TORONTO — The Canadian Hockey League has released the Week 10 edition of the Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings.
The North Bay Battalion are the top-ranked team from the Ontario Hockey League for the first time in the 2021-22 season, securing back-to-back road wins over the Hamilton Bulldogs and Niagara IceDogs last weekend to slot in at sixth (see rankings list above). The Battalion was ranked eighth in last week's Kia CHL Top 10 Rankings and ninth the week before.
The 15-7-1-1 Battalion lead the Eastern Conference and feature three of the OHL's top-10 scorers in newly signed San Jose Sharks prospect Brandon Coe (14-32--46), Edmonton Oilers draftee Matvey Petrov (16-23--39), and November's OHL Player of the Month, Kyle Jackson (15-22--37).
North Bay has been consistent on the special teams front, owning the league's fifth-ranked power play and penalty kill under head coach Ryan Oulahen. The Troops are at home to the Soo Greyhounds, Thursday, before a home-and-home with the Barrie Colts, Saturday and Sunday.
The London Knights appear in the rankings for an eighth consecutive week, coming in at number seven on the list. The Knights defeated the Kitchener Rangers 6-2 on Tuesday after mixed results over the weekend. London fell for a third time this season to the Sarnia Sting at home on Saturday and defeated the Erie Otters by a score of 4-1 on Friday.
Knights captain Luke Evangelista joins goaltender Brett Brochu in heading off to Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp in Calgary, Alta. The Nashville Predators prospect is on an eight-game point streak and leads London with 40 points (20-20--40). Rookie winger Colton Smith (12-5--17) leads the club with eight power play goals on the season, powering London's 28.9 per cent second-ranked man advantage. The Knights return to action at home to the Windsor Spitfires on Friday.
The Kingston Frontenacs are back in the rankings, coming in at number nine following a two-week absence during which they ripped off five consecutive wins. The Fronts edged the Peterborough Petes 6-5 on the road Thursday night before outscoring the Oshawa Generals and Ottawa 67's 10-1 in consecutive victories on Friday and Sunday. Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen earned his first career OHL shutout and was named OHL Goaltender of the Week while top NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright was a force, recording eight points (2-6--8) across three games. The Fronts have a big date with the Hamilton Bulldogs on home ice Friday night. Kingston edged Hamilton 5-4 in a shootout in their last meeting, Nov. 27.
The Mississauga Steelheads received an honourable mention, scoring back-to-back one-goal wins over Ottawa and Oshawa last week. The Steelheads are 13-6-1-1, four points back of Central Division-leading North Bay.
