King on CHL: World Junior power rankings

A few familiar faces returned to junior last week and immediately jumped into this week’s hot list.

Phillip Danault and Brandon Gormley, two players with legitimate aspirations in representing Canada this holiday season, switched spots between hot and cold players. Danault overcame a slow start while Gormley is having difficulty overcoming a weak defensive team this season.

HOT

Ty Rattie, Portland Winterhawks

Rattie continued filling in the big skates left behind by Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter. The second-overall pick in the 2008 WHL bantam draft scored twice and picked up three assists with a plus-4 rating in just two games last week. Rattie could be among the top scorers in the league this season after a hot start which sees him currently sitting sixth in the scoring race with 16 points in nine games.

Brendan Gallagher, Vancouver Giants

Gallagher scored a goal in each of his first four games since returning to junior from the Montreal Canadiens camp. He started the week off strong with a five-point effort over Victoria on Monday but managed only to pick up one more assist in his next two outings against Seattle and Tri-City. His defensive responsibility could help him earn a spot, with a solid plus-3 last week and a plus-5 this season.

Phillip Danault, Victoriaville Tigres

After an uncharacteristically poor showing in his own end early this season, Danault is picking up the pace at both ends of the rink. A cold player last week, Danault bounced back with two goals and three assists in three games with a plus-5 rating. The Tigres captain is the type of player Canadian world junior head coach Don Hay will love due to his all-around play. This week’s performance may have been what he needed to step up his game.

Ryan Strome, Niagara IceDogs

One of the league’s most feared shooters returned when the New York Islanders sent Strome, the fifth-overall pick in last summer’s draft, back to junior last week. Strome picked up where he left off, scoring four goals and one assist in three games with the IceDogs on the weekend. Like many players on his team, he was also a minus player with a minus-1. He’s a near guarantee to make the team.

Ryan Murphy, Kitchener Rangers

Like Strome, Murphy was sent back to the Ontario Hockey League after starting the season in the National Hockey League. Murphy was in on nearly half his team’s goals, with four assists in two games and a plus-3 rating. It’s hard to imagine the Canadian world junior team without Murphy on its back end. His slick skating and fearless puck-moving will surely make him the team’s power-play quarterback.

Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs

The Boston Bruins’ first-round pick is on this list for the third-consecutive week with another offensive display. Hamilton scored three goals and three assists in three games with the IceDogs last week. As is becoming a trend in Niagara, Hamilton’s point production didn’t result in a plus-player with a minus-1. The IceDogs need to shore up their defensive play and Hamilton needs to prove he can be reliable on both ends of the ice.

Scott Harrington, London Knights

Harrington picked up an assist in London’s 5-1 win over Guelph on Saturday, his only point in three games last week. If Harrington’s going to make the Canadian roster, however, it will be for his presence as a physical, defensive defenceman. Harrington was an impressive plus-5 through three games last week and is leading the league with a plus-14 in eight games this season.

Tyler Bunz, Medicine Hat Tigers

Like a fine wine, Bunz is only getting better as the season progresses. The Medicine Hat goalkeeper picked up a win in each of this three starts, allowing just six goals on 110 shots for a sparkling.945 save percentage. One of four goaltenders at the summer evaluation camp, Bunz is one of the more reliable goaltenders in the young season.

COLD

Mark Visentin, Niagara IceDogs

Visentin returned from his groin injury with a 25-save shutout win over the Belleville Bulls on Thursday, but was lit up for 10 goals on a combined 58 shots over his next two starts against Plymouth and Saginaw. As a returning member from last year’s team, Visentin is the front-runner for this year’s starting position, but he’s been inconsistent early this season behind a shaky defence.

Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats

A hot player last week, Gormley slipped to the cold end despite scoring a goal in two of three games. Gormley was a minus-6 through three games and a minus-11 on the season. Although his defensive play could use some work, Gormley’s trying to compensate for an overall lack of defensive reliability on the Wildcats this season. Moncton is fifth in the league for most goals allowed this season.

LAST WEEK HOT: Freddie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs; Greg McKegg, Erie Otters; Brendan Gallagher, Vancouver Giants; Dougie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs; Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski Oceanic; Duncan Siemens, Saskatoon Blades; Brandon Gormley, Moncton Wildcats.

LAST WEEK COLD: Ryan Murray, Everett Silvertips; Ryan Spooner, Kingston Frontenacs; Phillip Danault, Victoriaville Tigres.

Read the full rankings from last week here.