The Humboldt Broncos are the number one team in the Canadian Junior A Hockey league, according to stats released Monday.
The Broncos, who are 8-1 this season - they lost their first game to the Yorkton Terriers last week - are ahead of every other Junior A hockey team in the country this week.
The strength of this year's team was showcased in a weekend win over the Nipawin Hawks, played at home in front of over 600 fans at the Elgar Petersen Arena.
The Broncos scored early and often in the contest.
Taylor Johnson put the Broncos on the board with a goal at 2:47, assisted by Neil Landry and Josh Roach.
The Hawks answered that goal with one of their own, scored on a power play at 10:56. But that was both the Hawks' first and last goal of the night.
The Broncos gained back the lead with a power play goal at 19:27 of the first, scored by Spencer Braaten with assists to Riley Gillies and Nick Keller.
They then added to their lead with a point by Jeremy Boyer, assisted by Roach and Justin Buzzeo, at 14:55 of the second.
In the third, Roach got a point of his own on a power play at 4:07. Kameron Ballas and Buzzeo got the assists.
Finally, the Broncos wrapped up their scoring with a point at 16:56 of the third, scored by Brenden Kotyk, assisted by Troy Gasper and Buzzeo.
The Broncos far out-shot the Hawks by a total of 30 to 16 over three periods.
Matt Hrynkiw played an excellent game in net for the Broncos while Hawk netminder Stephen Klein struggled against the barrage of Broncos pucks at the other end of the ice.
The Hawks were one for five on the power play, while the Broncos were two for four.
Roach, Buzzeo and Johnson were named the three stars of the game.
