Two teams from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League lead the Canadian Hockey League’s top 10 rankings ahead of the 2023 playoffs.
The Gatineau Olympiques, after finishing the QMJHL regular season on a 23-0-1 run, are ranked No. 1, one spot ahead of the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
The No. 5 Quebec Remparts and No. 7 Halifax Mooseheads, who boast the QMJHL’s top three scorers in Jordan Dumais, Josh Lawrence and Alexandre Doucet, round out the league’s remaining teams on the list.
Leading the way in the Western Hockey League are the Winnipeg Ice at No. 3. The Ice had the most regular-season wins in the CHL this season with 57. The Kamloops Blazers, ranked ninth, will host the Memorial Cup beginning May 26.
The Ottawa 67’s are the highest-ranked team in the Ontario Hockey League at No. 6. The 67’s posted a franchise-record 51 wins after sweeping three games in three nights to end the regular season.
The playoffs begin Thursday in the OHL, while the QMJHL and WHL open their post-seasons on Friday.
The winner of each league and host Kamloops will compete in the Memorial Cup.
Full list of rankings:
1. Gatineau Olympiques (49-12-7) (QMJHL)
2. Sherbrooke Phoenix (50-13-5) (QMJHL)
3. Winnipeg Ice (57-10-1) (WHL)
4. Seattle Thunderbirds (54-11-3) (WHL)
5. Quebec Remparts (53-12-3) (QMJHL)
6. Ottawa 67’s (51-12-5) (OHL)
7. Halifax Mooseheads (50-11-7) (QMJHL)
8. North Bay Battalion (48-17-3) (OHL)
9. Kamloops Blazers (48-13-7) (WHL)
10. Saskatoon Blades (48-15-5) (WHL)
Honourable Mentions: Sarnia Sting (41-18-9) (OHL); Barrie Colts (42-17-9) (OHL); Prince George Cougars (37-24-7) (WHL)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2023.
The Canadian Press
