A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in this space about how the standings were very close in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
That’s still the case at the moment, even as the Battlefords North Stars have won 12 straight games.
The top-to-bottom parity is also the case in all three major junior hockey leagues in the country as the 60 teams in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League continue their quest to compete for the Memorial Cup title in Windsor, Ont. next May.
As a self-proclaimed junior hockey junkie, I can safely say the number of title contenders at the moment is a lot more than what I’ve usually seen.
Usually in the OHL, there are a couple of teams that have already separated themselves from the rest of the pack, with the juggernaut London Knights usually in that discussion.
Last year’s Memorial Cup champions are in the mix once again, but they aren’t even the top team in their conference at the moment.
That honour belongs to the Erie Otters, who have the best record in the entire OHL with a 15-4-2 mark and have already found the net 97 times.
Despite losing Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome to the National Hockey League over the last couple of seasons, the Otters haven’t missed a beat and look well on their way to winning at least 50 games for the fourth straight year.
With that said, playoff success has proven to be elusive for the Otters. They’ve made it to the league final only once in that span, and they lost in five games to the Oshawa Generals in 2015.
You would expect that the Otters’ tough playoff luck would turn around at some point, but there are a number of teams nipping at their heels.
The Knights are good once again and the Windsor Spitfires have made a number of trades already as they stack up their roster ahead of hosting the Memorial Cup in their own rink.
Plus, you have the Sarnia Sting, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers, who all have a ton of weapons on offence and can score a goal at the drop of a hat.
Even if the Otters get out of the Western Conference alive, the Generals might prove to be a tough test once again if they end up back in the final, so it’ll be curious to see if they cross paths for the second time in three years.
The QMJHL is always tough to predict and this year is no exception.
The defending league champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are leading the pack once again, and they are eager to return to the Memorial Cup after losing to the Knights in overtime last May in Red Deer, Alta.
The pre-season favourite Saint John Sea Dogs and the Shawinigan Cataractes, who lost to the Huskies in last year’s QMJHL final, have surprised no one by being in the mix.
However, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Quebec Remparts and Charlottetown Islanders have all started the season much better than I had expected.
In a way, the Islanders remind me of the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins, who will be coming to the Civic Centre Saturday night.
The Islanders have one of the best offences in the country as they have scored 98 goals in 22 games.
However, they have allowed 86 goals in that span, which is tied for the third most in the QMJHL.
Staying close to home, the WHL seems to be the most clear cut of the three major junior leagues with four teams standing out from the rest of the pack.
The Medicine Hat Tigers have bounced back from missing the playoffs last year to lead the Central Division, the Prince George Cougars are off to their best start in franchise history and the Everett Silvertips are once again using their strong defensive play to pick up wins.
However, it’s the Regina Pats that are looking to be the best team not just in the WHL, but maybe the entire country.
Heading into a road game against the Edmonton Oil Kings Wednesday, the Pats have compiled a 14-0-3-0 record and are the only team in the country that have yet to lose in regulation this year.
Currently on a 10-game win streak, the Pats have already cracked the century mark in goals with 100 in 17 contests.
Anaheim Ducks prospect Sam Steel leads the league in scoring with 34 points in 15 games played, but the overall depth of the team is what impresses me the most.
On any given night, a different player is stepping up to score multiple goals, and that’s proving nearly impossible for other teams to stop.
Granted, it’s still very early and the Memorial Cup isn’t handed out in November.
However, if anyone wants to stop the Pats this season, they may have to score eight goals in order to do so.
This is a team that’s well worth watching, even if Sportsnet has decided not to put them on their national broadcast schedule this year, for whatever reason.
