Top and Bottom 5s

I've decided to combine the two lists into one blog this time, the data has been much easier to sort. Please find the lists below! My numbers do not line up exactly with CHLStats.com but the site is a great source for information as well.

Shooting Percentage
Top 5
1. Lethbridge Hurricanes - 13.54%
2. Moose Jaw Warriors - 12.32%
3. Prince Albert Raiders - 12.24%
4T. Kelowna Rockets - 12.11%
4T. Saskatoon Blades - 12.11%
Bottom 5
1. Edmonton Oil Kings - 7.16%
2. Everett Silvertips - 7.31%
3. Kootenay Ice - 8.05%
4. Swift Current Broncos - 8.20%
5. Prince George Cougars - 8.31%

Save Percentage
Top 5
1. Portland Winterhawks - .929%

2. Victoria Royals - .926%
3T. Moose Jaw Warriors - .925%
3T. Everett Silvertips - .925%
5. Prince George Cougars - .915%
Bottom 5
1. Calgary Hitmen - .869%
2. Medicine Hat Tigers - .871%
3. Tri-City Americans - .874%
4. Vancouver Giants - .878%
5. Kamloops Blazers - .879%

Shots For Per Game
Top 5
1. Brandon Wheat Kings - 41.2
2. Medicine Hat Tigers - 35.25
3. Red Deer Rebels - 34.20
4. Edmonton Oil Kings - 33.533
5. Moose Jaw Warriors - 32.462
Bottom 5
1. Calgary Hitmen - 27.867
2. Kootenay Ice - 27.938
3. Spokane Chiefs - 29.429
4. Saskatoon Blades - 29.5
5. Kamloops Blazers - 30.077

Shots Againsts Per Game
Top 5
1. Brandon Wheat Kings - 24.133
2. Seattle Thunderbirds - 25.364
3. Victoria Royals - 27.8
4. Calgary Hitmen - 28.067
5. Red Deer Rebels - 28.2
Bottom 5
1. Swift Current Broncos - 37.571
2T. Moose Jaw Warriors - 35.846
2T. Regina Pats - 35.846
4. Kootenay Ice - 35.438
5. Portland Winterhawks - 34.615

Goals For Per Game
Top 5
1. Lethbridge Hurricanes - 4.38
2. Brandon Wheat Kings - 4.07
3. Moose Jaw Warriors - 4.00
4. Prince Albert Raiders - 3.87
5. Kelowna Rockets - 3.86
Bottom 5
1. Edmonton Oil Kings 1.60
2. Everett Silvertips 2.20
3. Kootenay Ice - 2.25
4. Swift Current Broncos - 2.50
5. Calgary Hitmen 2.60

Goals Against Per Game 
Top 5
1. Victoria Royals - 2.07
2. Seattle Thunderbirds - 2.27
3. Everett Sivlertips - 2.30
4. Portland Winterhawks - 2.47
5. Brandon Wheat Kings - 2.52
Bottom 5
1. Vancouver Giants - 4.14
2. Kootenay Ice - 4.13
3. Spokane Chiefs - 4.00
4. Medicine Hat Tigers - 3.92
5. Tri-City Americans - 3.71

Every Other Year: Game Day #15

The first of 5 US Division teams make their way to the Centrium

Spokane Chiefs (5-7-1-1) 12pts. AT Red Deer Rebels (10-4-0-0) 20 pts.

I am no one really in the WHL world, I barely make a dent in the fan base in Red Deer let alone the entire league but if I had a say in only 1 thing in this league, it would be that every team plays every other team at least once in each arena. I know that it is difficult with the way the league is laid out geographically and it is not economical but that would be my one and only wish.

The Rebels come in to tonight's contest winners of their last 5 games. They are also undefeated on home ice, going a solid 7-0-0-0 at the Centrium. 35 of their 55 goals have also come in the cozy confines of home. The team is in a 3 way tie points wise with Lethbridge and Brandon for 2nd overall in the WHL based on points.

The Chiefs drove up the QE2 following a 6-3 win in Calgary last night over the Hitmen. Spokane has not had a great start to this young season and are currently 2-6-1-1 in their last 10 games. The Chiefs are 3-4-1-0 away from Veterans Memorial Center in Spokane, WA.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan - Chiefs Twitter

Spokane brings with them Kailer Yamamoto, a 17 year old from Spokane, WA. He 57 points in 68 games a rookie last season and has continued to score points this season. he has put up 17 points (2G, 15A) in 14 games. He already has two 3 point games this season. Overage Defenseman Jason Fram is in his 5th season with the club and is their Captain. He enters the night with 11 points on the back end in his 14 games. Keep an eye on 16 year old rookie Jaret Anderson-Doyle, he is expected to be among the rookie scoring leaders this year and a top choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He has 4 goals and 2 assists so far this year.

Red Deer's two imports players continue to light it up for the Rebels this year. Ivan Nikolishin leads the team in goals with 10 and points with 22. He has points in 3 straight games and has only been held off the scoresheet twice all season. Michael Spacek has 7 goals and 14 assists on the year and also has points in 3 straight. He has only been pointless in one game through 14.

Haydn Fleury - NHL.com

Haydn Fleury is expected to return to the line up following his 2 game suspension. He has a 4 game point streak heading into tonight's action. Jeff de Wit and Evan Polei could be game time decisions based on their day-to-day status following injuries to both players in games last weekend. Ryan Pouliot has been returned to the roster following his recent injury. Braden Purtill will get his first chance to play his former teammates.

Tri-City currently lists Brandon Carlo, D, out for 2 weeks, Riley Hillis, D, out indefinitely and Austyn Playfair, F, out 1 week. 2 players will also be attending the U17 challenge, Kyle Olson and Michael Rasmussen.

Look for tonight's starting goaltenders to be Rylan Toth for Red Deer (7-3-0-0, 2.90GAA, .899 sv%) and  Tyson Verhelst for Spokane (5-5-0-1, 3.31GAA, .891 sv%)

Player Profiles: Austin Pratt

Every now and then throughout the season, I will be writing a short blog about a player on the Rebels, he could be a rookie, an import, or just someone who I've maybe noticed hasn't gotten a lot of coverage in the WHL media.

Today's blog will be about Red Deer Rebels rookie forward Austin Pratt. He was drafted by the team in the 4th round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. Before he was drafted into the WHL, there were many folks who considered Pratt to be a 1st or 2nd round talent but the fact he was from Lakeville, Minnesota meant he may choose the NCAA route. It would be up to the coaches and staff of the Rebels to convince him that Red Deer was the premier destination for his development.

Austin Pratt Shattuck St. Mary's

A 30 mile drive from home would take Austin to the beginning of his 2017 NHL Draft aspirations. Shattuck-St.Mary's hockey program has put forward some top NHL talent including Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. Austin spent 2 seasons with the program, his first year with the Bantam tier 1 team as a 14 year old. He registered 30 goals and 43 assists in 65 games with the team. In his midget (U16) season he played in 55 games, potting 20 goals and adding 32 helpers. His Midget team won the national championship last year.

After showcasing his skills with SSM, Austin was being courted by NCAA teams and was considered a top 2018 college class prospect. He was also being looked at to be a top draft pick in the 2014 USHL draft. Leaving these options and selecting the Canadian Hockey League (more exactly the WHL) would mean foregoing his amateur status and the ability to play in the NCAA. He then signed with the Rebels on April 10, 2015.

Austin made a good showing in the preseason, with 4 goals and an assist. He also had a really good training camp with the team. This earned him a spot on the opening day roster as a 16 year old. He has been playing mostly 4th line minutes, which has seen him with line mates such as Jeff de Wit, Reese Johnson, Lane Pederson and Brandon Hagel. Austin has 2 goals and 2 assists in 12 games and is a very responsible +3. He scored his first regular season WHL goal on October 3rd against the Kelowna Rockets. Austin doesn't back down from the tough spots or opponents, he has shown a willingness to mix it up in front of the net as well as dig for loose pucks in the corners. He is also a good skater, as he has showcased when on the ice with some of Red Deer's big guns like Conner Bleackley and Grayson Pawlenchuk.

Austin Pratt - Red Deer Rebels

What does the future hold for Austin? Will he be similar to a Shane McColgan or a Brian Williams, 16 year old american born players who have carved their own path through the WHL? Or will he be another player that doesn't live up to the hype in the WHL? One thing that is for sure, he has already won the hearts of many fans here in Red Deer as he competes every second he is one the ice. I am quite certain he will carve a spot in Rebel lore for years to come and will succeed with every opportunity that Brent Sutter gives him to excel. Give the future superstar a follow on Twitter @AJPratt14

WHL Power Rankings #2

Welcome to the second edition of the WHL Power Rankings. Some media and bloggers throughout the league have joined me in creating a ranking of the WHL teams by their conference. Today will be the second edition of the Rankings. Let's get to it! All records are since the last rankings on October 11th, 2015. Thank you to the members who contributed to the write-ups and everyone for their votes.

Eastern Conference Rankings

1T. Prince Albert Raiders - 100pts. (6-0-0-0) - A successful road trip through the US Division is ridiculously hard to accomplish and the Raiders did. Time to consider them as the real deal? We're almost there. (UP 5)
1T. Brandon Wheat Kings - 100pts. (5-1-0-0) - Need to find a way to stay hungry all year when they could just turn it on in February. (EVEN)
3. Red Deer Rebels - 92pts. (5-2-0-0) - They could upgrade their goaltending duo, their defence is touch 'n go, another injury could derail them. (EVEN)
4. Lethbridge Hurricanes - 83pts. (4-0-0-0) - Could be higher, have only beaten 1 team ahead of them in the standings. Still better than expected, this team is for real. (UP 1)
5. Moose Jaw Warriors - 74pts. (3-3-0-0) - Is the recent slide a sign of them coming back to Earth? (DOWN 2)
6. Calgary Hitmen - 62 pts. (2-5-0-0) - Injuries taking their toll, standings are not reflective of how good they are when healthy. (DOWN 5)
7. Saskatoon Blades - 54pts. (3-2-0-0) - Better than they have been in years but still a work in progress. (EVEN)
8. Regina Pats - 43 pts. (3-2-1-0) - After a rough start the Pats are still finding their footing. (UP 2)
9. Swift Current Broncos - 36pts. (2-3-1-0) - Aquiring Jon Martin from Kootenay proving to be a brilliant move. Bow keeping them in games. (UP 2)
10. Medicine Hat Tigers - 30pts. (2-3-0-0) - Addition of Lotz will pay off, injuries hurting them even more than the Hitmen. (DOWN 1)
11. Edmonton Oil Kings - 20pts. (0-4-1-0) - Work hard and are in every game but can't put the puck in the net. 5-game losing streak, last 4 were at home. (DOWN 3)
12. Kootenay Ice - 9pts. (1-4-1-0) - Worst team in the East, no signs of improvement on the horizon. (EVEN)

Western Conference Rankings

1. Kelowna - 67 pts. -(4-1-0-0) The Rockets’ team defense has improved since their roller coaster start and does not seem to be the weakness it looked like to start the year. Jackson Whistle shut out Calgary and is rounding into form. (EVEN)

2. Seattle 66 pts. - (4-1-0-0) The T-birds got Barzal back from the Islanders and they instantly won six games in a row. That streak was ended by Carter Hart and Everett, but it still has placed Seattle in first in the U.S. by a five point margin. (UP 3) 

3. Victoria 55 pts. - (1-4-0-0) The Royals ended a four game skid with a shut out from Outhouse in his first start of the season. One has to think he will start spelling Vollrath a little more often. (DOWN 1) 

4. Portland 45 pts. -(4-2-0-0) The surging Winterhawks have won three in a row and WHL goalie of the week Adin Hill is a big reason why. He had two shut outs over the weekend and now leads the league with three on the season. (UP 4) 

5. Everett 43 pts. - (2-1-0-0) Hart stoned Seattle on Sat. but more scoring from their younger, depth players is likely needed for the Tips to make a run this year. (DOWN 2) 

6. Prince George 37 pts. - (4-2-0-0) Jesse Gabrielle was named WHL player of the week this week after notching seven points this week. Could he be the star P.G. has been looking for ever since Brett Connolly was there? (UP 2)

7. Spokane 25 pts. - (1-3-1-0) Was the 2-1 defensive win last week over Victoria an anomaly? After giving up 12 goals over two games to P.A. and Kamloops, the Chiefs certainly hope not. (EVEN)

8. Tri-City 20 pts. - (1-5-0-0) The Americans are scoring more this year and never seem to be out of a game. But they need to stop falling behind big in the first place. (DOWN 2) 

9. Vancouver 19 pts. -  (1-3-0-0) The Giants got their star center Tyler Benson back, but still lost consecutive 3-1 games on the weekend and are struggling scoring goals and have now lost three in a row. (DOWN 4)
10. Kamloops 7pts. - (3-2-0-0)The cellar dwellers once again on the list, and their GM resigned, so yeah, things are not looking good for the Blazers. Is it time for the fan-base to just concentrate on how many former Blazers they can get on the WHL's Top 50 players of all time list? (EVEN) 

 

Time to Tame the Tigers Game Day #13

Red Deer's arch nemesis, Medicine Hat makes its first trip to the Enmax Centrium.

Medicine Hat Tigers (4-4-1-0) 9pts. AT Red Deer Rebels (8-4-0-0) 16pts.

The Rebels are coming off a huge 7-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday night. Wyatt Johnson scored the first Red Deer hat-trick since Brooks Maxwell got 4 vs Saskatoon on March 3rd, 2015. This was the 3rd win in a row for the Rebels.

Red Deer is now 5-0-0-0 on home ice this season. Twice since the Rebels inception they have won 29 games at home first in 2000-01 season and then again in the 2002-03 season. The team went on to win the Memorial Cup in 2000-01, and host this season's penultimate tournament.

Medicine Hat comes into tonight's game winners of their last 2 games, both coming in the cozy confines of their new arena, CanAlta Centre. The Tigers are 1-2-1-0 on the road this season. Tonight's game will be the 1st of 6 games between the two hockey clubs. The next game will be contested in Medicine Hat on November 1st.

Evan Polei - Getty Images

Evan Polei enters the night with 4 goals and an assist on the season. He also has two fights, one with Rodney Southam of the Kelowna Rockets and the other with Taylor Crunk of the Vancouver Giants. The Rebels lean on Polei to carry the load when it comes to muscle and willingness to mix it up with the opposition. He has grown in his 3rd season with the team, posting 27 goals to go with 17 assists over his 125 games as a Rebel. He attended Detroit Red Wings Training Camp earlier this year. Polei has also become a fan favorite, especially in this household.

The Rebels added 18 year old Winnipeg, MB native, Braden Purtill from the Tri-City Americans. The team gave up a 3rd round pick in the 2017 Bantam Draft. Purtill has participated in 111 games with the Americans and has scored 11 goals to go with 10 assists. Braden can play both Wing and Defense and looks to be an integral part of the Memorial Cup season.

The team will be without the services of Haydn Fleury for 2 games following his hit to the head of Saskatoon Blade, Nick Zajac. Conner Gay was also suspended for 2 games for his cross check to the face of Fleury after the hit.

Cole Sanford - YahooSports

Medicine Hat will be without the services of Trevor Cox, Zach Fischer and Cole Sanford. All suffering from various ailments. Cox and Sanford make up 204 points from last season's team that beat the Rebels in 5 in the first round of the playoffs.

Austin Lotz was picked up by the Tigers to shore up their inconsistent goaltending. He is 20 years old and in his 4th season. He is 2-0-0-0 since the move and sports a 1.50 GAA and .948 sv%. Also the Tigers no longer have an import on their roster as they released Tomasz Laday on waivers this week and Alexei Polotonov decided to return home, this also leaves the Tigers with just 6 defensemen on the roster. Thanks to Gregg Drinnan and Taking Note.

Tonight's game at the Centrium is expected to be a full house, there is a benefit for the Bott family that lost three daughters in a farming incident recently. $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to them as well as any donations from the game's patrons this evening. Please come out and support a local family that has had to deal with a very devastating tragedy. Doors open at 6PM, puck drops at 7. Come early parking will be at a premium!

Return to the Centrium: Game Day #12

After a quick 4 games in 5 nights road trip through the BC Division, the Rebels return home.

Saskatoon Blades (4-2-3-0) 11 pts. AT Red Deer Rebels (7-4-0-0) 14 pts.

Red Deer enters tonight's contest riding a modest 2 game win streak following a wild 6-4 victory in Vancouver on Saturday night. They finished the road trip at 2 wins and 2 losses.

Saskatoon is coming off an overtime win in Edmonton last night. Wyatt Sloboshan had the winner in the 3-on-3 while Nik Amundrud saved 37 of 39. They are 2-0-1-0 on the road this year.

This is the first of 4 contests between the teams, they meet again in 17 days in Saskatoon, the 2nd game of a 5 game East Divison road trip during Agri-Trade at the Centrium.

Last year the Rebels went 3-1-0-0 against the Blades and have the slight edge in the last 10 games at 6-4-0-0. This game will see the return of Connor Gay to the Centrium he was traded to the Blades for a 3rd round 2015 Bantam Draft pick. So far this season Connor has 3 goals and 9 assists in 9 blades games.

Connor Gay - StarPhoenix.com

Ivan Nikolishin and Michael Spacek continue to lead the team in points with 17 a piece. This is good for a tie for 6th place in the WHL. Haydn Fleury has 8 points since his return, good for 11th in WHL defencemen scoring. In the 15th spot is Colton Bobyk with 7 points.

Red Deer's Power play is currently 11th at 22.4%, while Saskatoon's is 15th at 20.0% On the Penalty Kill Red Deer sits 19th at 71.1% and Saskatoon is 7th at 81.4%

Cameron Hebig - StarPhoenix.com

Saskatoon's Cameron Hebig is an offensive threat. He has scored 7 goals to go with 7 assists in 9 games this season. He usually lines up with Connor Gay and Ryan Graham. Defenceman Brycen Martin has chipped in on the back end with a goal and 8 assists in 9 games.

Brock Hamm and Nik Amundrud have mostly split the 9 games of action and have a team save percentage of .887% and a goals per game of 3.78. Amundrud is the "better" of the two sporting a 3.08 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 4 games.


Tonight's game is the first of 4 in a row at home for the Rebels. As always the game will be broadcast on 106.7 fm the Drive, Cam Moon will have the play by play. He will be joined by Mike Moller and Troy Gillard at 6:30 for the pregame show. Puck drop is at 7PM.

Bottom 5s

While I wait for the games tonight to end, I figured I would do a bottom 5s for the same categories as the last blog post. I have found it to be a lot of fun to put these together. I would also like to thank Gregg Drinnan of thecoachessite.com for putting these numbers in to words and a format that gives everyone an opportunity to think about a few things. So without further ado, here is the bottom 5s list.

Bottom 5 team shooting percentages
1. Kootenay Ice 7.095% - Zak Zborosky 6 goals 12th  (tied) overall
2. Edmonton Oil Kings 7.22% - Lane Bauer 6 goals 12th (tied) overall
3. Prince George Cougars 7.658% - Jesse Gabrielle 4 goals 32nd (tied) overall
4. Portland Winterhawks 7.925% - 3 players with 3 goals each
5. Kamloops Blazers 9.091% - 3 players with 4 goals each (includes newcomer Gage Quinney)

Bottom 5 team save percentages
1. Medicine Hat Tigers .863% - Nick Schneider 6GP .852 sv% 36th overall
2. Spokane Chiefs .866% - Tyson Verhelst  7GP .892% 23rd overall
3. Vancouver Giants .869% - Payton Lee 6GP .886% 26th overall
4. Kamloops Blazers .870% - Conner Ingram 8GP .874% 31st overall
5. Tri-City Americans .870% - Evan Sarthou 8GP .871% 32nd overall

Bottom 5 shots per game
1. Kootenay Ice 26.909 s/g - season high 33 (twice)
2. Spokane Chiefs 27.778 s/g - season high 38
3. Kamloops Blazers 28.111 s/g - season high 44
4. Tri-City Americans 28.556 s/g - season high 36
5. Swift Current Broncos 29.000 s/g - season high 43

Botton 5 shots against per game
1. Swift Current Broncos 40.500 sa/g - season high 55
2. Kootenay Ice 36.636 sa/g - season high 49
3. Kelowna Rockets 36.545 sa/g - season high 44
4. Regina Pats 35.100 sa/g - season high 43 (twice)
5. Vancouver Giants 34.400 sa/g - season high 44

Bottom 5 goals for per game
1. Kootenay Ice - 1.91 G/G
2. Edmonton Oil Kings - 2.40 G/G
3. Prince George Cougars - 2.43 G/G
4. Kamloops Blazers - 2.56 G/G
5. Portland Winterhawks - 2.63 G/G

Bottom 5 goals against per game
1. Vancouver Giants - 4.50 GA/G
2. Kootenay Ice - 4.36 GA/G
3. Spokane Chiefs - 4.33 GA/G
4. Medicine Hat Tigers - 4.11 GA/G
5. Kamloops Blazers - 4.00 GA/G
5. Saskatoon Blades - 4.00 GA/G

Take what you will from these stats, it is early but clearly seeing Kamloops and Kootenay represented here frequently shows in the standings. Take care and have a great night!