Can confirm that Winnipeg team was much better than anything Wenatchee has had, they went to the WHL championship finals. It was a weird transition–team moved and inherited a BCHL team setup, coach got fired before the season got started, just not a great first season. Probably expected to get Zach Benson back and the Sabres had him in the NHL all season.
Big update in Daniel Hauser's season since he committed: on New Year's Day, he was traded to the Calgary Hitmen, joining fellow commit Oliver Tulk. The Hitmen bought aggressively at the deadline, and that included filling a massive hole in veteran goaltending with Hauser. They've already clinched playoffs and are in a good spot to potentially take over top spot in their division. Since joining the Hitmen, Hauser is 14-3-0, 1.96 GAA, .922 SV%. Leads the league in GAA at 2.69 (included Wenatchee numbers), tied for league lead in shutouts with 4, all with Calgary. Notably, he is on a blistering 3 game shutout streak. Hasn't been scored on in over 183 minutes of TOI. He has had a few stinky outings, but that just kind of happens with this level of play. The WHL is generally higher scoring than the OHL (still less than the Q).
Tulk has also continued his strong play, up to 36-57-93 in 58 games, 1.6 PPG. Also 64.9% on faceoffs, which is obscene. Really great pickup. Only 3 players with more points than Tulk are NHL draft picks from the 2023 2nd and 2024 1st round, and the projected 1st overall pick in 2026. I watch a lot of Hitmen games since their captain is a Sharks pick, and both have impressed me consistently. The Hitmen seem primed for a deep playoff run and are tons of fun to watch (also have impeccable branding).
Also, Blake Montgomery on the London Knights has been absolutely wonderful. London is stacked and the cream of the crop in terms of CHL teams preparing their players for higher levels. For 13 straight weeks, they've been first in the entire CHL power rankings and going for a repeat of the OHL championships. He's done great since joining after the rule change, especially while the Knights had multiple key pieces of their roster at WJC. 21-24-45 in 39 games. London Knights games are a blast to watch, highly recommend.
