WJHC power rankings

The Canadian world junior team could be in for a major facelift when the tournament opens in Alberta this December.

With so many players still in the NHL and with so few appearing like they will return, plenty of spots are available. One of the biggest newcomers could be Brandon sniper Mark Stone, an Ottawa Senators prospect, whose offensive totals are impressive. Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Bournival returned from his NHL camp by terrorizing QMJHL goalies.

HOT

Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings

Stone is one of junior hockey’s quietest superstars. His 106 points last season was simply a sign of things to come after another terrific start to this season. The product of Winnipeg, Man. was red hot again last week, scoring four goals and adding five assists in three games. Two of his four goals were game-winners. At this rate, he will play himself onto Team Canada long before the selection camp.

Michael Bournival, Shawinigan Cataractes

Bournival picked up right where he left off before heading to Montreal’s camp. After scoring five goals in his first two games before camp, Bournival returned and scored another four more with one assist in two games last week. Bournival is one of the league’s top snipers and has the physical attributes that will make him hard to overlook for the world junior team.

Tyler Toffoli, Ottawa 67’s

Toffoli, who tied for the league scoring crown last season with 108 points, enjoyed a solid opening week to his season. Toffoli’s biggest night came in Saginaw on Saturday with two goals and two assists. He picked up an assist in each of his other two games against Plymouth and Windsor for six points in three games and a plus-4 rating. Toffoli will need a big campaign to earn a scoring role on the Canadian team.

Boone Jenner, Oshawa Generals

In two games, Jenner scored twice and assisted on two more. All his points came in Oshawa’s 7-4 win over Erie on Saturday, where he was also a plus-5. Jenner will need to show he can play at a top level consistently to catch the eye of Hockey Canada. His point production is nice, but he won’t likely play an offensive role if he makes the team.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic

He may not be the most recognizable player vying for a spot on the world junior team, but could very well be on his way to earning it. Gauthier-Leduc continued his torrid pace with another two goals and four assists in two games last week. He also made up for his minus-3 from his first two games with a plus-5 rating this week.

Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs

Hamilton returned from Boston Bruins camp with a few strong outings. In three games, he picked up three assists and was a plus-2. He should be able to improve on last season’s totals, which also included an impressive plus-35 rating. The sky’s the limit to what role Hamilton could earn with so many open spots on Canada’s defensive core available.

Louis Domingue, Quebec Remparts

The Remparts’ puck-stopper is doing his best to find his way back to Canada’s camp. In two starts, Domingue allowed four goals on 61 shots for a .934 save percentage. He was beat three times in a shootout loss to the MasterCard Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes, a strong team with a lot of offensive firepower.

COLD

Mark Visentin, Niagara IceDogs

The season certainly didn’t get off on the right foot for last tournament’s eventual starting goaltender. Visentin was rocked, allowing six goals on 28 shots in a loss to Mississauga in his first game on Thursday. He started the next night against Barrie, lasting just 14 minutes and stopping all eight shots before leaving the game with a groin injury. He’s not expected to miss much action due to injury.

Jamie Oleksiak, Saginaw Spirit

There was bound to be an adjustment period for Oleksiak, who made the jump to junior after playing in the NCAA last season. Although he’s not the type of player that can be measured entirely by stats, he scored once in a loss to Ottawa and was a minus-4 in three games. His speed, size and talent will make him hard to pass up when roster spots are up for grabs.

Greg McKegg, Erie Otters

His point production is a bit slow compared to last season, but even more staggering is his defensive zone play. McKegg scored once, in a loss to Oshawa, but was a minus-6 through two games. His play away from the puck will need to improve since there are other forwards that can also put the puck in the net.

LAST WEEK HOT: Ty Rattie, Portland Winterhawks; Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings; Michael Sgarbossa, Sudbury Wolves; Stuart Percy, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors; Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic; Martin Lefebvre, Quebec Remparts; Matt Petgrave, Owen Sound Attack

LAST WEEK COLD: JP Anderson, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors; Freddie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs; Nathan MacKinnon, Halifax Mooseheads

Read the full rankings from last week here