The acquisition of Brayden Schenn has elevated Saskatoon to the top of the WHL Standings.
Brayden Schenn and Cody Eakin were instrumental as teammates on Canada's world junior hockey championship team in January. Now, the former teammates will face each other for the first time since both were traded at the WHL's trade deadline. Schenn's Blades are the league's hottest team.
Western Hockey League
Hot team: Saskatoon Blades
It's hard to argue the impact Schenn's acquisition has brought to the Saskatoon Blades. The Blades are riding an 11-game winning-streak since Schenn was acquired. Saskatoon is now in the driver's seat to finish first in the league standings with 90 points, six more than the next closest team, the Red Deer Rebels.
Cold team: Swift Current Broncos
It's not often that a three-game losing-streak will put a team in this part of the weekly column. The Broncos' streak, however, is not nearly as alarming as the fact they have lost nine of their last 10 games. Swift Current is tied for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but is falling out of contention quickly with four teams in the hunt for the eighth seed.
Game of the week: Saskatoon Blades vs. Kootenay Ice, Saturday
The two biggest movers and shakers at the WHL's trade deadline will face off for the first time since each team made headlines by acquiring teammates on Canada's world junior team. Saskatoon picked up Schenn while the Ice added Eakin to their lineup. Both players provided their new teams with more scoring and a needed veteran presence. Saskatoon, who will face Medicine Hat on Rogers Sportsnet Wednesday, has a healthy lead for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Ice won have won their last four games and seven of their past 10. This game could be a conference finals preview.
Canadian NHL teams' WHL prospects:
Jared Cowen, Ottawa (Spokane) - drafted ninth overall in 2009
Cowen picked up four assists in four games last week to tie his career-best single season record for assists with 22. His 36 points this season is already a career-high. His last goal came five games earlier against Tri-City on Feb. 4.
Ryan Howse, Calgary (Chilliwack) - drafted 74th overall in 2009
Howse snapped out of his five-game goal-less drought a week earlier and carried his scoring touch over last week. He scored five times with one assist in three games last week and a plus-2 rating. Howse set a personal best with his 26th assist of the year, but needs seven more goals to tie his career-high 47 from last season.
Curtis Hamilton, Edmonton (Saskatoon) - drafted 48th overall in 2010
Hamilton continues to enjoy his most productive offensive season with another strong week of play. He scored once and picked up three assists in three games. His 18 goals this season are just two shy of tying his personal best from two seasons ago.
Max Reinhart, Calgary (Kootenay) - drafted 64th overall in 2010
The addition of Eakin has given more time and space for Reinhart, despite the fact they're playing on different lines. Reinhart picked up three goals and three assists in three games last week with a plus-5 rating.
Québec Major Junior Hockey League
Hot team: Saint John Sea Dogs
With just 14 games left in their schedule, it might be more a question of if rather than when the Sea Dogs lose their next game. Saint John has just one loss in 2011 and remains unbeaten in regulation since 2010, a streak of 18 games. They hold an 11-point edge on Montreal for the top spot in overall league standings.
Cold team: Halifax Mooseheads
The playoffs remain a question mark for the struggling Mooseheads. Halifax was unable to pick up a point in its western Québec road swing and now boasts a five-game losing-streak. The Mooseheads are 10 points ahead of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for the final playoff spot - a lead that may not be safe if the team's struggles continue.
Game of the week: Québec Remparts vs. Montreal Juniors, Friday
Although it's a long shot either team will catch Saint John for first overall, the battle for second remains alive. The Juniors hold a single point lead on the Remparts with both teams having played 55 games. Québec has all but clinched first in the Telus East Division after back-to-back wins over Lewiston last week. Montreal, meanwhile, leads Drummondville by just five points for top spot in the Telus West Division. Although it's a different league, the Québec-Montreal hockey rivalry spilled over in the QMJHL. This match-up should provide fireworks yet again.
Canadian NHL teams' QMJHL prospects:
Louis Leblanc, Montreal (Montreal) - drafted 18th overall in 2009
Leblanc was unable to break out of his slump and has now gone a stunning eight games without a single point. It hasn't been for a lack of shots, as Leblanc fired 14 pucks at goaltenders in three games last week. One can't help but wonder if he lost the confidence from his coach who didn't even choose him as a shooter in the shootout against Shawinigan on Saturday.
Olivier Roy, Edmonton (Acadie-Bathurst) - drafted 133rd overall in 2009
Roy was rock-solid in between the pipes last week. He allowed just two goals in a loss to P.E.I. then stymied his former team in Cape Breton with a 22-save effort. He stopped all five shots in the shootout to pick up the win. His weekly save percentage was a sparkling .951.
Jakub Culek, Ottawa (Rimouski) - drafted 76th overall in 2010
Culek began showing more promise in recent weeks, but fell back on hard times last week. He was held without a point in each of his team's two games against lowly Baie-Comeau. Culek hasn't picked up a point in four games.
Steven Anthony, Vancouver (Saint John) - drafted 187th overall in 2009
Anthony's consistent production continued last week. In two games, the veteran forward picked up a goal, two assists and was a plus-3. He is now fourth in team scoring with 51 points in 48 games this season.
Ontario Hockey League
Hot team: Niagara IceDogs
The IceDogs are now the league's hottest team after Owen Sound saw its eight-game win streak snapped in overtime. The IceDogs won their last seven straight games and trail the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors by four points for first in the Central Division, Eastern Conference and overall league standings.
Cold team: Kingston Frontenacs
It's hard to fathom the Frontenacs could have a worse loss than their 8-6 defeat to rebuilding Barrie on Feb. 5, but they took it to another level last week. The Frontenacs, losers of four straight, were embarrassed 10-3 by Erie on home ice on Sunday. There's not much time left for the Frontenacs to right a sinking ship before the playoffs begin.
Game of the week: Mississauga St. Michael's Majors vs. Kitchener Rangers, Friday
The MasterCard Memorial Cup hosts will head west to take on the Rangers in a game that will be televised on Rogers Sportsnet. The Majors are as good as advertised this season, but are hearing footsteps from the league's hottest team in Niagara. Meanwhile, the Rangers received a shot in the arm offensively when the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Jerry D'Amigo to the Rangers on Feb. 3. Kitchener trails surging Owen Sound by seven points heading into the week for top spot in the Western Conference. The game will give each team a measuring stick on another elite non-conference opponent, but will be just as vital in each team's race.
Canadian NHL teams' OHL prospects:
Jerry D'Amigo, Toronto (Kitchener) - drafted 158th overall in 2009
D'Amigo is getting used to junior hockey's busy schedule after being sent down from the American Hockey League recently. He scored once and picked up five assists with a plus-2 rating in four games last week. D'Amigo recorded at least one point in each of his first six career OHL games.
Jarred Tinordi, Montreal (London) - drafted 22nd overall in 2010
Tinordi failed to pick up a point after registering two assists in each of the last two weeks. He was a minus-1 in three games last week, but did exhibit his physical side. Tinordi delivered a bone-crushing hit on Windsor's Alexander Khokhlachev in a game seen on Rogers Sportsnet.
Greg McKegg, Toronto (Erie) - drafted 62nd overall in 2010
McKegg's impressive production continued last week, but not at the same pace as January. He had two assists in three games with a plus-2 rating. McKegg's last goal came on Jan. 28 when he scored a hat trick in London, a span of seven games without lighting the lamp.
Alex Friesen, Vancouver (Niagara) - drafted 172nd overall in 2010
Friesen may have turned the corner after a somewhat quiet couple of weeks. He had a goal and two assists in three games, recording his first multi-point game in seven games over Barrie on Friday. He is now four points shy of tying his career-best single season point total of 60.
