Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the first BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings for the 2009-10 season.  The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League’s Top 10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

The reigning MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions the Windsor Spitfires open the season with the number one ranking, a position they held for most of the 2008-09 season.  The Spitfires were the only team to hold a position in the weekly rankings for all 27 weeks last season. 
 
Week two of the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings will not be announced until Wednesday September 23, 2009, with weekly distributions to follow.
 
The 2009-10 CHL regular season schedule opens this Thursday September 10, 2009, when the defending QMJHL Champions the Drummondville Voltigeurs host the Val d’Or Foreurs.  The OHL and WHL regular season schedules begin Thursday September 17, 2009.
 
 
BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings – Week 1
 
2008-09 Final Results are in brackets
 
1. Windsor Spitfires (OHL and MasterCard Memorial Cup Champions)
2. Calgary Hitmen (Lost in WHL Finals)
3. Quebec Remparts (Lost in QMJHL Semi-Finals)
4. Brandon Wheat Kings (Lost in WHL Eastern Conference Finals)
5. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (Lost in second round of OHL playoffs)
6. Shawinigan Cataractes (Lost in QMJHL Finals)
7. Saskatoon Blades (Lost in first round of WHL playoffs)
8. Moncton Wildcats (Lost in QMJHL Quarter Finals)
9. London Knights (Lost in OHL Western Conference Finals)
10. Kelowna Rockets (WHL Champions Lost in MasterCard Memorial Cup Finals)
 
Honourable Mention:
Plymouth Whalers (Lost in second round of OHL playoffs)
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (Lost in QMJHL Quarter Finals)
Vancouver Giants (Lost in WHL Western Conference Finals)


For more information:
 
Canadian Hockey League
Paul Krotz
Manager, Media and Information Services
t: (416) 416-332-9711 x 320
f: (416) 332-1477
Email: pkrotz@chl.ca <mailto:pkrotz@chl.ca>