WJHC Power Rankings

The Hamilton brothers are making a case for consideration on this year's team with an offensive explosion.

Meanwhile, several defencemen are picking up their offensive games, including Colorado Avalanche prospect Duncan Siemens. The Saskatoon Blades' captain is rounding out his game this season, but will likely be the imposing, physical force on the Canadiens' back line at Christmas time.

HOT

Freddie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs

Older brother Freddie rebounded from a slow start and has now picked up a point in his last six games. Hamilton scored twice last week, adding seven assists for nine points, but had a minus-1. Although his offensive game is taking off, he still needs to shore up play in his own zone. Hamilton is a minus-8 this season and a minus player in four of his seven games.

Greg McKegg, Erie Otters

A cold player last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect rebounded nicely at the offensive end of the rink. McKegg picked up seven assists in two games with the Otters, but was even in the plus-minus category. He was a plus-4 in his first game and a minus-4 in his next last week. His play away from the puck has been inconsistent at times, a trend seen this season with a minus-8 overall.

Brendan Gallagher, Vancouver Giants

The product of Delta, B.C. surprised many by sticking with the Montreal Canadiens so long at training camp. Since his return, Gallagher scored a goal in each of his three games. Last week, he scored three times in two games with a plus-1 rating. Given that his junior coach, Don Hay, is also Canada's head coach, Gallagher will have every opportunity to earn a spot on this year's team.

Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs

The younger half of the brother duo, Dougie's week was just as impressive as Freddie's. Hamilton scored twice in three games while assisting on six others. Like Freddie, Dougie's plus-minus was in the negative with a minus-2. He will need to prove he can play well without the puck in order to gain trust and valuable minutes on the Canadian world junior team.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic

Gauthier-Leduc is becoming a regular on this list. The 19-year-old defenceman scored a goal and an assist in each of his three games last week, scoring the game-winner over P.E.I. midway through the third period on Friday. Gauthier-Leduc leads his team in scoring and is first among defencemen in the league with 17 points in seven games this season.

Duncan Siemens, Saskatoon Blades

Not known so much for his offence, Siemens scored his first goal of the season and added three assists in two games with a plus-3 rating. The big, imposing and physical defenceman will likely be Canada's meanest when the tournament starts. The fact he's able to chip in offensively on occasion is just an added bonus for the style he plays.

Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats

Gormley found his scoring touch last week with three goals and two assists in three games, but finished minus-3 on the week. He scored three of his team's six goals in a 6-3 win over Rimouski on Sunday. An injury last season likely kept him off the roster in Buffalo, and if he's healthy, there's no reason to believe Gormley won't be in Edmonton and Calgary this holiday season.

COLD

Ryan Murray, Everett Silvertips

He's one of the top prospects eligible for the upcoming NHL draft, but Murray is off to a slow start in Everett. Murray failed to pick up a point in two games against Portland and Kamloops and was a minus-3 on the week. He will most likely comprise one of Canada's top defensive pairings, but his sluggish start leaves room for improvement. In his first two seasons, he combined for 73 points and a plus-51.

Ryan Spooner, Kingston Frontenacs

Spooner is off to a very slow start this season in Kingston. He failed to pick up a point in two games last week and finished with a minus-3. He has just one goal and one assist in six games this season, picking up both points in the same game against Brampton. He's on Hockey Canada's radar, but nothing can remove a player's name from that list quicker than a poor first half with his junior team.

Phillip Danault, Victoriaville Tigres

The Chicago Blackhawks' first-rounder is off to a slow start since returning to junior in late September. Danault scored once in two games, but finished a minus-2 on the week. His minus-6 overall this season is below where one might expect from the captain, a defensively-reliable, energy player. When he's on his game, he's the type of heart-and-soul player that will be hard to overlook when roster spots are handed out.

LAST WEEK HOT: Mark Stone, Brandon Wheat Kings; Michael Bournival, Shawinigan Cataractes; Tyler Toffoli, Ottawa 67's; Boone Jenner, Oshawa Generals; Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic; Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs; Louis Domingue, Quebec Remparts.

LAST WEEK COLD: Mark Visentin, Niagara IceDogs; Jamie Oleksiak, Saginaw Spirit; Greg McKegg, Erie Otters.

Read the full rankings from last week here