Weekly MJHL Power Rankings are presented by Bunge.
1 – Selkirk Steelers (3-0): Starting strong has seemingly not been the issue for the Steelers over the last couple of seasons. Offensive output has been high, coupled with strong goaltending. They’ve done this before, and the tests will be coming up to see if what they’ve done is sustainable.
Player Spotlight: Rohan Guevarra – 3 goals, 7 assists in 3 games
Up Next: Sept. 26th vs Swan Valley, Sept. 27th vs NorMan, Oct. 1st @ WPG Monarchs
2 – Steinbach Pistons (2-0): Beating a rival is one thing, but handling that rival through much of the two games played is another. Even with turnover, the Pistons remain what they usually are: fast, physical, and dangerous. Five out of seven defenders who have played games have multiple points already.
Player Spotlight: Sam Noad – 3 goals, 1 assist in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 24th vs WPG Monarchs, Sept. 26th @ Portage, Sept. 30th @ WPG Monarchs
3 – Niverville Nighthawks (1-0): Scoring less than a minute into your home opener is going to get the party going. A lot of returning faces means the learning curve will be easier, and that poise showed when they didn’t let a winnable game get closer than it did. Good indication that this group is ready for that next level.
Player Spotlight: Evan Panzer – 1 goal, 2 assists in 1 game
Up Next: Sept. 26th @ Virden, Oct. 1st vs Portage
4 – Dauphin Kings (1-1): Two leads heading into third periods, with two very different outcomes. After squandering the road opener, the team proved that game was the outlier, responding with a big offensive and defensive clampdown performance. Teams will learn lessons, and Dauphin may have learned an important one very early.
Player Spotlight: Ethan Stewart – 2 goals, 1 assist in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 26th @ Neepawa, Sept. 27th vs Neepawa
5 – Portage Terriers (1-1): Interesting start for a Terriers club who went out and one on the road, before losing a bit of a rollercoaster game at home to follow it up. Offensively, a good mix of veterans and young guns has shown very well, which is an area of strength they can lean on early.
Player Spotlight: Rhett Platt – 3 goals, 1 assist in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 26th vs Steinbach, Sept. 28th vs Winkler, Oct. 1st @ Niverville
6 – Virden Oil Capitals (1-1): Nice bounce back at home for a team that looks ready to be a divisional heavyweight. Up front, there’s depth all over, and on the blueline, poise and toughness. Goaltending looks to be another area of strength, and while scoring against them will be tough, they’ll need to find ways to put the puck in the net themselves.
Player Spotlight: London Hoilett – 2 goals, 1 assist in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 26th vs Niverville, Sept. 27th @ WPG Monarchs
7 – Waywayseecappo Wolverines (1-1): Strong showing in their opening game, and showed no quit in the follow-up contest, falling just short. Offensively dangerous with some big-time scoring threats, combined with goaltending that will allow them to take risks to score. The next step is reducing shots against.
Player Spotlight: Ben Roulette – 1 goal, 3 assists in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 24th @ Neepawa, Sept. 25th vs Winkler, Sept. 30th vs Swan Valley
8 – Neepawa Titans (1-1): Showed a lot of character bouncing back and beating an opponent in their home opener. Key players on this team have been together a while and know what they need to do nightly to be successful. Goaltending has been solid, but reducing the number of shots against is crucial for achieving greater success.
Player Spotlight: Logan Paquette – 2 goals, 2 assists in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 24th vs Waywayseecappo, Sept. 26th vs Dauphin, Sept. 27th @ Dauphin, Oct. 1st vs WPG Blues
9 – Swan Valley Stampeders (1-1): What a comeback in their home opener, something that should create some buzz. The group is bought into their system, they’ve shown they have some punch up front, and heart to go with it. Regardless of what happened in the following game, there are more positives for the Stamps to build on.
Player Spotlight: Ben Groome – 1 goal, 2 assists in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 26th @ Selkirk, Sept. 27th @ WPG Blues, Sept. 30th @ Waywayseecappo
10 – NorMan Blizzard (0-0): The defending champs are still gearing up through practice and scrimmage, anxiously awaiting their first game of the year. With many new faces in the lineup, the later start gives them a chance to watch some games, adjust their strategy, and integrate new players into the system.
Player Spotlight: Kelton Kellerman – Last year, 52 games, 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points
Up Next: Sept. 27th @ Selkirk, Sept. 28th @ WPG Monarchs
11 – Winkler Flyers (0-2): Not the ideal start, but areas to build on. The group went down twice in their games only to battle back, and could have grabbed a lead if not for a tough bounce or two. Defensively, they showed growing pains, while up front, their big guns are still loading up. No panic detected in the Pembina Valley, yet.
Player Spotlight: Niklas Gudmundson – 1 goal, 3 assists in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 25th @ Waywayseecappo, Sept. 28th @ Portage
12 – Winnipeg Blues (0-2): A pair of games with the thought they were right there, if a bounce or two had gone differently, the score would be different. That’s okay for now, but the Blues want and are going to need more if they want to challenge for a position closer to the top than the bottom of the division.
Player Spotlight: Hayden Ritter – 2 goals in 2 games
Up Next: Sept. 27th vs Swan Valley, Oct. 1st @ Neepawa
13 – Winnipeg Monarchs (0-2): Not a lot to say about the first two games of the year. Take them, learn from them, and move on. There may be some long nights, but the group has shown there’s no quit, and if they can continue with that sort of mentality, they’ll be able to put up a good fight.
Player Spotlight: Nathan Forster – 1 goal, 1 assist in 2 games.
Up next: Sept. 24th @ Steinbach, Sept. 27th vs Virden, Sept. 28th vs NorMan, Sept. 30th vs Steinbach, Oct. 1st vs Selkirk
