SJHL: Source Embroidery Power Rankings, Dec. 3, 2024

As the calendar turns to December, the playoff picture is clear as mud, with an incredible four points separating 2nd and 9th!

A group of SJHL media decides the power rankings.

1. Melfort Mustangs (18-4-0) (Last week 1st)

It was a quiet week for the defending champs with only one game, but there was nothing quiet about their big win at the Palace vs. Battlefords. How about six points from Reilley Kotai, who all of a sudden sits second in league scoring? The Mustangs have now won seven in a row.

2. Weyburn Red Wings (13-6-2) (Last week 2nd)

The Wings haven’t played much hockey lately. Their only game since Nov. 16 came Saturday night when they suffered a come-from-behind loss to their rivals, the Estevan Bruins. However, their body of work keeps them where they are for the time being despite three consecutive losses.

3. Flin Flon Bombers (13-9-1) (Last week 3rd)

The Bombers did not miss a beat in their lone game Saturday, completing their perfect November with a 6-3 victory over the Yorkton Terriers at home. Matthew Kieper does not have a game in net below a .920 save percentage, and Mike Reagan’s men did not give up more than three goals in a contest all month, a span of seven games.

4. Yorkton Terriers (13-9-1) (Last week 4th)

The schedule to end November could have been more friendly to the Terriers, and a three-game skid to finish the month is the team’s first rough stretch of the season. Given the weapons they have, plus the ones just back healthy and a manageable December schedule, look for the Black and Orange to surge again soon.

5. Melville Millionaires (13-8-3) (Last week 8th)

Melville’s offence showed up in late November, as they scored 19 goals in the final four contests of the month. A solid pair of wins in Kindersley to end November has Doug Johnson’s men back on track. The addition of Raine Hodge and the return of Raiden Zacharias have been significant depth behind superstar Caden Drury’s unit.

6. Humboldt Broncos (13-9-1) (Last week 5th)

Overall, November was a much better month for the Broncos in the defensive zone, but the ending was not how they drew it up at all. A rare loss in Wilcox to the Notre Dame Hounds was followed up by a wild 7-5 win in front of over 1,200 at the Elgar Petersen Arena on Saturday. They might be without a piece or two for a little bit, as a league-high three Broncos – Jacob Strizzi, Oakley McIlwain, and Connor Miller -are presently trying out for Canada West at the final selection camp ahead of Junior A World Challenge in Calgary.

7. La Ronge Ice Wolves (12-12-1) (Last week, 6th)

La Ronge spent most of November at home and, for the most part, made pretty good hay. A hard-fought, playoff-style 4-3 loss to the white-hot Melfort Mustangs last Tuesday should be no cause for concern at all, and possessing some of the best goaltending in the SJHL and a bought-in, hard-working squad, the Wolves look to be a tough out for anyone as we approach the new year and beyond.

8. Estevan Bruins (9-9-3) (Last week 9th)

It has been feast or famine for this passionate fan base this year, but it has most certainly been the former to the end of November. Four straight one-goal victories, in which they gave up only a combined eight goals, should have a smile on Jason Tatarnic’s face. The return of Brady Wilson to the lineup up front and the continued excellence of young Ben Polhill in net behind a rugged, veteran defence corps could mean a big second half for the team that has played the fewest games of any in the SJHL.

9. Battlefords North Stars (12-7-4) (Last week 7th)

This past week was a microcosm of November’s inconsistency for the North Stars as they held off a determined young Hawks’ squad in Nipawin Tuesday before probably their worst game of the year in Melfort Friday. Much of December is at home, though, so there’s no reason to panic at the ACC!

10. Kindersley Klippers (12-13-1) (Last week 10th)

Kindersley played the who’s who of the SJHL in November and could not beat anyone other than the Notre Dame Hounds. Two hard-fought losses to Melville last week could have gone either way, as has often been the case in Kindersley’s defeats, and the offence has found a hard time finding traction against the league’s elite. It doesn’t get any easier in December.

11. Notre Dame Hounds (7-16-2) (Last week 11th)

The young Hounds bounced back from a lacklustre performance Tuesday with solid efforts in a win over Humboldt Wednesday and a shootout defeat at a neutral-site game in Carlyle vs. Estevan Friday. Spencer Borsos continues to be brilliant in net and has played far more minutes than any player in the league. Can they make some sort of run to crack the Top 10? A brutal schedule in December might be telling.

12. Nipawin Hawks (4-15-3) (Last week 12th)

The progress this group has made in the latter half of November is certainly noticeable, and big wins in the month over veteran-laden groups like Humboldt and Yorkton should have this great fanbase believing better days are ahead.