After watching a handful of games, some of these teams could not compete in our league. –Canadian Junior Hockey League coach

And it’s true. There’s a lot of rust to be worked off the generally well-oiled North American Hockey League machine. The event itself is once again outdoing itself with the video production, broadcast, and amazing operation… but it’s the hockey that is leaving many watchers scratching their heads.

Steve Howard’s Austin Bruins have looked very strong in their first few games, and nobody can overlook Amarillo, El Paso, New Mexico, and Lone Star impressively representing the south. It does look like Wichita Falls is missing monster recruiter Keenan Kelly while Danbury may be forced to go back to the drawing board.

So here’s an early look at the grades going into the rest of the weekend.

A’sSpringfield BluesAustin BruinsAmarillo WranglersEl Paso RhinosNew Mexico Ice WolvesLone Star Brahmas St. Cloud Norsemen
B’sMaryland Black BearsNortheast Generals
C’sFairbanks Ice DogsNew Jersey TitansChippewa SteelMinnesota MagiciansOdessa JackalopesMaine NordiquesJamestown RebelsNorth Iowa BullsAnchorage WolverinesMinot MinotaurosShreveport MudbugsAberdeen Wings
F’sKenai River Brown BearsMinnesota WildernessCorpus Christi IceRaysBismarck BobcatsJohnstown TomahawksWichita Falls WarriorsJanesville JetsDanbury Hat Tricks
SCALE: A 725+, B 600-724, C 475-599, D 350-474, F 0-349