Graphic by Provectus Media (PM)
TORONTO — The Victoria Royals open the 2026-27 CHL Top-10 rankings at No. 1, and the Medicine Hat Tigers give Alberta a team in the top five.
Victoria moved up two places after a 4-2 win in Kamloops in which goaltender Cole Prelusky made 34 saves in his WHL debut. The London Knights are second, up two spots after sweeping Windsor, with Evan Van Gorp picking up five points in the two games.
The Cape Breton Eagles sit third. They took a point from each of two shootout losses while missing four NHL-drafted players.
Medicine Hat is the second-highest WHL team at No. 5. With Brandon ninth, the WHL holds three of the ten spots.
Guelph, host of the 2027 Memorial Cup from May 20-30, opens at No. 4. Moncton rounds out the list at No. 10 after two comeback wins on the road, the second a 6-5 overtime victory in Halifax built on a Niko Tournas hat trick and Rian Chudzinski's overtime winner.
The full Week 1 rankings: 1. Victoria Royals (WHL), 2. London Knights (OHL), 3. Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL), 4. Guelph Storm (OHL), 5. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), 6. Saginaw Spirit (OHL), 7. Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL), 8. Québec Remparts (QMJHL), 9. Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), 10. Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL).
OHL and QMJHL games stream on FloHockey, and WHL regular-season games stream free on YouTube. The next rankings arrive the week of Sept. 28.
The road to Guelph runs through nights like these. Every point banked in September matters when the league's four champions meet for the Memorial Cup in May.