Brudenell Black Hawks. They have 106.75 through Thursday, the best total in the league and already 32 more than the 74.75 they managed in all of last week, or about 143 percent of it with three nights still to play. Boldy leads with 24, and Marchenko and Dougie Hamilton have 14.25 apiece. The lead over Ancaster is 77.75, which is less a lead than a change of address. The Black Hawks also own the stingiest points-against figure in the league at 180.0 and are beginning to suspect they may be good, a rumor the league office has not yet confirmed.
Ancaster Avalanche. They are 2-0 in the standings and have 29 points this week, the lowest total in the league and about 27 percent of last week's 106.5. Kyle Connor leads with 13, MacKinnon has 6.5, and Kadri 6.25. To put it gently, North York's Brady Tkachuk has 30.25 all by himself. The Avalanche made no moves all week, which shows either admirable faith or a lost password. Last week they trailed on Friday and won anyway, so the snow has come late before. It has simply never had to come this late.
Hamilton Five Hole. They have 99, the second-best total in the league, and have already passed last week's 75.25 by 23.75, about 132 percent of it. Jack Hughes leads with 19.25, Quinn Hughes adds 16.75, and Thomas 11, and they lead unbeaten Grimsby by 15.5. One note for the efficiency experts: Hamilton picked up Cam Fowler on Monday, released him on Tuesday effective 10/19, and he has scored 12.75 points this week, every one of them from Hamilton's bench, where points go to be admired and not counted. The Five Hole is winning anyway and has stopped reading its own name aloud.
Grimsby Guzzlers. They are 2-0 and first in the standings, but trail Hamilton 99 to 83.5, about 70 percent of last week's 119.5. Their leading scorer is Jack Quinn with 20, a man Grimsby released late Wednesday afternoon to make room for Fraser Minten. Because the release takes effect 10/19, Quinn is a Guzzler through Sunday, and in his latest game he put up two goals and 15 points, every one of them for Grimsby. Summerside signed him Friday morning. Stone has 14.25 and Verhaeghe 11. It is the most productive two weeks' notice in the history of organized labor.
North York Shire Pudding. They have 91, already about 96 percent of last week's 95.25, and lead Weston by 9. Brady Tkachuk leads the entire league with 30.25, Seth Jones leads every defenseman with 29, and Matthew Tkachuk adds 15, so three Florida Panthers account for 74.25 of the club's 91. The pudding has gone tropical. Last week North York had the best goaltender in the league and lost. This week it has the best skater and the best defenseman, and would like the record to reflect at least one of them.
Weston Steamrollers. They are 0-2 and trail North York 91 to 82, but at about 90 percent of last week's 91.5 they are the fourth-most improved club relative to their own form. McDavid leads with 15, Heiskanen has 12.75, and Scheifele 12. The front office has been busier than a fire-hall telephone: Dylan Garand in for Aaron Ekblad on Wednesday, Jacob Fowler in for Arturs Silovs on Thursday, and Nikolaj Ehlers off waivers this morning for Jamie Drysdale. None of the new men count until Monday, while Ekblad, the man they released, still scored 5 for Weston this week. Nine points is one good Saturday.
Summerside Sea Dawgs. They lead London 84.75 to 64, about 69 percent of last week's 122.75. Lane Hutson leads with 17.25, Power has 15.75, and Skinner 12.75 in goal. The front office has made three moves since Wednesday: Mason McTavish in for Ehlers, Spencer Knight in for John Gibson, and this morning Jack Quinn in for Lucas Raymond. Yes, that is the same Spencer Knight the Sea Dawgs released last week in favor of Hellebuyck. Summerside has rehired its own castoff, a practice this league had until now regarded as a Regina patent.
London Knights. Last week they scored 132, the best total in the league. This week they have 64, about 48 percent of that, and trail Summerside by 20.75. Carter Hart leads with 13 in goal, Tavares has 9.75, and Stutzle, who had 28.25 last week, has 8. The suit of armour that charged so magnificently last week appears to have dismounted to rest the horse. This morning the Knights swapped Vincent Trocheck for Noah Ostlund, effective Monday, which helps next week enormously and this week not at all.
Madison Millionaires. They lead Spryfield 86.5 to 75.75, a margin of 10.75, and sit at about 69 percent of last week's 126. Samuelsson leads from the blue line with 16.25, DeBrincat has 13.5, and Bouchard 12.75. The Millionaires made no transactions this week, which is how old money behaves: it sits very still and lets the interest pile up. Two of their top three scorers are defensemen, so the vault is being guarded by the very men hired to guard the vault, a novelty in banking circles.
Spryfield Winning Streaks. They trail Madison by 10.75 with 75.75, about 72 percent of last week's 105.25. Jesper Wallstedt leads with 14.5 in goal, Luke Hughes has 11.5, and Podkolzin 11.25. Spryfield released Igor Shesterkin on Monday afternoon for Shane Pinto, effective 10/19, so Shesterkin stays on the premises through Sunday like a tenant who has been served papers but kept his key. Their season total of 302.8 is 0.8 behind Grimsby for the league lead, which means Spryfield is losing the week and winning the arithmetic.
Milton Maniacs. They lead Halifax 81.75 to 60.5, about 77 percent of last week's 106.25. Linus Ullmark leads every goaltender in the league with 21.75, Sergachev has 12, and Matthews 11.25, down from 29.75 last week but still sending postcards. This morning Milton claimed Aaron Ekblad off waivers for Mason Marchment, effective Monday. Ekblad has 5 this week for Weston, the club that released him on Wednesday, which makes him the rare defenseman to be unwanted on Wednesday, productive anyway, and claimed on Friday.
Halifax Hurricanes. They trail Milton by 21.25 with 60.5, about 47 percent of last week's 129. Kaprizov leads with 23, more than a third of the club's total, Thompson has 12, and Cooley 9.5. Last week's hurricane has been downgraded to a stiff breeze with one very strong gust out of Minnesota. The Hurricanes made no moves this week, and the weather bureau has been asked to stop sending them the forecast, since it keeps reading like an obituary.
Oakville Acorns. They lead Regina 79 to 33.75, a cushion of 45.25, about 70 percent of last week's 113.5. Eichel leads with 14.5, Svechnikov has 13.25, and Draisaitl 11.5. The Acorns made no transactions this week, own the second-biggest lead in the league, and are spending the weekend doing what acorns do best, which is sitting on the ground and waiting. It is a fine, unglamorous week, and nobody in Oakville is complaining except the squirrel.
Regina Grizzlies. They are 0-2 and trail Oakville 79 to 33.75, but at about 67 percent of last week's 50.5 the Grizzlies are, by the calendar, slightly ahead of their own pace, a sentence this newspaper has waited all season to print. Benson leads with 12.5, Clarke has 5.5, and Peterka and Lohrei 4.25 apiece. Regina made three moves this week: Ryan Leonard for Alexei Protas, Olen Zellweger for Tony DeAngelo, and Adin Hill for Jakub Dobes. DeAngelo, re-signed only last Saturday night, has been released again and now leaves his skates in the car.
