Power Rankings: Week 8


June 20, 2024
By Adam Ruffner

1. Carolina Flyers (-)
Record: 6-0
Most recent result: 25-16 vs Houston (W)
Next game: June 22 at Atlanta
Player heating up: Terrence Mitchell - 11 hockey assists in his last three games

The only remaining unbeaten team, Carolina has been a bear on both sides of the disc through the first half of their schedule. The Flyers offense yields under three breaks per game to opponents, the lowest mark in the UFA in 2024. And the D-line has the fourth highest break rate in the league, with Captain William Coffin leading a tenacious and versatile rotation of defenders. If Carolina can get the win this Saturday in Atlanta, they will all but clinch first place in the South Division for the second time in three seasons.


2. Boston Glory (-)
Record: 6-2
Most recent result: 22-12 vs Philadelphia (W)
Next game: June 22 vs Toronto
Player heating up: Tannor Johnson-Go - Averaging nearly 250 receiving yards per game in last four starts

Boston has played games with a boa constrictor-like quality in 2024: They pressure opponents early and often, and can just wear teams out over the course of four quarters with their size and team discipline. The Glory are allowing the second fewest turnovers per game this season, while cashing in on nearly seven break scores per game. And with no remaining matchups against playoff level competition, Boston could coast to their first regular season divisional title.


3. Atlanta Hustle (+1)
Record: 5-2
Most recent result: 27-13 vs Houston (W)
Next game: June 22 vs Carolina
Player heating up: Jeremy Langdon - Has three or more goals in all five of his starts in 2024, and is third in the UFA* in goals per game (4.2)

After their 14-goal demolition of Houston, Atlanta now has an average margin of victory of seven goals in their five wins this season. And just 12 days after Pittsburgh set a regular season record for fewest turnovers in a game, Atlanta established a new standard of excellence by committing just four total turnovers against the Havoc last Friday. And after a few sub-par performances from deep to start the year, the Hustle huck game is on fire in their last two wins and connected on 25-of-28 (89 percent) of their huck attempts. 

* Minimum two games played


4. Salt Lake Shred (-1)
Record: 6-1
Most recent result: 20-19 vs Colorado (L)
Next game: June 21 vs Los Angeles
Player heating up: Chad Yorgason - At least one block in six straight starts

The last time Salt Lake lost to Colorado during the regular season, the Shred ripped off seven wins in a row in response. But with a fourth quarter collapse at home, Seattle and Oakland surging, and uncertainty with Jordan Kerr’s injury to his non-throwing hand—and Will Selfridge still inactive since May 18—the reigning West Division champs have a tough set of obstacles between them and the possibility of hosting a championship game in August. Did I mention we’re just nine days away from the Shred and Empire rematch of their 2023 championship game battle?


5. DC Breeze (-)
Record: 7-2
Most recent result: 21-20 at Montreal (W)
Next game: June 22 vs Montreal
Player heating up: Andrew Roy - 61/61 with 621 throwing yards in DC’s unreal comeback in Montreal; third in the league in total completions, second highest completion rate among top 20 throwers

Since the Breeze committed 21 turnovers in their season-opening loss at Salt Lake, DC is averaging under 12 mistakes per game in their last eight matchups. What is really impressive is that aside from Roy, Cole Jurek, Tyler Monroe, and Jeff Wodatch, the Breeze offense has had to juggle a lot of different lineups on offense, and still allows the second fewest break scores per game in 2024; there’s seldom pressure that can rattle the handler core of the Breeze. And after last week’s crawl-out-from-their-own-grave win in Montreal, the Breeze can clinch their eighth straight playoff appearance with another win over the Royal this coming Saturday. 


6. New York Empire (+1)
Record: 5-3
Most recent result: 21-20 at Philadelphia (W)
Next game: June 21 vs Toronto
Player heating up: Charles Weinberg - Averaging a career best 424 total yards per game, has three games with multiple huck completions in his last five starts

Nothing short of a “heart of a champion” win for New York in Philly given the multiple starters across both lines they were missing. And what idiot wrote about Jack Williams lacking some explosiveness? The perennial All-UFA selection had a game-changing layout Callahan against the Phoenix to knot things up late in the third, and finished with a packed stat line of two assists, four goals, three blocks, and five hockey assists. New York’s lack of defensive pressure is still disconcerting—the Empire rank 22nd in blocks per game—but there’s an undeniable grittiness ingrained in the two-time reigning champs.


7. Seattle Cascades (-1)
Record: 7-2
Most recent result: 24-13 at Portland (W)
Next game: June 29 vs Colorado
Player heating up: Spencer Lofink - Has at least three scores and 30 completions in all eight starts this season; second on the team in completions and total yardage, third in total scores

The Cascades bageled the Nitro 7-0 in the first quarter of their Week 8 win, and are now just one victory away from their first postseason since 2016. Lofink, Garrett Martin, and Zeppelin Raunig have been stars in their offensive roles, while the reigning ROTY and Scades newcomer Lukas Ambrose is in line to become the first player since 2021 MVP Ben Jagt to have 20 assists, 20 goals, and 20 blocks in a single season. Seattle had a lot of deserved hype heading into this season, but very likely hosting a playoff game exceeds some of the loftiest expectations.


8. Minnesota Wind Chill (+1)
Record: 5-1
Most recent result: 20-17 vs Colorado (W)
Next game: June 22 vs Madison
Player heating up: Matt Rehder - Has 10 scores and just one throwaway in his last three starts

Minnesota has summited the Central Division standings for the second straight season thanks to their ability to win games in multiple ways, as shown in their rain soaked dub against Colorado. The game began with Will Brandt punching in red zone possessions with precise break throws, but it ended with the Wind Chill bombarding the Summit with deep shots; Minnesota was the worst hucking team in the UFA through their first three games, but completed 13-of-18 (73 percent) of their deep attempts in Week 8. But to close out the back half of their schedule, the Wind Chill now must face playoff level opponents in four of their next five games, including a July 12 interdivisional meeting with New York.


9. Oakland Spiders (+1)
Record: 4-2
Most recent result: 18-17 vs Colorado (W)
Next game: June 22 vs San Diego
Player heating up: Evan Magsig - Team captain is averaging 53 completions, three hucks, and 398 throwing yards per game in his last four starts

No team gained more from Colorado’s demise in Week 8 than the Spiders, who are now once again on the brink of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. And of Oakland’s six remaining games, only two come against a playoff team from 2023, and that team being 1-6 LA. The big wrinkle is that three of Oakland’s remaining matchups come against San Diego, the other team vying for the third and final playoff spot in the West Division. The Growlers ended the Spiders season a year ago in dramatic fashion, so there’s going to be some bad blood between the two squads.


10. Madison Radicals (+3)
Record: 5-2
Most recent result: 24-22 vs Colorado (W)
Next game: June 22 at Minnesota
Player heating up: Pieran Robert - 13 goals in last two starts, and zero turnovers this season as a rookie

The Madison defense is the most disruptive unit in the UFA in 2024, and they could become the first team since 2016 to average over 10 break scores per game. The Radicals are terrific at getting into transition quickly following a turnover, with emerging talents Robert, Mitchell McCarthy, and Jake Carrico all contributing to the counterattack in big ways. Madison faces two away games—at Minnesota, and at Indianapolis—before they close their schedule with a three-game homestand. Getting at least one win in their next two matchups would keep them in the driver’s seat for second place in the division, and a home playoff game.


11. Austin Sol (+1)
Record: 4-4
Most recent result: 23-20 vs Dallas (W)
Next game: June 21 at Dallas
Player heating up: Kyle Henke - Averaging five scores and 599 total yards in his last two starts

With all four of their wins this season coming against Texas competition, the Sol sit precariously high in these rankings without a quality win to their name. And after last year’s first-ever Championship Weekend appearance, Austin has once again become a team more about potential than results. In 2023 the Sol defense led the league in breaks per game, averaging nearly nine per contest; in 2024 that number has plummeted to just over six per game. Austin hosts Atlanta in nine days, and that could be the Sol’s sole opportunity to prove themselves before the South Division playoffs begin. 


12. San Diego Growlers (+3)
Record: 3-4
Most recent result: 24-15 vs Los Angeles (W)
Next game: June 21 at Colorado
Player heating up: KJ Koo - Is averaging 7.5 scores, 3.5 huck completions, and 660 total yards in his two starts this season

With three of their four losses coming by three goals or fewer, the Growlers are the most intriguing sub-.500 team still in the playoff mix. San Diego has 18 or fewer turnovers in six of their last seven games, and while the defense can be inconsistent, they have shown an ability to go on break runs to blow games open. The Growlers are slightly too reliant on the huck to generate reliable scoring looks, but their explosiveness and volatility make them one of the most fun teams to watch right now.


13. Colorado Summit (-5)
Record: 2-5
Most recent result: 20-17 at Minnesota (L)
Next game: June 21 vs San Diego
Player heating up: Jay Froude - Ninth-year veteran has split time nearly evenly between offense/defense this season, has just one throwaway in seven starts

As good of an effort as it was from Colorado’s skeleton crew on the road last weekend, the Summit now essentially need to win out to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Quinn Finer is currently listed as active for Friday’s matchup with San Diego, and his season debut couldn’t come at a more critical moment for this team. And without numerous starters available, Alex Atkins has been a one-man production supernova. He currently has 1,300 more yards than the next closest Summit teammate, and trails only Pawel Janas in total yards this season.


14. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (-)
Record: 4-3
Most recent result: 17-12 at Chicago (W)
Next game: June 22 at Detroit
Player heating up: John McMonigal - After not registering a goal in his first two games of the season, the second-year receiver has 11 in his last four starts

It wasn’t pretty with 26 turnovers and a 26 percent offensive success rate, but the Thunderbirds got a huge win in Chicago. Pittsburgh held the Union to just seven combined goals in the final three quarters of play, and now rank 10th in the UFA in scores allowed per game. The victory also gave the T-Birds the most control over their playoff destiny out of the three teams ostensibly vying for the third and final playoff spot in the Central Division. The problem? Pittsburgh is down over 10 starters this weekend on the road in Detroit, and could become the team to end the Mechanix’s ignominy. 


15. Chicago Union (-4)
Record: 4-3
Most recent result: 17-12 vs Pittsburgh (W)
Next game: June 22 vs Indianapolis
Player heating up: Andrew Sjogren - Two straight starts with at least five scores and zero turnovers

Similar to last season, the Chicago offense has too many decision making lapses and short field turnovers to stay in rhythm, and it puts them at a heavy disadvantage against otherwise beatable competition. The Union now have 20 or more turnovers in four of their seven games so far, and they’re bottom five in red zone efficiency. But if they can pick-up a win by at least two goals against Indy this Saturday—and Detroit somehow ends the streak against the T-Birds—Chicago will regain control of their playoff destiny in the division in short order. 


16. Indianapolis AlleyCats
Record: 3-3
Most recent result: 32-20 vs Detroit (W)
Next game: June 22 at Chicago
Player heating up: Cameron Brock - After being held goalless for the first time since 2017, Brock had his fifth three-plus goal game in six starts

Indy continues to tread water but remains thoroughly in the playoff hunt. And with the best red zone conversion rate and the fourth fewest turnovers per game, the AlleyCats are a tough out for any Central Division opponent. But in four games against non-Detroit teams, Indy is averaging just 3.5 break scores per matchup, which gives the offense a razor thin margin of error.


17. Montreal Royal (-)
Record: 2-4
Most recent result: 21-20 vs DC (L)
Next game: June 21 at Philadelphia
Player heating up: Quentin Bonnaud - Is averaging 3.6 goals and 353 receiving yards per game in his last three starts

Up three on DC with under five minutes remaining in regulation, Montreal had an opportunity to vault right into the thick of the playoff race in the East. But a cascading sequence of offensive mistakes gave way to four straight Breeze scores, and the biggest gut punch loss in the league this season. The 2024 Royal are leagues better than their 2023 selves, but one more defeat effectively eliminates them from the UFA playoffs for the fifth straight season.


18. Philadelphia Phoenix (+1)
Record: 1-6
Most recent result: 21-20 vs New York (L)
Next game: June 21 vs Montreal
Player heating up: Scott Heyman - The 22-year-old phenom had seven scores and nearly 600 yards of offense without a turnover against NY

You couldn’t engineer in a lab the kind of creative ways this Phoenix team loses—just 10 turnovers against New York!—against top competition in their own division. And Saturday’s defeat against the Empire was likely the final blow in Philly’s playoff chances, barring some truly bizarre results in the final five weeks of the regular season. Opposing offenses are converting on 66 percent of their possessions against the Philly defense, a rate that, if it holds, would shatter the former UFA record.


19. Houston Havoc (-1)
Record: 3-5
Most recent result: 25-16 at Carolina (L)
Next game: June 22 vs Dallas
Player heating up: Ben Lewis - Multiple goals in all eight starts this season, set a new career best (30) for goals in a regular season

Two losses by a combined 23 goals in Atlanta and Carolina sent the Havoc packing back to Houston. And before registering zero blocks against the Hustle last Friday, the Havoc’s franchise-low for takeaways in a game was four. Jimmy Zuraw continues his career year, and is one of the top passers in the league in 2024. But outside of the lefty’s arm talent, the Havoc lack any kind of throwing depth for the second straight season. 


20. Portland Nitro (-)
Record: 1-6
Most recent result: 24-13 vs Seattle (L)
Next game: June 30 vs Colorado
Player heating up: Henry Wayte - The 20-year-old rookie has 19 scores and five blocks in his last four starts

The Nitro struggled to string together three passes in a row in the first quarter of their 11-goal loss to Seattle. And for the fifth time in seven games, Portland was held to 17 goals or fewer, and now rank 21st in scores per game. Their deep throwing attack—Portland is third in hucks per game this season—gives this team some punch, and the red zone efficiency has really picked up the past two games. But there’s still too many missing pieces to make the Nitro competitive for a full four quarters against good opponents.


21. Los Angeles Aviators (-)
Record: 1-6
Most recent result: 24-15 at San Diego (L)
Next game: June 21 at Salt Lake
Player heating up: Pawel Janas - Second in the UFA in completions per game (55) and first in throwing yards per game (458); became the first player to pass 5,000 career completions (also was first-and-only player to 4,000)

The Aviators got unceremoniously housed by their SoCal rivals from San Diego in Week 8. Now LA will all but surely miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons after making it to the divisional championship game in 2023. The Aviators already have as many 20-plus turnover games this season (4) as they did in 14 matchups a season ago. Now in the role of spoiler, it will be interesting to see if LA can cause a similar kind of disruption to the West Division playoff picture as the Growlers did last year.


22. Toronto Rush (-)
Record: 1-6
Most recent result: 23-15 vs DC (L)
Next game: June 21 at New York
Player heating up: Ryan Poloz - Is averaging 4:1 score to turnover ratio in his third season with the team

Even though Toronto has 19 or fewer turnovers in each of their past five games, they’ve lost four in a row by an average margin of nearly five goals per game. The offense has been tidy recently in converting red zone chances, but there’s still a discernible lack of a true number one scoring option. And if you remove their 11-break performance against Pittsburgh, Toronto is averaging just three breaks per game this season in their other six games.


23. Dallas Legion (-)
Record: 0-6
Most recent result: 23-20 at Austin (L)
Next game: June 21 vs Austin
Player heating up: Alec Wilson Holliday - With four goals in all six starts, the third-year receiver is still on track to score 60-plus goals this season

The Dallas offense looked a little dangerous in Austin last weekend, and converted above 50 percent of their offensive possessions for the first time in seven games. Though a bit undersized, the receiving core of Wilson Holliday, Myles Armstrong, and Nicholas DiGiorgio complement each other nicely in space. The Legion still have two games remaining against Houston, including this Saturday, to avoid their first winless season in franchise history.


24. Detroit Mechanix (-)
Record: 0-7
Most recent result: 32-20 at Indianapolis (L)
Next game: June 22 vs Pittsburgh
Player heating up: Jake Felton - The rookie bomber had a personal best seven huck completions in Week 8, and now leads the league this season with 21 total hucks

Look: I’ve been here before. Many times, in fact. I get my hopes up thinking The Streak—now currently at 81 straight losses—would be ended by Detroit facing a short-staffed opponent, as is the case this Saturday against the Thunderbirds. There were the promises of Johnny Bansfield and Mac Hecht in 2022, the midseason game against the very same Pittsburgh team in 2019, the numerous “upset alert” tweets at various halftimes before the inevitable fall— “attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion” kind of experience. But I’m willing to get my hopes up one more time for no other reason than I just want to see the losing stop. Please.