke debuts. Defensively Matt Sozanski has been a very pleasant surprise with 14 assists and a good complete game.
— Matthew Gourlie
Swift Current Broncos (10-6-2-3) .595
The Broncos are one of the pleasant surprises this season. Tyler Steenbergen and Lane Pederson have stepped up following the injury to St. Louis Blues draft pick Glenn Gawdin. He remains out and is listed as week-to-week. The Broncos are platooning their goalies but Travis Child sports the better overall stats (6-1-0-0, 2.84GAA, .911 sv%). This is a team that will look to keep Brandon at bay and keep themselves out of the wild card chase and in for one of the divisional positions.
Goals: Tyler Steenbergen (14)
Assists: Aleksi Heponiemi (18) 8th overall
Points: Tyler Steenbergen (24)
Rookie Scoring: Aleksi Heponiemi (5g, 18a) 2nd among rookies
The Swift Current Broncos have built a reputation on being a tough team to beat — particularly at home. Fourteen of the Broncos’ 18 games this season have been decided by a goal. They’re 6-3-2-3 in those one-goal games. It’s not easy to keep winning so many tight contests, but the Broncos look like a definite playoff team in a competitive East Division.
— Matthew Gourlie
Brandon Wheat Kings (10-7-3-0) .575
Not the team everyone expected at the beginning of the year, Brandon has been dealing with an injury to Nolan Patrick that many suggest may keep him out until the Christmas break. Kale Clague had also been injured to start the season and the team is just starting to come together. 20 year old Jordan Papirny remains the rock in goal that everyone expected he would be sporting a .916 save percentage through 13 games.
Goals: Ty Lewis (12)
Assists: Reid Duke / Tanner Kaspick (12)
Points: Ty Lewis (22)
Rookie Scoring: Garrett Sambrook (1g,4a)
One thing you always knew about Kelly McCrimmon teams — as the regular season wound down and the games got more important, his Brandon Wheat Kings would be playing their best hockey. McCrimmon is gone, but there is still a reason to believe that the defending WHL champions will be a team to be reckoned with this season. They haven’t had Kale Clague and Nolan Patrick in the lineup at the same time yet this season, but are still eighth in the WHL in winning percentage. They aren’t as talented as last year’s group, but would anyone want them in the first round of the playoffs? Didn’t think so.
— Matthew Gourlie
Saskatoon Blades (9-11-1-0) .452
Things are trending up for the Blades, bringing in netminder Logan Flodell in a deal with the Seattle Thunderbirds earlier this year is paying dividends. Mason McCarty is taking on a scoring roll, while Wyatt Sloboshan is fitting in nicely with his captaincy. Once the secondary scoring on the Blades takes shape and begins to contribute more regularly, the Blades might become a contender. To this point they are in contention for a wild-card spot and will need to hold off the Hurricanes and Hitmen, both of which have games in hand.
Goals: Mason McCarty (14)
Assists: Nolan Reid / Wyatt Sloboshan (10)
Points: Mason McCarty (20)
Rookie Scoring: Michael Farren (3g,2a)
The Blades stormed out of the gates with a 5-2-1-0 record to everyone’s surprise and then hit a wall as they struggled to find any offence. In recent weeks they’ve been able to score and continue to hold their wild card playoff place. The Blades have exceeded expectations without Cameron Hebig and have lost Jesse Shynkaruk and Ryan Graham for extended stretches. They’re going to have a tough fight to get a playoff spot, but that was more than many expected to start the season.
— Matthew Gourlie
Prince Albert Raiders (5-13-1-0) .289
Trading 20 year old Rylan Parenteau is proving to be a bit of a problem for the Raiders as they have sunk to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The team is relying heavily on Simon Stransky to score the goals and points and just don’t have the offensive weapons clicking. Highly touted goalie Ian Scott is going through some growing pains and has won just 4 of the 16 games he has seen action in this season.
Goals: Simon Stransky (8)
Assists: Simon Stransky (12)
Points: Simon Stransky (20)
Rookie Scoring: Spence Moe / Zack Hayes (0g,2a)
The Prince Albert Raiders entered the season in an awkward position. They had seven 1997-born players and a veteran lineup and yet it was hard to see how they were going to finish in the top-half of a strong East Division. They exceeded expectations with a second-place finish a year earlier, but this season they have slid farther than anyone expected, especially after Brendan Guhle came back to them. Young talents like Spencer Moe, Carson Miller and Cole Fonstad have had minimal impact and the Raiders are struggling to get consistent offensive production from their veterans.
Trading overage goalie Rylan Parenteau is a start, but the Raiders should start dealing assets and getting younger as the year goes on.
— Matthew Gourlie
