*Western Canada rankings in "( )"
British Columbia Top 5 Teams
1. North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks (2) - After going a perfect 7-0-0 in the Chilliwack tournament and beating some very good teams in the process, the Winterhawks deserve this placing for the time being. Dante Hannoun is the real deal and almost single handily led them to the championship.
2. Burnaby Winter Club Bruins (3) - Heading in to the season, they are the consensus top team perhaps in western Canada (on paper). However, a few shaky performances and inconsistent play drop them to #2 in the province at this point in time.
3. Okanagan Hockey Academy (5) - Strong showing in the Chilliwack tournament in making it to the final. They are a very hard working, defensive squad with some big guns like Malenstyn and Koch.
4. Pursuit of Excellence (8) - A loss to NSWC in the semi-finals and a 7-1 loss to BWC in preliminary play have them in this spot. Still have a solid team and will be a factor in all major tournaments this year.
5. Langley Eagles (10) - A nice mix of veterans such as Lansdell, Cholowski and Gingras but also a huge influx of '99 born star players such as; Malm and Capstick. The Eagles should be a factor near the top of the PCAHA.
Alberta Top 5 Teams
1. Edmonton SSAC Lions (1) - A very strong 4-0-1 start with the only blemish being a 5-5 tie with a very strong Lloydminster team. Tyler Benson has been unreal so far with 26 points in 5 games, including an 11 point game this past weekend.
2. Calgary Bisons (4)- The Bisons have started off with a flying 5-0-0 start and average nearly 8 goals per game. They have a nice combination of offensive play and defensive awareness which will make them a top 10 team all season long.
3. Lloydminster Heat (8) - A tie vs. Sherwood Park and a tie vs. SSAC leaves the Heat with a 4-0-2 record. Mason Shaw has been the offensive catalyst early with 21 points in 6 games. Kale Clague is perhaps the top dman in western Canada. Some good depth as well with Johnson and '99 born Zane Franklin.
4. Sherwood Park Flyers (9) - The Sam Steel led Flyers should be a pretty good team this year and most likely a top 10 squad. Only loss so far was against SSAC (3-0) but a tie vs. Leduc and a lack of offensive depth leaves cause for concern.
5. Calgary Flames (HM) - The Flames showed well in Chilliwack as the only Alberta team there, going undefeated in the prelim rounds but lost out in the quarter finals. Carter Cziakowski from defense is the leader of a squad who can be very stingy.
Saskatchewan Top 5 Teams
1. Notre Dame Hounds (7) - Although they won't play any of the other Saskatchewan teams this season, they will be a factor in all major tournaments. Many of the top Balgonie players and Saskatoon players are now with the Hounds.
2. West Central Wheatkings - A fast 3-0-1 start for the Western Canada Bantam Championship hosts leave them near the top early. They have strong goaltending and some decent depth up front which should keep them at or near the top all season long.
3. Prince Albert Venice House Raiders - The Raiders have averaged nearly 10 goals per game in the early going led by Warkentine, Fiddler, Isbister, Manson and '99 born Sawchuk. What is tough to read though is that they feasted on a pair of pretty weak teams in Notre Dame "AA" and Humboldt.
4. North East Wolfpack - After a very strong 11-12 season in which the Wolfpack made it all the way to westerns, representing Saskatchewan, it was unknown just how good they'd be. The questions have been answered with a 3-0-0 start with balanced scoring once again and stingy defense.
5. Balgonie Prairie Storm - A good start led by Dmytriw, Bentz and Legien. It looks like the Prairie Storm will once again be a factor in Saskatchewan.
Manitoba Top 5 Teams
1. Winnipeg Hawks (6) - The Hawks had a dominant Hockey Manitoba Showcase over the weekend going 4-0-0 despite being without injured Nolan Patrick. Connor Barley, Vince Loschaivo, Matt Bullard give them a very potent offensive with depth. Thurlbeck anchors the defense and Kubic in goal is as good as it gets in western Canada.
2. Winnipeg Monarchs (HM) - Dylan Thiessen looks to have taken his game to the next level after leading the Manitoba Showcase in scoring. He leads a strong team with good depth up front including; Martin, Curtis, Libbrect as well as Ryan Hall in goal and Madison Bowey on defense. They have a chance at being a top 10 consideration in western Canada.
3. Winnipeg Sharks - They went 4-0-0 at the showcase and looked very dominant at times. A team that will rely on strong defense led by Kuklica, Lavoie and goalie Adamyk on most nights.
4. Eastman Selects - A team that are still making some final cuts before they settle on a final squad. The Selects won't have Brett Howden as he's moved to Midget but still have several top forwards and pretty strong defense as well. They should be a factor all season long.
5. Winnipeg Warriors - The Warriors will be hard pressed to compete with the above teams this year but still feature some strong defenseman with Friesen and Torgerson but a bit of a lack of depth and choppy play at times leaves them a step below.
Western USA Top 5 Teams
1. Colorado Thunderbirds - Easily the top team in the western States. They are able to compete with the best in the country as evidence by there performance at the super series events. Very deep up front led by Gerlach, Anderson, Bagwell and others. Montaro is very strong defensively, while Park anchors the goal.
2. Arizona Bobcats - Phillip Knies and Blake Bargar lead a talented group of forwards. The Bobcats are off to a strong 7-3-0 start. Roswell, Berstrom and Wade are a strong group of dmen.
3. LA Jr. Kings - They merged in the off season with Selects program but lost several good players who include the aforementioned Bargar along with Khodorenko and Ben Lown. Still they have several top scorers and a very strong defense core led by Cullinane and Nobach.
4. Dallas Stars Elite - Max Gildon is about as good as they come in the '98 age group for American dmen. Hank Crone leads the offence for the defensive minded Stars Elite.
5. Rocky Mountain Roughriders - A surprising start for the Roughriders in the early going. Strong defensive play has been the key to success so far. A victory over a good Cleveland Barons team leaves them in this spot for now.
Top 5 1998 Born Western Canada
1. Kale Clague - D - Lloydminster Heat
2. Tyler Benson - F - Edmonton SSAC Lions
3. Dante Fabbro - D - BWC Bruins
4. Sam Steel - F - Sherwood Park Flyers
5. Jaeger White - F - BWC Bruins
Top 5 1999 Born Western Canada
1. Jordy Bellerive - F - NSWC Winterhawks
2. Kyle Olson - F - Calgary Bisons
3. Jame Malm - F - Langley Eagles
4. Nolan Kneen - F - NSWC Winterhawks
5. Jeremy Klessens - F - Red Deer Black
Top 5 1998 Born Western USA
1. Joey Anderson - F - Roseville, MN
2. Patrick Khodorenko - F - Detroit Honeybaked
3. Kieffer Bellows - F - Shattuck St. Marys
4. Ryan Lindgren - D - Shattuck St. Marys
5. Blake Bargar - F - Arizona Bobcats
67 comments:
I think SK folks are going to need to pay attention to the Regina teams this year. West Central (Ranked #2 in SK) tied Swift Current 2-2. Regina Pat Blues beat Swift Current 9-0.
Could be an anomaly, but I think Regina will be strong this year.
Congrats to NSWC. Hanoun and Bellerive are awesome.
Not sure why OHA wouldn't be placed ahead of BWC, since they beat them in their only head-to-head match-up. Having watched both the Super Series and Chilliwack, it's clear that OHA is very stingy, tough to score against.
BWC seems to have several surprising problems, shaky goaltending tops the list. But offensive production 5-on-5 is another early season problem. Sure, they can rack up big numbers against lesser teams, but this team is only supposed to be about repeating at Westerns. The outlook on that front is bleak at this point.
POE lost big time to the Bruins, and I really don't know how to explain it. I thought they would push them, maybe even win. I was shocked.
Langley's collapse in the semi-finals was monumental and you have to wonder how much confidence they'll have in their goaltending in future key games. That game could really stick in the memory bank and cause problems down the road.
Overall it was a great tournament with some interesting surprises, some good and some bad. Long way to go though.
Regina will be strong this as this same group of kids in Regina won a Peewee AA Provincial championship 2 years ago.
I think Hockey Regina pulled the wool over SHA and the SBAAHL board of directors eyes by crying about how weak they were and not able to compete with four teams. The results are a drop to 3 teams and a blowout of an early season favorite to be a top team in the South Division.
Not one goalie played a great tournament in every game. They all had ups and downs. OHA had PG. Langley and NSWC both had each other (17 goals total) .
BWC had OHA. POE had BWC.
Many teams took bad penalties which ended up costing them.
10.00
RE:BWC and POE a couple of possibilities.
Jost missed most of the game due to an early injury, he only played two shifts if memory serves.
He would have made a difference, not a 6 goal difference to be sure, but a difference nevertheless.
It's not my intention to criticize a 14 yr old but 3 or 4 of the goals were quite soft, goaltending obviouosly an issue in this game.
If i recall the shot totals were 23 - 19 in BWC's favour, more of a reflection of the play rather than the goal total.
Just my observations
Yes swift current did lose 9-0 against regina but remember there top forward kole lind was out with a broken wrist
If Fabbro is talking a College route rather then the Dub path, will his roommate White follow him ?
Why would the WHL scouts waste a pick on him , like Barzal did last year
I guess it's bragging rights for the BWC mom's and dad's
NSWC plays Langley this evening. Expect it to be a competetive game with different starting goalies than the weekend. Both teams hard forechecking and leave nothing on the ice. Based on Chilliwack, Langley will be very competitive with significant upside (subject to some strategic coaching). NSWC extremely disciplined and very well coached.
Believe me white not top 5 , not after this weekend , didn't even notice him
I would take Fabbro on my team any day of the week ,he's top end player no matter what anyone says
Pretty interesting that a team can loose by a goal in the semi final. That goal being on a penalty shot and everyone is willing to write them off!
The Flames lost in the semi finals as it went quarter finals, semi finals, finals and then championship game.
9-0 without just 1 player, I dont think a 9-0 difference can be made up by just 1 player.
But Lind with a broken wrist, Sherban broken wrist, any other injuries that will seriously hamper a team at this point of the season.
I agree Hockey Regina was able to pull a fast one here.
Langley proves they are the real deal with dominant 3 to 1 win tonight over NSWC tonight .
Langley "real deal" thanks for the comment "Dad"
Chillwack Tourney- Why are these comments always about the same players in BC? I thought POE's Atkins was the most interesting defenseman to watch in the tournament. He makes very intelligent plays.
Regarding the rankings that this site puts out - outside of the top 10 (which anyone can pretty much pick), is there really any validity?
Who provided the insight to this blog.
To: 10:38am
The comments are always about the same players because these are the elite players of the 98 age group. There are a lot of good players out there. Fabbro, Barberis, Cholowski are elite defenseman for this age...in a class of their own. Just like Hannoun, White, Koch, Malenstyn, Jost etc for forwards...these are the players that separate themselves from the rest because they get noticed by everyone.
Didn't even notice white. ? Well the game I watched he single handedly defeated Poe
PA 3rd in Sask hey? Reality will soon set in, as soon as they are not playing the 2 weakest teams in the province 4 times in a row...
Hey 926. Langley will be in Medicine Hat
There all a bunch of dusters...
I know all the top teams were in Chilliwack this past weekend, but there were two other tournaments that featured some very talented individuals. Topping the list from the Port Moody event were Nathan McCarnan (F) who was a threat to score every time he touched the puck, and Joshus Barrett (G) who registered a shutout victory vs Cloverdale A1 and the the MVP award in the other game he played. In the Seafair tournament I thought Alex McLeod and a big player named Glaholt (both F) were impressive too. (Congrats to Seafair for the Tourney win!)
*BTW, Nathan McCarnan received a nasty head-shot late in his game against Mission ... does anyone know how he's doing?
Yes 10:12am
There were a few good kids at the Seafair tourney. Standouts for me were Hunter Alden-F from Wenatchee-good wheels. Rhys Daniels from Seafair and Konrad Glaholt from North Delta, both solid Dmen. Also Cavin Tilsley-F South Delta, plays an intense game with speed/skills. Would like to see these guys play again. Anyone know the tourneys these guys are in?
11:07
I ranked Tilsley very high. His work ethic is extreme and plays every shift like its OT. When these players are on lower level teams with no support they just take longer to find. He should draft quite high.
Langley dominated NSWC??? Yes they won the game, but we out shot them 5 to 1 (41-7 in shots) . The only reason they won is because they got a huge game from their '99 goalie Hollet...kid stood on his head. Must be a Langley parent who wrote that blog!!!
41 to 7 in shots ? Must of had a NSWC parent keeping track of shots.
3 goals on 7 shots , you are being a little hard on your goalie
Hey 632
Your comeback in the wack was fueled by some questionable calls in the 3rd period that gave lots of PP time.
Hanoun was like flipper out on the ice, or more like flopper to draw some suspects calls.
Most have been some coaching strategy to dive all over the place, guess it worked.
To 1:46pm
Agree. Lots of talk at Seafair about Tilsley. Just ask them down at the Giants Academy, Barberis and Tilsley are their top 98's.
8:49
Why are there always excuses about your losses? In every game you appear to have penalty problems and you want to point the finger at the refs. It seems to happen at rinks all over (home and away). If you think all the refs are against you in a conspiracy, then you should let BC Hockey or Hockey Canada know about this issue. Someone in your group must have the whine line phone number to get this problem rectified.
8:57 That good news they got in Medicine Hat. They can have a whine and cheese party to celebrate.
Can't believe how many BC teams got in.
Who is in Medicine Hat?
Anyone know the list of BC teams going to Med Hat?
Lind is the heart and soul ofthat team. Losing him didnt cost 9 goals. But it would have rocked their psyche. He is that good.
11:07 - South delta hosts their own tournament in November. Not sure about the teams attending but I would expect Tilsley would be playing in his own tourney
11:26 - do you have a list of the Med Hat accepted teams?
Medicine Hat Tourney
Langley
Abbotsford
Semihamoo
BWC
NSWC
So far have not heard about POE and OHA
I heard OHA is going to the tourney in Calgary on the same weekend.
1:46
I also saw Tilsley play in Seafair and would agree he's a top end player. Wins face-offs PK/PP big hitter. Anyone know if he's Dub or Scolly?
Poe is going to med hat
Can we please turn off comments.. BC you are embarrassing!
6:41, if you don't like the comments section why do you read it? If you want it turned off, it is simple don't click on comments.
Yes BC is the center of the hockey world no one lese matters
In response to Nathan McCarnan's injury against Mission, he is fine and was a precautionary move when head shots are concerned. Led Vancouver Minor to a convincing 6-3 win over NSWC A2 the following Wednesday. Kid is the real deal and was 2nd line behind Jaeger White on the stacked Vancouver Millionaires spring team (Fabbro was also on that team). Reason you don't see his name plastered all over is that he turned down BWC repeatedly to finish in Vancouver. If you get a chance, go see him play. No, I'm not his Dad and anyone who knows this kid would tell you that.
Glad to hear Nathan is A-OK. Yes, he is the real deal. Top ten Forward in BC imo.
Nice touch at the end there too. I am 100% certain you're not Nathan's Dad.
Nathan is a talented hockey player, but, a top 10 forward....seriously? Your not his dad, but more than likely a Viper parent.
he is speed, grit, and game face,
the only real tools he lacks is size and knowledge or game sense.
he loves to hit all over the ice (in and outside of the play) and if drafted his role play will more than likely be that of a crash and bang player or a scrapper.
I could never see this boy fitting into BWC or any Winterclub program with his on and off ice antics, its that drama and attention certain clubs just don't care for.
When playing against Nathan, all players on the ice must keep their heads up, he packs a mighty blow
5:47
Tilsley. Just read his interview. Seems a great, focused kid. Seen him play a few times, intelligent player, I'll take him.
8:04
Agree. McCarnan-just not smart enough to be ranked that high. Small stocky and yes can hit and shoot. But thats it.
So let me get this straight. The McCarnan detractors - those who think he is NOT among the Top 10 Forwards in BC - have made the following comments:
Nathan is a talented hockey player ... he has speed ... he has grit ... a game face ... he loves to hit all over the ice ... when playing against Nathan, all players on the ice must keep their heads up ... he can hit ... he packs a mighty blow ... he can shoot.
I repeat, those are the comments of people who think he would NOT be a Top 10 Forward in the eyes of WHL scouts.
12:23
Nobody is saying he shouldn't get drafted. But he's ranked like a smart hockey player with team sense which he isn't. He should be about 100 places lower. He's just not in the same league as those top players. He's only a later round pick.
Well go ahead and list the 10 BC Forwards you would rank ahead of McCarnan.
The first 5 or 6 (maybe 7) should be a snap for anybody, but after that I think you'll find they're all arguable.
And after you list your Top 10 ... mention what # you would assign to Nathan on your ranking of BC Forwards.
Hey October 19, 2012 11:39AM
ranked maybe #29
He has little man talent,
just wait until midget , he will vanish like the skill and game sense he plays with.
I have seen this boy put himself out of the play to make a hit only to expose his line mates and team to get scored on.
That isn't smart hockey sense, games are lost at the AAA level if the poor judgement and poor hits are your secret weapon
Another over ranked player is Uy, he is out of control with his head shots, could be the weakest arrogant BWC forward on their team.
A sad example of a returning player , but he didn't see any real game time last year so you can't really say he is a returning player
Hockey Smarts, Skill, and determination win games
So 11:39am, you obviously have BC Forwards ranked as far as #29 ... so why not post your Top 10 as suggested. In fact, why not just post the preceding 28?
I've got a feeling you won't though. Will you?
"little man talent"?
You mean like Dante Hanoun. Or Tyson Jost.
Or do you mean little ... like Brian Gionta? Or Martin St Louis?
Oct 16 6:30 PM
Can you tell me who would make such a foolish decision to stay in Vancouver over BWC ? It's a teir 2 or 3 hockey organization. Its your kids last year of Bantam and you want him to play the best hockey available to him. Van Minor is not where its at. Sorry mom and dad, bad call. Too bad for the kid.
October 22, 2012 8:40 PM
You place WAY too much importance on 2nd year Banatam, presumably because of the Bantam Draft.
I Coached minor hockey for nine seasons, Scouted for a WHL team for 4 years and still work to help place talented, hard-working kids on junior A and Junior B squads. My advice to the parents of Bantam age athletes is relax. It's a long journey from here. Drafted at 15 means almost nothing. Especially with fewer skilled kids even wanting to go the Major Junior route.
Nathan's a strong player. BWC wouldn't have changed anything for him in the long term. And that is the perspective I encourage all parents to have.
So your telling me if Ryan Nugent Hopkins would h s played tier 3 in van instead of BWC be would be the same player?
11:33
I'm sorry but that must have been your sales pitch to the parents to make him stay. I bet they have buyer remorse now. If you have had that kind of experience in hockey, you should know that at this age you want start to try and play at the highest level possible, if you can. He's in second year Bantam, when do you want him to start playing good hockey at both ends of the ice? I have watched him play this year. His coach allows him to run around like a chicken with his head cut off. I have to agree with a comment made earlier that his hockey sense will be an issue moving forward. He would have benefited with playing with better players and coaching that wouldn't allow him to do what he gets away with.
Good coaching would have STARTED the process for breaking bad habits and understanding the game better.
My advise to ALL parents would be to get them in the best programs available to you as soon as you can. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Essentially, yes.
Are you trying to say that BWC made RNH the player he is?
BWC didn't "make" Matt Barzal into the player he is either.
BWC goes after kids like Barzal (and Jaeger White and Nathan McCarnan and Matt Barberis and Michael Regush ...) because of the player they ARE already becoming, because of the talent they HAVE already. What the club offers as enticement is the opportunity to play in "big" tournaments and an improved chance of playing in Provincials and Westerns. I'm shocked that I have to explain this, but he club does NOT "make" them talented or "give" them talents they don't already have.
Would anyone seriously argue otherwise?
Heck, what about all those poor, unfortunate hockey players who never enjoy the blessing of playing at BWC and yet somehow manage to move on and play Junior hockey, College Hockey, Pro Hockey, even NHL Hockey.
Or are you not aware that athletes can achieve such things having only played in Tier 2 or Tier 3 Bantam for North Delta or Aldergrove or Surrey?
Here's a news item from just two weeks ago, about a player from Abbotsford.
(http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/passed-over-bantam-draft-saskatoon-blades-rookie-matt-015618833.html)
"Saskatoon Blades fans have high expectations for Matt Revel who outscored the 2011 No. 1 bantam last year in Major Midget despite not having been drafted himself."
Yep, all 22 Major Junior teams passed on Revel through 10 rounds of the Bantam draft. ***More than 200 other players were chosen. Revel was not. Not by any team, in any round.***
Yet just a year later ... he made the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL before jumping two weeks ago to Saskatoon of the WHL.
The article also points out ..."The Abbotsford, B.C., native wouldn't be the first player passed over in the bantam draft to blossom into a star. The Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla, Toronto Maple Leafs' Joffrey Lupul, Boston Bruins' Milan Lucic, Vancouver Canucks' Dan Hamhuis are among the NHLers who were passed over in their respective bantam drafts."
And who knows how this particular story will end. The road ahead is STILL a long one for Revel. It's even longer for your son.
Thanks for your analysis for 2 kids you have no clue about. Both played at the BWC since Initiation hockey not imported like you state. Both will tell you the BWC programs helped them to develop their skills to make them the players they are!!!!! They will seriously argue the point that it help their development significantly.
There are people like you that advise parents because it serves your self interest. IE: You are the coach and don't make decisions that are best for that kid but what's best for you.... too bad the kid loses out to play at a higher level program!!!
You place too little emphasis on development and playing at a higher level in second year Bantam AAA When are you going to get started???? The journey ends quick when you start getting cut from teams in Midget when you lack the skill or hockey sense. Be careful to think you have a lot of time.
My son was recruited to the winter club and we did the end-run around PCAHA to get him accepted. Their were definitely more games thru the season and the hockey team was better than our home association. The coaching was much more oriented to systems and set plays but I really didn't think that help my son's individual development. If anything I thought it was a system that turned young players into role players at way too young an age. The Coach also heavily skewed the amount of ice-time that kids got and that couldn't help the development of anyone but the few top players. Remember, it's a private club and doesn't have an obligation to provide anything like equal ice time.
I was literally told by one WHL scout to "get out" of the winter club so my son could get more playing time, more development. So after one season we left and went to one of the Academies - a MUCH better experience. Even more expensive, I know, but a night and day difference in terms of development. The kids were all helped to reach their own potential as opposed to filling a role.
Based on my experience I'd say unless your son is definitely going to be on the top forward line or on the top d-pairing, stay where you are. The lesser players get much less ice time and play very limited roles. The club has a few "stars" each year that they showcase, and they probably improve because of all the extra ice time. The other kids mostly watch.
Love the Revel story! Thanks for posting.
October 21, 2012 12:41 AM
Still waiting for your list of the 28 BC Forwards you rank ahead of Nathan McCarnan.
White. Kryski . Hannoun. Jost McDonald. Malenstyn. Koch. Regush. Uy. Seidel. Kylyshbek anholt benjefield Mohktari ayre gingras johnson those are 17 forwards who are for sure better than Mccarnan
WEHP had Nathan as the #11 Forward in BC in the September rankings. Anyone know where he is now?
October 25, 2012 2:10 PM
Only 7 or 8 are "for sure".
4 or 5 are debatable.
And 4 in the "no way" category.
McCarnan is a terrific player. Not a Top 10 Forward in Western Canada, but definitely in the Top 10 or 12 for BC.
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