The league’s parity has been on full display, as the standings have changed wildly from night to night and week to week! The power rankings reflect the wild ride this year has been.
A group of SJHL media decides the power rankings.
1. Melfort Mustangs (14-4-0) (Last week 2nd)
There were three more wins this past week, all by one goal, against teams out of the playoffs at the time of writing. Trevor Blevins’ team has constantly proven one thing over the last couple of seasons: win pretty, win ugly, it’s all the same to them.
2. Weyburn Red Wings (13-6-1) (Last week 1st)
Their 14-game unbeaten streak was snapped this past weekend when they lost a pair of games at home to the Battlefords North Stars. However, a 14-game unbeaten streak, 13 of which were wins, is an incredible achievement, and there should be little, if anything, to worry about at the CPP.
3. Yorkton Terriers (12-7-0) (Last week 2nd)
A drop in the standings has more to do with movement ahead of them, and the Terriers’ five-game win streak is currently the longest such streak in the league. This season has been impressive for many reasons, one is that they have been so successful despite playing the fewest home games of any team in the SJHL.
4. Battlefords North Stars (11-5-3) (Last week 8th)
Whether this team is overachieving or undervalued is up for debate. Still, two huge character wins in Weyburn this past weekend spoke volumes about the type of hard-nosed, physical, detail-oriented group they have in Battlefords. They play playoff-style hockey already, and it’s just November.
5. Flin Flon Bombers (10-9-1) (Last week 7th)
The Bombers got healthy in early November, and with as much, if not more, weaponry than any team in the SJHL, it should be no surprise that this crew has laid waste so far this month. Two wins in a tough Kindersley rink this past week are impressive, and with the three-headed monster of Kieper-Marquart-Urbani in goal, don’t expect much to go in their net the rest of the way.
6. Humboldt Broncos (11-7-1) (Last week 4th)
The enigma that is the 2024-25 Humboldt Broncos continues. Sometimes they are brilliant, and sometimes they aren’t, and that was shown by a terrific 3-1 win Friday vs Melville and then a 1-0 loss, also at home, to the last-place Nipawin Hawks. Would the real Humboldt Broncos please stand up?
7. La Ronge Ice Wolves (11-10-1) (Last week, 10th)
The Ice Wolves began an extended home stand a couple of weeks ago and so far have three wins out of the four on it. They dominated the Players of the Week after dominating the Estevan Bruins, and even though he was not named goalie of the week, Graham Brown certainly deserved to be with two shining performances.
8. Melville Millionaires (10-8-2) (Last week 5th)
November has not been kind at all to the Mills, who, by many accounts, have not played badly over their six-game skid but cannot get any bounces. Their lone contest of the week, a loss in Humboldt, symbolizes the tough luck Melville has received so far this month. This roster has all the talent to turn it around fast, though!
9. Kindersley Klippers (10-8-1) (Last week 6th)
The Klippers’ schedule to start November, albeit all at home, have been by far the toughest team in the league. That has translated into one win from five, though they have been competitive and could have gotten results in all of them. Like their West Sask rivals, Clayton Jardine has his men playing playoff-style hockey, and they will continue to be a force to be reckoned with this season.
10. Estevan Bruins (5-9-3) (Last week 9th)
Tied with their Viterra Division rival Yorkton Terriers in terms of the fewest home games played so far this year, there are certainly brighter days ahead at Affinity Place. A tough trip to La Ronge with all sorts of injury problems this past weekend can be chucked, and it always seems to be a barn-burner when the Battlefords North Stars make the trip to Estevan, the Bruins’ next two contests.
11. Nipawin Hawks (3-12-2) (Last week 12th)
It is no stretch to say that this weekend was the best of the Hawks’ season so far. They had a very quiet start to November, giving them time to bring new players up to speed and reload, and it paid off with three points out of a possible four from trips to Melfort and Humboldt. Gage Roberts was terrific in net in a 1-0 win at the Elgar Petersen Arena on Saturday.
12. Notre Dame Hounds (5-14-1) (Last week 11th)
The Hounds have been on the road all November so far, but that is about to change with four in a row in Wilcox. Splits in Battlefords and La Ronge to begin the month were followed by a highly competitive loss in the champs’ home last Saturday. This team still has yet to win two in a row this campaign, but Spencer Borsos has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this month.
