For the first time this season, the Flin Flon Bombers have cracked the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) top 20 ranking.
After being an honourable mention last week, the Bombers checked in at number 18 when the rankings were released Monday.
According to their website, the CJHL is a national organization comprised of all 10 Junior A hockey leagues in Canada. The CJHL represents more than 120 teams and 2,500 players, and has over 2,800 former players furthering their hockey careers at the professional, major junior and college level across North America.
If you aren’t familiar with the rankings, they are produced in conjunction with International Scouting Services (ISS) and are based upon a variety of factors, including the league in which the team plays, winning percentage, win-loss record, total points accumulated, goals-for versus goals-against ratio, etc.
As you can imagine, with so many teams playing across 10 leagues, the rankings tend to be a bit subjective, but it’s definitely an accomplishment that the Bombers should be proud of.
Obviously it’s better to be in the top 20 than the bottom 20, as it means that you are recognized as being one of the elite teams across the country at that specific point of the season.
It’s not an easy list to make, and it’s even tougher to stay there.
If you take a look at the rankings, the Portage Terriers of the MJHL have ridden a 14-game winning streak to the top of the rankings, where they have been for consecutive weeks.
There are three SJHL teams in the top 20, and of the 10 leagues, only the AJHL can boast the same.
The Kindersley Klippers are the top SJHL team, in at number 9 (up three spots from last week) and the Melfort Mustangs are keeping pace in 13th spot, although they are down three rungs from last week.
This week, the Bombers play both the Klippers and Mustangs. If they can win both of those games, they should shoot up into the top 10. If they lose, they will likely drop off the list altogether.
Although there isn’t a trophy to be won for finishing at the top of the rankings, it is a good measuring tool, as well as a good recruiting tool, especially when trying to entice a player from another league who may not be as familiar with your team.
The SJHL has a ranking system of their own, called the Source Embroidery Power Rankings. On that list, the Bombers find themselves in the number one spot this week, ahead of both Kindersley and Melfort.
This list is more of a “king of the castle” type of list, as each team will play each other numerous times over the year.
So even though Kindersley is on top of the standings, the Bombers have been hot lately and have clawed their way to the top of the Power Rankings.
Oddly enough, they haven’t been dominating teams like they were at the beginning of the season, but they have been finding a way to win consistently.
You will have a chance to see for yourself this weekend, as the Bombers play the Kinderlsey Klippers Friday and Estevan Bruins Saturday. Their last home game of December will be Tuesday, Dec. 9 against the Nipawin Hawks.
