Patrick King

Leafs prospect Mikhail Stefanovich has been lighting up the Q.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made headlines on the trade-front Sunday while some of their prospects shone and struggled during the week. Meanwhile, several divisional match-ups will be at the forefront as the race to the playoffs heats up in the Canadian Hockey League.

Québec Major Junior Hockey League

Hot team: Moncton Wildcats

The Wildcats passed another test, defeating the Victoriaville Tigres for the second time in as many weeks. With another two wins, Moncton's winning-streak now sits at 12 games. Despite the wins, the Wildcats were not able to make up ground on the Saint John Sea Dogs who remain 11 points ahead for top spot in the Atlantic Division. Moncton has a game in hand.

Hot player: Mikhail Stefanovich, Québec Remparts

The Maple Leafs' fourth-round pick in 2008 continued terrorizing goaltenders in his overage season. Stefanovich scored six times and added five assists for 11 points in three games with a plus-7 rating. One can't help but wonder if Stefanovich would be leading the scoring race had he started the season in Québec.

Cold team: Val-d'Or Foreurs

Val-d'Or lost all four games on their road trip through the Maritimes. With four games in five nights, the Foreurs managed just a single point by way of a shootout loss in Bathurst. Val-d'Or remains in the playoff picture, but their inclusion in the post-season is far from guaranteed. The team will need to improve its road record down the stretch.

Cold player: Raffaele D'Orso, Val-d'Or Foreurs

The Foreurs endured a rough road trip and their overage goaltender struggled. D'Orso allowed 15 goals on a combined 105 shots for a .857 save percentage in three losses. Once considered the league's top goaltender, D'Orso has struggled to regain that form, which is in part due to his heavy workload in Val-d'Or.

Game of the week: Saint John Sea Dogs vs. Moncton Wildcats, Saturday

Regular season match-ups don't get much more important than games between these two teams. The league's top two teams will face off for the sixth of eight meetings when the Wildcats host the Sea Dogs. Saint John holds the slight edge in the season series thus far, winning three of the first five. Moncton is the hottest team in the country while the Sea Dogs are winners of eight of their last 10 games. A win for the Sea Dogs would help slow the Wildcats' streak while adding to the gap in the standings.

Ontario Hockey League

Hot team: Plymouth Whalers

The Whalers are enjoying a strong start to the second half of the season after making some big moves at the trade deadline. Plymouth is reeling with seven-consecutive victories, most notably a 6-1 win over second-place London on Saturday. The Whalers are a dark-horse with potential to surprise.

Hot player: Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires

The potential first-overall pick in this summer's National Hockey League draft made ground on Plymouth's Tyler Seguin in the scoring race. Hall scored four goals and five assists for nine points in three games with a plus-7 rating. The Spitfire is stepping up at the right time as the team remains without injured forwards Greg Nemisz and Dale Mitchell. Hall is three points behind Seguin for first in scoring.

Cold team: Sarnia Sting

With the exception of Sarnia's first loss to Saginaw this week, the Sting kept the games close in losses against the Spirit and Spitfires. Sarnia lost three games in three nights for the third consecutive week and went without a win in January. The Sting's last win came over London on New Year's Eve.

Cold player: Jesse Blacker, Owen Sound Attack

Blacker left Windsor for more ice time, but has struggled of late in Owen Sound. The Maple Leafs' second-round pick from last summer had one assist, but was a minus-8 in three games and is a minus-18 since joining the Attack early this season. Owen Sound will need its prized trade acquisition to step it up if they're going to reach the post-season.

Game of the week: Mississauga St. Michael's Majors vs. Barrie Colts, Thursday

The Barrie Colts can earn the all-important tiebreaker with a win over the Majors. Barrie leads the season-series with three wins in four games, including last week's impressive 4-0 win in Mississauga. The Majors trail the Colts by 12 points for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Mississauga is a tough team to beat due to its stellar defensive play. Many predict the Eastern Conference will be determined by these two teams.

Western Hockey League

Hot team: Everett Silvertips

The Silvertips kept their impressive run alive with an unbeaten month of January. Everett's winning-streak is now 14 games and the team now trails Tri-City by just seven points for first in the Western Conference. The Silvertips kept the streak alive with some wins over quality opponents in Portland and Kamloops.

Hot player: Linden Vey, Medicine Hat Tigers

The fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings is climbing up the scoring charts with a red-hot performance. Vey recorded six goals and four assists for 10 points and a plus-3 in four games last week. The third-year forward is tied for 11th in league scoring and is taking over admirably for the graduated Tyler Ennis in Medicine Hat this season.

Cold team: Prince George Cougars

The Cougars clawed for a win this week, but failed to end its long losing streak. Prince George is without a win in the last 13 games and picked up just one point through those losses. The Cougars are still without injured forward Brett Connolly, which has been a near-impossible void to fill. Sophomore forward Nick Buonassisi was hot albeit in losing performances.

Cold player: Jordan Eberle, Regina Pats

The world junior star had an uncharacteristically off week. Eberle was held in check and did not record a point in two games, the first such time that has happened this season. The veteran forward is still averaging nearly two points a game this season and is tied for third in league scoring.

Game of the week: Spokane Chiefs vs. Everett Silvertips, Saturday

Spokane will have two opportunities to hand their U.S. Division rivals a loss. The Chiefs host the Silvertips on Wednesday, with another game sandwiched between their second meeting on Saturday. Everett is the league's hottest team while the Chiefs have suffered bouts of inconsistency of late. Neither team should have any difficulty with motivation against each other. The Silvertips own the season series with a win in each of the previous four contests.