SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals dropped one spot in this week’s Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings released on Monday.
The Caps fell to eighth position after holding down the No. 7 spot for four straight weeks. The Caps, who defeated the visiting Grand Falls Rapids 7-1 in their lone game on Saturday night, sit atop the Eastlink North Division standings of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) at 17-4-0 (won-lost-overtime losses).
The Caps’ lone game this week is at home against the Campbellton Tigers on Saturday. Puck drop at Eastlink Arena is set for 7 p.m.
The only other MHL team in this week’s top-20 rankings are the Yarmouth Mariners, who sport a league-leading 21-4-1 record. The Mariners hold a nine-point lead over the Caps in the overall standings, but Summerside has played five fewer games.
Yarmouth, which hosts the Truro Bearcats (15-7-2) on Friday night, won a pair of road games last weekend – 5-3 at Campbellton and 6-2 at Miramichi on Saturday.
The MHL’s Amherst Ramblers (16-6-2) received an honourable mention.
The Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League moved from third spot to No. 1 this week. The Blades have won nine consecutive games and have 17 wins in their last 20 games.
The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League dropped from first to third. The Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International Junior Hockey League remain the second-ranked team in the country.
A media release issued by the CJHL explains the weekly CJHL rankings are compiled by an independent scouting service, which uses a variety of factors to determine them.
