After a couple years hiatus, I decided to bring the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings out of the mothballs.
Perhaps I am crazy, but I simplified it a ton as you will see below. No more more HTML! Just logo, number, name, where the team was last week (note, it is blank this week since this is week one) and the record. I try to make mention of what the team did last week with a look ahead of next week. If that doesn’t work for you, bookmark this page and use the drop down for your favorite team. It’s too much work for me to put scores from last week and schedules for next week for each team like I did in versions past. I want something quick and easy and here I think it is.
I am still up in the air on when I run these. I like Mondays for this but it is subject to change. Let’s see how Week 2 goes and go from there.
Enough bloviating, let’s get into it!
1. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week:
Record: 2-0
Two big road wins including a shutout have the Checkers at the top of the rankings after the first weekend. Charlotte opens next weekend at home in a big test against Cleveland.
2. Manitoba Moose
Last Week:
Record: 2-0
Swept Iowa at home in two tight games and travel to Grand Rapids next weekend. A 2-0 start isn’t bad for a team that finished fifth in their division last season.
3. Toronto Marlies
Last Week:
Record: 2-0
Marlies sweep the San Diego Gulls in a pair up North and return to familiar opponent territory with a home and home with Rochester.
4. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week:
Record: 2-0
Rounding out the 2-0 teams this weekend are the Crunch who obliterated blood rival Utica and picked up two points over Belleville. Top of the North for the Crunch who travel to Laval next weekend.
5. Hershey Bears
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Defending champs hung number 13 in the rafters at Giant Center but split a pair with the team they took out to get there in Cleveland. Trip to Bridgeport midweek then the Wolves invade the Bears den.
Hit the jump if you didn’t link in direct to see teams 6-32 please and thanks.
6. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week:
Record: 1-0
You will get high marks in these Rankings when you take out the defending Western Conference champion Coachella Valley. Ontario and San Diego next.
7. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week:
Record: 1-0
Took out a good Grand Rapids team in their only game of the weekend. Schedule picks up with a home and home with Milwaukee.
8. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Split a pair with Ontario, but a shutout against the Reign get the Barracuda in the top ten. Iowa stops by the fish tank next.
9. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Scored 10 goals across two games but split the weekend. Looks like the offense is there. Phantoms home and home next.
10. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week:
Record: 1-0
Canucks manage three points in Calgary on opening weekend. Good start. Trip to Colorado next with hopes it continues.
11. Belleville Senators
Last Week:
Record: 1-0-0-1
Took out Rochester and took a point away from the Crunch. It’s not a bad start for the Senators who get Utica and see the Crunch again.
12. Rochester Americans
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Lost a close one with the Senators and beat up an 0-2 Utica club team. Good test this weekend with a home and home against the Marlies.
13. Laval Rocket
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Not a bad weekend for the Rocket who took out the Bruins but lost to the Thunderbirds. Rocket host the Crunch for a pair next.
14. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Split a pair with the Bears this past weekend in Hershey and get a real strong team in Charlotte on the road again this weekend.
15. Texas Stars
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Split a pair of one goal contests with the Silver Knights on opening weekend in Austin. Heading to the desert to visit the Roadrunners next.
16. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
We are in a spot here in the rankings where there are a ton of .500 teams all jammed on top of one another and the Silver Knights are just one of them after splitting with Texas. Host Calgary for two in Nevada next.
17. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
You’d think a team that had a shutout would rank higher and you may be right with what the Griffins did to the Western Conference runner up Admirals on opening night for the AHL.
18. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Shutout in Grand Rapids but spoiled the Wolves home opener. Home and home with the IceHogs next.
19. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Split a pair in hostile Loveland, Colorado which isn’t an easy thing to do. Host Texas on Roadrunners opening weekend next.
20. Colorado Eagles
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
I really don’t know what to do with all these .500 teams, do I? Colorado is below Tucson here cause they didn’t defend home ice well enough.
21. Providence Bruins
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Perhaps the Bruins should be higher and I would agree with that, based off of preseason expectations, but the Bruins split the weekend. Springfield for a home and home likely isn’t an easy task.
22. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week:
Record: 1-0
Gotta put the Phantoms here among the .500 teams but they are still batting a thousand after a sole shootout win against the Wolf Pack.
23. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Took out the Rocket, who beat the Bruins, but lost to the Penguins. A three in three weekend which includes two with Providence coming up.
24. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
Wranglers should be higher here after a split with Abbottsford, I agree. But they let the Canucks take three points and will need to do more to separate themselves as a .500 team this weekend in Coachella and in Henderson.
25. Ontario Reign
Last Week:
Record: 1-1
After splitting with the Barracuda, just one game for the Reign this weekend with Bakersfield.
26. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week:
Record: 0-0-0-1
Took a shootout point home with them from Allentown. Schedule picks up with a three in three with Springfield and a pair with Bridgeport.
27. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week:
Record: 0-1
Inauspicious start for the defending Western Conference champs after dropping a close one with Bakersfield. Calgary and San Diego next.
28. Chicago Wolves
Last Week:
Record: 0-1
Home opener spoiled by the Admirals Saturday. Head East to take on the Bears for two this weekend.
29. Iowa Wild
Last Week:
Record: 0-2
Dropped two close ones in Winnipeg this weekend past, but are in an early 0-2 hole regardless.
30. San Diego Gulls
Last Week:
Record: 0-2
Lost a pair in Toronto and are 0-2. Schedule doesn’t really get much easier with Coachella Valley and Bakersfield up next.
31. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week:
Record: 0-2
Kept it close with the Bruins but were shutout against Charlotte. Hershey midweek then a home and home against the Wolf Pack.
32. Utica Comets
Last Week:
Record: 0-2
Didn’t keep it close with Rochester and were shutout badly against Syracuse. It’s never any good when after all summer you come out of the first weekend with a lot of things to work on.
See you next week, hopefully.
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