See who’s up and who’s down in the latest Viterra MJHL Power Rankings.
(+4) 1st – Dauphin Kings
This week: 2-0
Overall: 11-3
Impressive Player: Forward Matthew Rathbone – 1 goal, 3 assists
Talk about making a statement. The Kings went into the weekend with a chance to grab the West division lead and they didn’t disappoint. The team looks poised to go on a sustained run and if they can follow up with another strong weekend, they may just run away with the division.
Up next: Nov 5th @ Waywayseecappo, Nov 6th vs Waywayseecappo
(+2) 2nd – Winnipeg Blues
This week: 2-0
Overall: 11-3
Impressive Player: Forward Brayden Foreman – 2 goals, 2 assists
A return to form for the Blues who bounced back after a pair of losses the weekend prior to put their stamp down as a team to be feared. Pushing for the top spot while also distancing themselves from the third-place Flyers is about a positive weekend as they could have hoped for.
Up next: Nov 5th @ Winkler, Nov 6th vs Winkler
(-2) 3rd – Steinbach Pistons
This week: 1-1
Overall: 12-2
Impressive Player: Forward Ty Paisley – 3 goals
Becoming the answer to the question “who did the Winnipeg Freeze beat for their first regulation win in franchise history” was not something the Pistons or many around the MJHL thought would happen, but it did. The Pistons bounced back with a better performance the night after but still have areas they can improve on.
Up next: Nov 6th @ Freeze, Nov 7th vs Freeze
(+2) 4th – Selkirk Steelers
This week: 2-0
Overall: 7-6-0-1
Impressive player: Forward Sheldon Howard – 1 goal, 2 assists
Don’t look now, but after four straight wins the Selkirk Steelers are just two points behind third spot in the East division. Their confidence really grew after those back-to-back wins over the Blues and after next weekend, they play the team directly ahead of them in the standings… ahead at least for now. Could be a different story come the second week of November the way the Steelers are playing.
Up next: Nov 5th @ Portage, Nov 6th vs Portage
(-3) 5 – Waywayseecappo Wolverines
This week: 0-2
Overall: 10-4
Impressive player: Forward Andrew Boucher – 2 goals
Blip on the radar or a come back to reality? The Wolverines were riding high but the weekend showed they still have a way to go if they want to be considered a legit contender in the league this year. The best news for Wayway is they have a chance to redeem themselves but they have to pick up points. “Good efforts” are not enough for this team anymore.
Up next: Nov 5th vs Dauphin, Nov 6th @ Dauphin
(-3) 6 – Winkler Flyers
This week: 0-2
Overall: 8-5-0-1
Impressive player: Forward Nicholas McKee – 1 goal, 1 assist
Frustrating probably sums of the weekend best for the orange and black. They had a real chance to make a statement but let it slip through their fingers. They showed in spurts they can be right there with the top teams. Much like the Wolverines, the Flyers can’t afford to be swept again so expect more, especially with a hungry Steelers team breathing down their necks.
Up next: Nov 5th vs Blues, Nov 6th @ Blues
(-) 7 – Virden Oil Capitals
This week: 1-1
Overall: 6-7-1
Impressive player: Defenseman Trevor Hunt – 2 assists
The Oil Caps just keep treading water. Too good to take a step back but not quite ready to challenge for the top of the division. Do they have what it takes to grab the points that are in front of them before the inter-division games start? Some nights yes. Other nights, no. This weekend could tell a lot about the club. They have the talent to really make their mark.
Up next: Nov 4th vs Swan Valley, Nov 6th @ Swan Valley
(-) 8th – Neepawa Titans
This week: 1-1
Overall: 5-7-1-1
Impressive player: Forward Josh Romanyk – 2 goals, 1 assist
It looked as though Neepawa had a chance to make a move in the West but a loss to the Blizzard set them back. They responded like they have many times already this year, which is a positive for a group that keeps learning how to win. There are teams within their reach and if they can copy what they did Saturday night over this weekend, they may be finding the number in the win’s column growing.
Up next: Nov 5th vs OCN, Nov 6th vs OCN
(-) 9th – Swan Valley Stampeders
This week: 1-1
Overall: 6-7-0-1
Impressive player: Forward Carter Cockburn – 2 goals, 1 assist
Another weekend trapped in the middle for the Stamps. One step forward, one step back. They’re able to keep hanging around in the West and depending on what the other teams are doing around them, could keep creeping up the standings. This weekend is a real opportunity to get out in front of a division that looks like it’ll be packed in the middle for the entire season.
Up next: Nov 4th @ Virden, Nov 6th vs Virden
(+2) 10th – Winnipeg Freeze
This week: 1-1
Overall: 2-12
Impressive player: Forward Dean Gorchynski – 2 goals, 2 assists
Picking up their first franchise regulation win vs the top team in the MJHL shows that the Freeze as a team are trending in the right direction. A scrappy, hardworking club that doesn’t give up. Finding consistent offence from players up and down the roster will be the challenge going forward. Regardless of the results, they will never be short of fight and effort.
Up next: Nov 6th vs Steinbach, Nov 7th @ Steinbach
(-) 11th – OCN Blizzard
This week: 0-2
Overall: 4-9-0-1
Impressive player: Forward Aaron Lorenz – 1 goal, 3 assists
A weekend split keeps the Blizzard right there in the conversation to pull themselves out of the basement of their division. Yes, they give up points but they also take points away from the teams ahead of them. With yet another back-to-back division matchup, if they can find a way to take points in regulation, there could be a major shakeup in the division.
Up next: Nov 5th @ Neepawa, Nov 6th @ Neepawa
(-2) 12th – Portage Terriers
This week: 0-2
Overall: 2-11-1
Impressive player: Forward Matt Wisener – 1 ast
It’s been tough sledding for the dogs as they continue to struggle getting points in any fashion. Losing six games in a row, five of which were in regulation, have the Terriers near the bottom looking up. They are as hard a working team there in the MJHL and eventually it will lead to results. The process just may be a little painful in the short-term.
Up next: Nov 5th vs Selkirk, Nov 6th @ Selkirk
