CHL Storylines: Spokane's dynamic duo dominating WHL

The Western Hockey League is entering the stretch drive with the league’s playoff picture still taking shape.

The Everett Silvertips have been sitting on their perch at the top of the league for most of the season, but they are starting to hear some noise behind them.

After the Canadian Hockey League trade deadline on Jan. 8, the Spokane Chiefs have been one of the hottest teams in the league, going 11-3-2 since that time. The team has the third best record in the WHL, two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Medicine Hat Tigers and nine points behind the Silvertips.

Spokane made the biggest splash at the deadline, acquiring star winger Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets and paired him with superstar centre Berkly Catton to create one of the most dynamic duos in the CHL.

Cristall has been one of the league’s most prolific scorers over the past three seasons. The 5-foot-10 winger broke out during the 2022-23 campaign, recording 39 goals and 95 points in 54 games, which led him to be drafted 40th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2023 NHL Draft.

He added to his resume last season by putting up 40 goals and 111 points in 62 games.

Prior to the trade this season, Cristall was among the league leaders with 26 goals and 60 points in 28 games in Kelowna. His pace only excelled in Spokane, putting up 13 goals and 43 points in only 16 games.

“Cristall is the best power-play guy in the CHL,” said TSN’s Director of Scouting Craig Button. “His vision and his hands are so good that he can thread needles with his precision passes.

“I’ve been really impressed with his progress and development. He realized that he’s not a dynamic skater and isn’t the biggest guy, so he has to give up the puck a little bit. When he gives up the puck and gets it back, he knows how to find open ice and open players to create opportunities.”

Cristall continues to sit at the top of the WHL in scoring with 39 goals and 103 points 44 games and Catton is right up there with him with 31 goals and 90 points in third place.

Before the trade, the Seattle Kraken prospect had 14 goals and 47 points in 28 games before joining Team Canada at the World Juniors in Ottawa. By the time he returned, Cristall joined the team, and his presence has helped Catton produce 17 goals and 43 points in his past 16 games.

“You’re talking about two of the best in the WHL, and now they’re together,” said Button. “The question for opponents is how do you defend Catton and Cristall? You can’t take penalties against them, or they’ll burn you.

“When it’s all said and done, Catton may be this generation’s Brayden Point. People underestimated Point’s size, which allowed him to sneak up on people, but he is a top player that just kept getting better. He’s been getting quicker and taking command of the game, which is the same thing I see from Catton.”

The Chiefs are not just the Catton and Cristall show. They also feature overage winger Shea Van Olm, who leads the WHL with 44 goals to go along with his 80 points and he committed to Penn State to play in the NCAA next season.

Forwards Chase Harrington and Rasmus Ekstrom have provided solid secondary scoring while the back end has been led by Braydon Crampton, who has eight goals and 56 points in 54 games this season.

Goaltender Dawson Cowan has been outstanding this season, going 28-12-1 and is second in the league with a 2.66 goals-against average and fourth with a .908 save percentage.

“They’re obviously a high-scoring team but their defensive play is really good, their penalty kill is really good, and they have good goaltending,” said Button. “They were a high-scoring team without Cristall and now they’re that much better. They were good power-play team without Cristall and now they’re a better power-play team with him.

“[General manager] Matt Bardsley look at their team and saw he had really good overagers, a driver in Catton, and youngers players who are good and don’t have to do the heavy lifting. They were ripe to get some outside help in Cristall.”

As the regular season comes to an end, playoff positioning becomes front of mind as teams want to give themselves the easiest path to advance. The Chiefs currently sit in third place in the Western Conference with a 37-16-2 record. Only the Silvertips have a better record in the West while the Victoria Royals hold the second seed as the B.C. Division leader.

This means Spokane is likely on a collision course with the Royals in the second round. If they get past them, it could lead to a showdown with the Silvertips in the Western Conference Final.

“Spokane is going to be a hard out in the playoffs. They’re as good as anyone in that Western Conference,” said Button. “Everett is a really good team as well, but I don’t know who has the edge between the two. It would be one of those series where either team could win.”

Lardis leading red-hot Bulldogs to the top of OHL East

The Brantford Bulldogs have been one of the hottest teams in the Ontario Hockey League as the season enters its stretch drive.

Brantford is in the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 35-16-5 record. They overtook teams like the Oshawa Generals, Barrie Colts, Niagara IceDogs, and Kingston Frontenacs who have all been hovering around that No. 1 spot all season.

Entering Friday’s action, the Bulldogs are 16-2-1 in their past 19 games, including winning both games of a huge home-and-home series with the IceDogs last weekend.

Nick Lardis has been the star of the show offensively, leading the entire CHL with 60 goals, and his 99 points is good for second in OHL scoring behind Saginaw Spirit superstar Michael Misa.

The Chicago Blackhawks prospect is currently on a 17-game goal-scoring streak where he’s put up 28 goals and 41 points. He is two games shy of the league’s all-time longest streak, which is held by Detroit Red Wings star Alex DeBrincat (2017) and NHL alumni Mike Ricci (1988).

Lardis is also rebounding after a wrist injury prematurely ended his season last year after 37 games. Despite that, the 5-foot-11 winger still put up 29 goals and 50 points.

“He is having a season for the ages,” said Button. “He’s leading the CHL in goal scoring by a lot and I don’t think anyone is going to catch him. He reminds me of [former Ottawa Senator] Mike Hoffman, he gets into good spots and knows how to score with a quick release. Hoffman was a good, solid second-line scorer in the NHL.”

To go along with Lardis up front, the Bulldogs are strong down the middle of the ice with Capitals prospect Patrick Thomas and top 2025 NHL draft prospect Jake O’Brien.

Thomas is fourth in OHL scoring this season 22 goals and 89 points, but it’s his ability to develop his skills that has really impressed Button.

“Thomas had these elements of hockey sense and ability, but he wasn’t a high draft pick because he didn’t show anything that was high-end,” said Button. “He just went to work on his game and now he’s quicker, faster, and became a really good player. We’re talking about someone who gets better as time gone on.

“He’s going to be a player that goes through the AHL process, but you always have to be encouraged when players take control of their play and development.”

O’Brien sits eighth in league scoring with 29 goals and 82 points in 56 games during his draft season. The 6-foot-2 centre is highly rated for the upcoming NHL draft in Los Angeles, listing at No. 9 on TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie’s mid-season rankings while Button has him at No. 24 on his January list.

“O’Brien has really elevated his game [this year],” said Button. “I think [earlier in his career] everything he thought was overthought and was trying to be perfect and you can’t play the game like that. It’s great to ‘think the game’ really well, but it’s also important to participate and be active in the game.

“If you don’t have those things in balance, it slows you down from being active. I think [head coach] Jay McKee has done a really good job breaking him free from that.”

Button believes the biggest impact on Brantford’s recent success has been the emergence of defencemen Adam Jiricek and Tomas Hamara on the blueline.

Jiricek, 18, was drafted 16th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2024 and is playing in his first season in the OHL. His draft season was prematurely ended during last year’s World Juniors when he suffered a knee injury in the tournament’s first game while representing Czechia.

The 6-foot-2 right-shot defenceman was kept out of the lineup until November and while a second knee injury cost him another month this season, Jiricek is finally healthy and has three goals and nine points in 19 games.

Hamara was acquired by the Bulldogs last season after he requested a trade from the Kitchener Rangers. The Senators prospect leads Bulldogs defencemen with eight goals and 48 points through 47 games.

“Jiricek and Hamara really stabilized their blueline,” said Button. “It took a little bit of time for those players to get acclimated, but they have stepped in and have been good. Jiricek has been really good since coming back from the World Juniors and Hamara is an overage defenceman that plays with tons of confidence.”

Brantford is in a dog fight at the top of the East with four teams all within striking distance for the No. 1 seed. Button believes that this Bulldogs team is as good and deep as anyone in the East and will give teams a run for their money.

“Their top two lines are really good. Not only are they good but they got size, quickness, and they can jam you,” said Button. “What that allows them to do is place their younger players in the lineup in spots where they can succeed.

“They play with energy, they’re quick, fast, and it’s a good scenario where you have people in the right areas of the game where they can keep pushing play.”