The New Year is here, and games are back with a vengeance!
A group of SJHL media decides the power rankings.
1. Melfort Mustangs (28-4-0) (Last week 1st)
There were two more wins this past week, both vs. Melville and two more shutouts for Kristian Coombs. With all due respect to ‘CJHL’s Top 20 Rankings No. 1 Sudbury, there should be no disputing that the Mustangs are the best team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The win streak is at 17 games, which ties the 11-12 Broncos for the longest this millennium.
2. Flin Flon Bombers (20-9-3) (Last week 2nd)
Not to be outdone, the Bomber’s unbeaten in-regulation run sits at 16, with one of their two extra-time losses in that span coming this past weekend at home to the La Ronge Ice Wolves. All guns are blazing for Flin Flon, though, and many metrics have them as good as the Mustangs.
3. Yorkton Terriers (21-10-1) (Last week 3rd)
Yorkton’s eight-game win streak finally ended with a hard-fought home loss Sunday to an also-hot Weyburn club, but there is no reason to fret at all at Westland Arena. Terriers dominated the Players of the Week award after posting two straight seven-goal showings to start 2025.
4. Weyburn Red Wings (19-10-2) (Last week 5th)
Weyburn is finally primarily healthy, and that has been brought to bear with two solid wins to start the new year this past week. The biggest news out of the CPP is the trade that sent borderline club legend goaltender Dazza Mitchell to the Humboldt Broncos, but Angelo Zol put in Goalie of the Week honours anyway, and Cody Mapes’ men keep humming along.
5. Battlefords North Stars (17-10-5) (Last week 6th)
Two hard-fought wins over the plucky Nipawin Hawks have the Stars seemingly back on track after a tough end to 2024, and as the trade deadline approaches, Battlefords is a decent bet to be active. It’s hard to think of a team with wilder ups and downs this year than the denizens of the Access Communications Centre.
6. Kindersley Klippers (17-15-1) (Last week 7th)
On a four-game win streak, all against playoff teams, the Klippers are quietly one of the hottest teams in the SJHL. Their dramatic come-from-behind victory in Humboldt last Saturday has them on a high, and like their west-central Sask cousins, the Stars, they could be active at the deadline.
7. Humboldt Broncos (15-15-2) (Last week, 9th)
The Broncos have been a one-step forward, one-step back team all year, but they are hoping the huge addition of elite goaltender Dazza Mitchell from Humboldt will be the key that sends them over the hump. A tough home loss to Kindersley this past week was not ideal, but it’s all ahead of the talented Broncos to move up in the standings.
8. La Ronge Ice Wolves (15-18-1) (Last week 8th)
The Ice Wolves have to be riding high after pulling a rare (for anyone) win out of Flin Flon’s Whitney Forum this past weekend. In Logan Falk and Graham Brown, their goaltending is as tough as anyone’s in the league, and it will be interesting to see whether the Wolves are buyers or sellers come this weekend’s deadline.
9. Melville Millionaires (15-17-3) (Last week 5th)
There are no two ways to dice it: 2025 has been tough for the Mils. Two more losses came at the hands of the mighty Melfort Mustangs this past weekend, but the good news is that a string of games at the CN Community Centre are coming up in January. They still have as rugged and experienced a D-Corp as any in the league.
10. Nipawin Hawks (7-21-5) (Last week 11th)
The results may not have been there lately, but the process is moving forward for the young Hawks. Their last five games have been all against the Top 5 teams in the league, and three were one-goal games. Nipawin’s future will be bright if their players keep buying into what Tad Kozun is preaching.
11. Estevan Bruins (11-15-4) (Last week 10th)
The Bruins lost both games this past weekend, but the best news is that most of their January is at the comfortable confines of Affinity Place. In the likes of youngsters Ben Polhill and Cody Polumbus, Estevan’s future is bright.
12. Notre Dame Hounds (8-19-3) (Last week 12th)
The Hounds have not played since losing to Melville on Dec. 18, so it isn’t easy to get a handle on where they are. January is a brutal schedule for ND.
