It’s a Reign of Terror, y’all!
The Ontario Reign stay at the top of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings for the third week in a row. A lot to like with this team, 8-1-0-1 in their last ten and I think they give Calgary a run for the top of the division here soon.
The only problem is that San Jose, Coachella Valley, the always steady Colorado and Tucson are all in the mix and in this division where everyone stays close and rarely goes out of the division but for a handful of teams, it won’t be easy.
Anyway, let’s get into it for this week.
1. Ontario Reign
Last Week: 1st (no change)
Record: 19-9-0-1
Reign in the Wranglers mirror seems larger than it appears. Ontario is the hottest team in the Pacific and the schedule is setting up as very favorable.
2. Rochester Americans
Last Week: 4th (up 2)
Record: 21-9-3
Amerks are on a six game win streak and are using this to widen their lead on the North Division.
3. Grand Rapids Griffins
Last Week: 7th (up 4)
Record: 20-10-3
Griffins widen their lead in the Central and now have the next five at home.
4. Charlotte Checkers
Last Week: 6th (up 2)
Record: 19-8-1-2
Checkers have the next six at home, with division leading Hershey coming in this weekend. Charlotte may be the best team in the division, we think.
5. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins
Last Week: 9th (up 5)
Record: 18-8-3
Points in six straight and keeping the rest of the division leaders close. Canada trip next, which could be a trap.
6. Hershey Bears
Last Week: 16th (up 10)
Record: 21-10-3
Bears refuse to go away quietly, sweeping the Bruins to remain at the top of the Atlantic Division.
7. San Jose Barracuda
Last Week: 11th (up 4)
Record: 19-11-0-2
Barracuda have some tough competition in Ontario and Coachella Valley for second in the Pacific. Home and home with Bakersfield this week.
8. Laval Rocket
Last Week: 15th (up 7)
Record: 20-10-1-1
Swept Abbotsford to stay in pursuit of Rochester for tops in the North.
9. Calgary Wranglers
Last Week: 3rd (down 6)
Record: 23-10-1
Not a bad week at all, three wins out of four, but Ontario is coming! You can’t be casting points off to Manitoba of all teams.
10. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Last Week: 17th (up 7)
Record: 15-13-4-1
Good week for the Phantoms and now the test to see if there is any there there with this team with a Tuesday date in Hershey.
11. Providence Bruins
Last Week: 2nd (down 9)
Record: 17-12-3-1
Providence had a chance to make a move on Hershey in a pair of games and came away with just one point. Schedule gets a little easier this week.
12. Toronto Marlies
Last Week: 5th (down 7)
Record: 17-8-2-3
Winless in three straight now with the Penguins coming to town Wednesday.
13. Syracuse Crunch
Last Week: 19th (up 6)
Record: 15-9-5-3
5 of 6 points for the Crunch which will do for a team that is chasing. Tough week ahead for the Crunch.
14. Cleveland Monsters
Last Week: 20th (up 6)
Record: 20-10-1-3
Swept Toronto in Canada this week. Keeping pace with the Americans for tops in the North.
15. Texas Stars
Last Week: 12th (down 3)
Record: 18-12-1
Split with Tucson in a rough and tumble affair. Rockford – Milwaukee – Rockford this week, all on the road.
16. Tucson Roadrunners
Last Week: 8th (down 8)
Record: 17-12-1
Split in Texas and we are getting to the point in the season where the extra two points can come in handy.
17. Chicago Wolves
Last Week: 10th (down 7)
Record: 17-11-2
Things are tight in the Central and going 2-1 in the week is going to drop you to third in the division, like it has with the Wolves.
18. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Last Week: 22rd (up 4)
Record: 17-11-1-4
Firebirds have some life, points in five games with some more opportunities ahead.
19. Henderson Silver Knights
Last Week: 23rd (up 4)
Record: 9-22-1
Lost a close one with white hot Ontario, got a point in Bakersfield then beat the Condors at home on Sunday. Not a bad week for the Silver Knights.
20. Colorado Eagles
Last Week: 13th (down 7)
Record: 17-10-1-2
Eagles are a slightly above average team and seem like they are stuck there with all of the movement up and down. I don’t know if that’s a bad thing, really.
21. Milwaukee Admirals
Last Week: 14th (down 7)
Record: 16-10-1-3
Admirals have some work to do and the schedule doesn’t look easy.
22. Rockford IceHogs
Last Week: 24th (up 2)
Record: 14-14-3-1
Salvage a bad week with their first win in 2025 Sunday with a win over Chicago.
23. Hartford Wolf Pack
Last Week: 25th (up 2)
Record: 15-14-2-1
Not bad for Hartford, but seems like they need more. They are beating bad teams and struggling with slightly better teams.
24. Bakersfield Condors
Last Week: 26th (up 2)
Record: 13-12-3-1
Just a point in a pair of games with Henderson. That doesn’t yell contender to me.
25. Manitoba Moose
Last Week: 32nd (up 7)
Record: 8-19-1-1
Got three out of four points in Calgary which I did not see coming at all.
26. Springfield Thunderbirds
Last Week: 18th (down 8)
Record: 13-15-2-1
Quiet week for the Thunderbirds, who lost both contests, including a shutout. Schedule isn’t getting any easier.
27. Abbotsford Canucks
Last Week: 21st (down 6)
Record: 14-15-1-1
Oof. Canucks lost all four this week and haven’t won in six. There’s a window for some wins with Henderson on the schedule this week, or is there? Silver Knights are trending up.
28. Belleville Senators
Last Week: 27th (down 1)
Record: 14-10-1-4
Senators are middling, and now have a lot of Atlantic Division opponents on their schedule for the rest of the month of January.
29. San Diego Gulls
Last Week: 29th (no change)
Record: 9-18-3-2
Winless in four straight and if the Gulls don’t watch they and Henderson will swap places for last place in the Pacific.
30. Iowa Wild
Last Week: 31st (up 1)
Record: 11-18-2
Busy week, quiet weekend for the Wild. Iowa heads to California before returning to an eight game home stand.
31. Utica Comets
Last Week: 30th (down 1)
Record: 7-17-2-2
OT win in Belleville is the only bright spot of the week.
32. Bridgeport Islanders
Last Week: 28th (down 4)
Record: 7-21-2-2
This team stinks and there is no wins I see on the horizon.
Does Henderson get into the top 15 next week? Will the Islanders ever win a game again this season? Will the Penguins be number one before the All-Star break? Tune in next week!
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