National Junior Rankings: Week 6
During the 2022 Canadian junior seasons, The Lax Mag will publish our National Junior Rankings, a weekly rundown of all 23 A-level teams across the country. Week 1 will begin on June 1 with future editions published every Wednesday (Friday this week, sorry for the delay!) until the start of the Minto Cup.
The rankings will include the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL), British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League (BCJALL) and Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL).
The Lax Mag’s rankings will position teams based not only by overall record, but also the strength of their opposition and the quality of their results, win or lose.
Game 1: Langley vs. New Westminster, Langley Events Centre (Photo: Langley Thunder)
British Columbia is already in post-season mode, Alberta & Saskatchewan are almost there, and Ontario ends their regular season on Monday.
How many or how few games will it take for each province to claim their spot in the Minto Cup?
Before our updated Top 23, we calculate how many max & min games played (regular season + playoffs) teams will need to get through before booking their spot in Brampton for 2022’s final four.
BCJALL
This summer, the BCJALL is trialing a new post-season format. Right now, the #1 seeded Victoria Shamrocks and #2 Nanaimo Timbermen sit on the sidelines as they wait for the winners of the Langley Thunder vs. New Westminster Salmonbellies and Coquitlam Adanacs vs. Burnaby Lakers opening-round series.
The higher ranked Thunder and A’s both took Game 1 of their best-of-three series earlier this week, Langley with a largely one-sided 26-2 lambasting of the ‘Bellies.
The most matches in BC would be played by either the Thunder or Adanacs, that is of course if they go all the way, because of their opening round. The fewest would be the Shamrocks or T-Men, because of that first-round bye.
BCJALL regular season GP: 14
Highest possible post-season GP: 15
Lowest possible post-season GP: 7
Highest possible GP before Minto Cup: 29
Lowest possible GP before Minto Cup: 21
Update (July 8, 2022, 8pm ET): Hours after publishing this week’s rankings, the BCJALL announced that the New Westminster Salmonbellies have dropped out of their series against Langley due to a shortage of players and injuries.
RMLL
Unlike BC and Ontario, everyone qualifies for the playoffs in the middle of the country. All four RMLL teams will finish up their regular season today and tomorrow, the St. Albert Miners and Calgary Mountaineers the clear Cup contenders, as has been the case all season long. The league’s top two teams have a big one tonight at Stu Pepperd Arena in Calgary, a first-place playoff seed likely going to the winner.
Although their post-season play as changed over the years, like they did in 2019, the RMLL confirmed that both series this year will be best of sevens.
RMLL regular season GP: 15
Highest possible post-season GP: 14
Lowest possible post-season GP: 8
Highest possible GP before Minto Cup: 29
Lowest possible GP before Minto Cup: 23
Liam Ferris, Mimico Mountaineers (Photo: OLA)
OJLL
The OJLL has slimmed down their post-season schedule. Their first two rounds will be a best-of-five series, the final a best-of-three tilt, with both of those teams headed to the Minto no matter what happens in their provincial championship. See their recently announced fresh format and series dates here. The Top 8 teams, which are locked in but still playing for pole positions this weekend, include: Mimico, Toronto, Whitby, Oakville, Orangeville, Peterborough, Burlington and St. Catharines.
OJLL regular season GP: 20
Highest possible post-season GP: 13
Lowest possible post-season GP: 8
Highest possible GP before Minto Cup: 33
Lowest possible GP before Minto Cup: 28
A total of 18 teams across the country are still fighting for a chance at a Minto Cup this August in Brampton.
Teams that have been eliminated from this year’s Minto chase include: Delta, Port Coquitlam, Kitchener-Waterloo, Brampton and Six Nations.
With a Game 2 loss this weekend, both New Westminster and Burnaby would be out of their provincial playoffs too.
Update (July 8, 2022, 8pm ET): The New Westminster dropped out of this year’s playoffs prior to Game 2 vs. Langley due to an apparent shortage of players and injuries. The league has confirmed that Langley will challenge Nanaimo in the second round of this year’s playoffs.
National Junior Rankings: Week 6
TW. (LW) Team (League) Regular Season (Playoffs)
1. (4) Mimico Mountaineers (OJLL) 14-4
2. (3) Victoria Shamrocks (BCJALL) 11-3
3. (1) Nanaimo Timbermen (BCJALL) 10-4
4. (5) Toronto Beaches (OJLL) 14-5
5. (2) Whitby Warriors (OJLL) 12-6
6. (6) Oakville Buzz (OJLL) 13-6
7. (10) Orangeville Northmen (OJLL) 12-6
8. (8) St. Albert Miners (RMLL) 10-3
9. (11) Peterborough Lakers (OJLL) 10-8
10. (9) Calgary Mountaineers (RMLL) 11-2
11. (16) Coquitlam Adanacs (BCJALL) 9-5 (1-0)
12. (7) Langley Thunder (BCJALL) 10-4 (1-0)
13. (13) Burlington Chiefs (OJLL) 9-10
14. (15) Burnaby Lakers (BCJALL) 7-7 (0-1)
15. (12) St. Catharines Athletics (OJLL) 9-10
16. (14) Six Nations Arrows (OJLL) 5-13*
17. (17) Delta Islanders (BCJALL) 4-10*
18. (18) Okotoks Raiders (RMLL) 4-9
19. (19) Brampton Excelsiors (OJLL) 2-16*
20. (20) New Westminster Salmonbellies (BCJALL) 4-10 (0-1)
21. (22) KW Lacrosse Club (OJLL) 1-17*
22. (22) Port Coquitlam Saints (BCJALL) 1-13*
23. (23) Saskatchewan SWAT (RMLL) 1-12