End-of-year Power Rankings: December 2016

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, and Derby Nerd periodically rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams. Read the the mid-season 2016 (June) Power Rankings here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	–	After stumbling against Philly at ECDX, mid-season roster changes shook up the team chemistry, and after it had time to settle, the Skids knocked off Bay Area to become the first Canadian team to advance to WFTDA Champs where they put a scare into Angel City in the quarterfinals, which was enough to secure top spot. (1 / 19)
2. Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	–	Despite the fifth place finish in their D1 playoff, it could be argued that Terminal City had a better playoff tournament than Montreal. They lost narrowly (164-162) against Philly before cruising through the consolation bracket. Their spot in the top 2, well ahead of the competition, remains secure. (2 / 18)
3.Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	–	Although a 5th seed, Calgary tore through its D2 playoff tournament, including knocking off top seed Charm City along the way to finish in the top spot in the playoff. Finishing third overall in WFTDA’s Division 2 is more than enough to hold on to third spot. (4 / 45)
4. Misfit Militia (Orangeville Roller Girls)	+1	Went 6-1 in 2016 including a 147-144 unsanctioned win against D1’s Queen City. The teams only loss on the season came against an ever-improving Toronto Men’s Roller Derby team (200-159). However, their obvious talent and lack of WFTDA ranking continue to make top-level competition hard to come by. (3 /-)
5. Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	+1	A 4-7 regular season saw the Vixens tumble out of the D2 playoffs. However, the bright side is that many of those seven losses came against top-flight competition including the likes of Montreal, Jacksonville, and Philly. It was an incredibly challenging schedule that may have them currently under-ranked and that could pay track-experience dividends in 2017. (10/93)
6. E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby)	unranked	They’ve risen from the dead once again! E-Ville has been in and out of the Top 10 over the years, and now reenters once again, surging into the middle of the pack for the first time since last year’s end-of-season rankings. E-Ville had an incredible year with a record of 8-1 including victories over Top-10 Winnipeg (207-132) and Watch-Listers Mainland Misfits (279-89). The team’s only loss on the season was to provincial rivals and D2 bronze medalists Calgary (241-114).  (5 / 91)
7. All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)	+1	Winnipeg inches forward a spot but gets stopped in its tracks by surging E-Ville (who defeated them 207-132 to earn the spot). The All Stars do hold their spot ahead of Muddy River based on strength of schedule. They went 8-5 on the season, helping them move to their highest WFTDA ranking yet. (9 / 84)
8. Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)	+1	The little league that just keeps going. Muddy River’s consistency over the past few season has been incredible given their size and location. This year they travelled far and wide once again compiling a 6-4 record along the way, including early season wins over Capital City and Quebec. A big late-season loss to Orangeville’s Misfit Militia was unsanctioned and didn’t effect their 16-spot jump in the WFTDA rankings.  (11 / 85)
9. Dolly Rogers (Capital City Derby Dolls)	+1	The Dolly Rogers capped off their 5-4 season with a massive sanctioned win against Central NY that helped their 8-spot jump in the WFTDA rankings. Narrow wins against teams just outside of the Top 10 allow them to secure their spot and nudge forward, finally moving out of the long-held 10 spot. (8 / 106)
10.Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)	-6	Tri-City had an up-and-down year in 2016, eventually finishing with a 5-10 record. After a promising two and one start (including a rare win over Toronto), Thunder lost seven of eight regular season games the rest of the way. A decent playoff run saw them improve their 9th place seeding to 6th in their D2 tournament. However, yet another off season shake-up to the jammer rotation means that Tri-City’s rebuild will be continuing into 2017. (6 / 57)

The Rankings

No changes to the Top 3 as Canada’s lone WFTDA playoff teams remain at the top of the sport in the nation. Montreal retains top spot based on an incredible performance at the WFTDA Championship tournament, playing, arguably, the team’s best game of the season against a very good Angel City team. After reloading their roster in 2016, The New Skids on the Block also look very good to remain atop the nation’s power rankings in 2017 as well. It remains to be seen whether Terminal City and Calgary (who became only the second team to win a Division 2 playoff tournament) can push through some expected 0ff-season roster changes to remain at their current levels.

The rest of the list has gone through some shifts and changes. Most notably, for the first time in the history of these Power Rankings, Toronto has dropped out of the Top 10. Although leagues like Orangeville and Muddy River are proof that size doesn’t always matter, the reality is that Toronto is simply too big and too deep to keep down for long and expect a slow but steady rise in 2017 as the All Stars rebuild. This drop, however, made room for a resurgent E-Ville. For the second year in a row, the Edmonton-based team makes an appearance on the year-end rankings. This time, however, it should be sustainable as the E-Ville Dead have the roster to remain in the conversation through 2017. The final major shift is with Tri-City. Thunder sees itself tumble to 10th place. The team had a solid 2016, but some post-playoff roster changes will see the team need to rebuild its offense once again.

Orangeville, Rideau Valley, Winnipeg, Muddy River, and Capital City all hold steady, nudging upwards based on Toronto’s and Tri-City’s dips.

The Watch List

Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby) (12th)

Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec) (13th)

Brute-Leggers (Royal City Roller Girls) (14th)

Northstars (Rated PG Rollergirls) (15th)

ToRD All Stars (Toronto Roller Derby) (16th)

The A Team (Eves of Destruction) (18th)

E-Ville and Toronto have switched places on the Watch List/Top 10, while the Anarchy Angels, Roller Derby Quebec, and Royal City remain on our radars as we close out the 2016 season. However, there are some exciting new editions on the watch list.

The Northstars of Prince George’s Rated PG Rollergirls are coming off of an 8-0 season that saw them rise above the competition with a margin of victory of 158 points. These eight wins included big victories over B-travel teams from Top 10 Terminal City and E-Ville and two of Calgary’s house leagues, proving that they have graduated to a higher competitive stage. Similarly, one of Canada’s oldest flat track teams, Victoria’s Eves of Destruction are finally beginning to tear it up against some quality competition. Boasting a perennially successful local league, the EoD A Team went 5-0 on the season including a victory over the Jane Deeres (Calgary’s B-team) and former Top 10 team Mindfox out of Saskatoon to launch themselves onto the Watch List.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone

*These are the final Power Rankings of the year. Read the mid-season Power Rankings here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: December 1, 2015

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months (or so). Read the August 1st Power Ranking here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	–	Some big off-season changes resulted in a slow start for the New Skids on the Block, but since a May loss to Terminal City, the Skids have been on fire, coming within 28 points of a Champs berth and finishing 4th in their Division, the highest finish for a Canadian team in the WFTDA playoffs. (1 / 15)
2. Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	–	It was a year to remember for Terminal City: historic regular season wins over Montreal and Rat City previewed a phenomenal playoff performance that included knocking off the legendary Mad Rollin’ Dolls to win the consolation bracket for a 5th place finish in the division playoff tournament.   (2 / 23)
3.Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	+1	After making it all the way to the top of the heap of D2 in 2014, a Division 1 playoff berth this season proved a tough transition for the Vixens, but the team’s strong, steady leadership resulted in a strong performance despite a last-place finish. (4 / 42)
4.Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	+1	It was quite a year for Calgary, a season that saw them briefly enter Division 1 only to slip out of a playoff position altogether at the end of the year. However, this team grew by leaps and bounds and some late-season roster additions set Calgary up for a strong 2016.  (5 / 62)
5. CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	-2	A promising start to 2015 (wins over Boston, Steel City and a narrow loss to Montreal) could not be maintained as a constantly shuffling roster resulted in some inconsistent and increasingly shaky performances leading to a last-place finish in their playoff tournament. They are on the cusp of D1 and it remains to be seen if the revamped roster can keep them in it. (6/39)
6. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)	–	A fascinating year for Thunder who, despite finishing last in their Division 1 playoff tournament, managed to put in some strong performances against very good teams. There is expected to be another roster shake-up this off season (particularly with their jammer rotation once again), and it’ll be interesting to see how those play out. (7 / 49)
7. Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)	–	A quietish year for Les Duchesses nonetheless showed that this team is ready for a greater challenge (for example, they crushed low-D2 Suburbia by 378 points in August). The team’s only losses this season came against Montreal’s Skids and Sexpos. (8 / -)
8. All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)	–	Although the travel team has been inactive this quarter, Winnipeg holds its spot on the strength of its phenomenal 9-2 season. (12 / 112)
9. Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)	–	Also having a quiet quarter, the lack of movement from other teams in the Top 10 allows them to hold steady. (14 / 105)
10. E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby)	unranked	They’re back!  For the first time since June 2013, E-Ville makes an appearance in the power rankings. An incredible 7-0 run to start the season had them back on the radar but a small summer stumble kept them from cracking the Top 10. Some strong late-season additions inspired  great  results against Regina and Calgary.  (13/ -)

The Changes

 Montreal retains top spot after a phenomenal run through the WFTDA D1 playoffs that saw them finish higher than any other Canadian team had previously. Similarly, after running the consolation bracket in Tucson, Terminal City matched Montreal’s previous playoff-high finish; in 2015, these two teams distanced themselves from the pack and are currently very secure at the top of the table. There was some other shifting at the top though, most notably through Toronto’s drop. ToRD is going through a generational shift on the track right now that could lead to some early season growing pains in 2016, but that could also pay off in the long run with some patience and hard work. This drop allowed Rideau Valley (the best of the last-place Canadian teams in the playoffs) and Calgary to leap-frog ahead.

There was no change from 6 through 9, but the Power Rankings Crew would like to welcome Edmonton’s E-Ville Roller Derby back to the Top 10. They crushed Regina in October 407-34 and put in a strong performance in a loss against Top 5 Calgary 178-105. Word on the track is that some exciting off-season roster changes could help bolster the team’s offense and make them a potential western threat next year.

The Watch List

Misfit Militia (Orangeville Roller Girls) (3rd)

Dolly Rogers (Capital City Derby Dolls) (9th)

Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby) (11th)

Brute-Leggers (Royal City Roller Girls) (15th)

Avalanche City All Stars (Fernie Roller Derby League) (16th)

Fog City’s Shipyard Sirens (17th)

It seems as if we’ve been watching the same teams all season! However, followers of the Power Rankings may recognize the return of Misfit Militia to our Watch List. We’d dropped them from the rankings this season because of their lack of affiliation and the inconsistency of their roster. But now the charter team of WFTDA apprentice Orangeville Roller Girls, the Misfit Militia are back in the thick of things. Word on the track is that many of their members who formerly split time in Toronto are focused exclusively on Misfit Militia now, and this immediately makes them a team to watch in the Canadian competitive derby scene.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Get caught up by reading the August Power Rankings here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: August 1, 2015

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months (or so). Read the June 1st Power Ranking here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	+1	This league just keeps finding a way to replenish itself. After a very minor slip at the beginning of the season, the Skids have pulled (slightly) away from its Canadian competition once again. Since losing to Terminal City in May, Montreal has been on a tear, winning six in a row  including crushing the likes of Windy City and Charm City by 200 points. (1 / 16)
2. Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	-1	A bit of a slip as they have not shown the same level of late-season consistency that their Montreal counterparts have. A shaky win against Calgary was somewhat tempered by a better win over Toronto. Suffered some heavy losses in June, but to the best-of-the-best (including Rose City and B.A.D.) (2 / 27)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	–	After being neck-and-neck early in 2015, Toronto has lost pace with Terminal City and Montreal (losing to Vancouver by 117 points). They also suffered June loss to tumbling Ohio and just narrowly defeated D2 team Naptown (186-175). (3 / 32)
4.Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	–	The Vixens have been quiet since the last rankings (as the league focused on its house league season), with a tough but reasonable loss to Charm City on the books (182-120). The Vixens managed to cling to the final 2015 D1 playoff spot. (4 / 41)
5. Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	+1	Calgary has had quite a season of growth. Late-season inconsistency saw them slip from a D2 playoff spot, but strong performances in recent losses against Terminal City (242-216) and Toronto (243-171) show that they still have plenty of fight left in them. (8/65)
6. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)	-1	After surging back into the Top 5 in June, Thunder slip a spot after a recent loss to D2 Chicago Outfit (186-100) and a lacklustre win over Brewcity (196-122). Nonetheless, they held onto a D1 playoff spot and will return for the second year in a row.(6 / 40)
7.Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)	–	Quebec’s travel team continues to roll. Although they lost handily to Montreal, they managed to stay ahead of their Muddy River Rivals in a July win (242-210) and then shocked 85th Suburbia 428-50. It’s time to see this team against some top-flight competition. (9 / -)
8. All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)	+1	Winnipeg leaps up a spot on the strength of a pretty incredible summer. After losing to Muddy River in May, Winnipeg has reeled off five straight victories, including four crushing sanctioned wins over D3 opponents and another over Minnesota’s B-team. (11 / 112)
9. Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)	-1	After going 8-1 to start the season, Muddy River has been quiet since the last Power Rankings with only one result, a 242-210 loss to Quebec, on the books. (12 / 105)
10. Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby)	–	The Anarchy Angels remain in the Top 10 after slowing things down over the summer with a respectable 207-123 loss to Rat City’s Rain of Terror since the last rankings. (10/ -)

The Changes

While the Power Rankings did not have any major shifts in this addition, there were some noticeable minor changes to the Top 10. At the top of the list, Montreal takes over top spot from Terminal City heading in to the WFTDA playoffs. This season began with Montreal, Terminal City and Toronto neck-and-neck, but as its gone on and the New Skids considerable roster changes began to settle, Montreal has surged ahead and while Terminal City has kept pace better than Toronto, MTLRD remains Canada’s greatest hope heading in to the WFTDA D1 playoffs, continuing to find ways to replenish its roster, a mix of excellent internal training and some solid impressive transfers (Team Canada’s Dyna Hurtcha [Toronto] and KonichiWow [Windy City] joined the team mid-season)

Although Tri-City managed to defeat Calgary in the spring, this summer, Calgary’s play has pulled the team slightly ahead of their counterparts. Calgary’s impressive play in losses to high-ranked competition (culminating in a surprisingly close 242-216 loss to Terminal City) gives it the edge over Tri-City who has been quieter and has less impressive performances against lower ranked teams. And finally, Winnipeg has been simply crushing it this summer, defeating its four D3 opponents by an average differential of 191, clearly distancing itself form its D3 competitors.

The Watch List

Dolly Rogers (Capital City Derby Dolls) (13th)

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby) (14th)

Avalanche City Roller Girls (Fernie Roller Derby Society) (15th)

Shipyard Sirens (Fog City Rollers) (16th)

Brute-Leggers (Royal City Roller Girls) (17th)

Two more teams have popped up on the Rankings Crew’s radar: joining E-Ville, Avalanche City and the Brute-Leggers are Capital City’s Dolly Rogers and Fog City’s Shipyard Sirens. Both of these teams have been on and off the Power Rankings bubble before and strong recent play sees them both return. The Dolly Rogers opened the season with a loss to Montreal’s Sexpos, but since then have managed six-straight one-sided wins that have demonstrated an increasing level of play (in May they defeated Kingston’s Disloyalists by 194 points; in an August rematch, they’d increased the differential to 325). The Shipyard Sirens have been, and remain, Muddy River’s primary competition on Canada’s East Coast. Another late start to the season sees them pop up on the Watch List late, but they’ve kicked things off impressively with a smothering 354-69 win over Fredericton’s Capital City Rollers. More recently, they crushed Bangor with a slightly better margin of victory than Muddy River (163 vs. 132), which certainly piqued our interest.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Get caught up by reading the June Power Rankings here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: June 1, 2015

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months (or so). Read the April 1st Power Ranking here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1.Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	–	Vancouver finally became the team to the end Montreal’s unbeaten streak. Since that win they’ve gone 2-3, but the losses have come against top-flight competition (Rat City, Rocky Mountain and Denver). (2 / 17)
2. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	–	Their unbelievable Canadian winning streak finally ended, but it has seemed to inspire the team and they’ve been on a tear since, including a surprisingly one-sided win over Boston. (1 / 20)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	–	A strong showing against Montreal was followed by an up-and-down performance at Spring Roll However, the team seems to be integrating changes nicely and should still improve as the season goes on. (3 / 24)
4.Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	–	An inconsistent Beaver Fever saw them hold off Tri-City before inexplicably falling to Queen City. This inconsistency could threaten their playoff chances. (4 / 34)
5. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)	+1	After some off-season adjusting, Thunder have been on a roll. Great showings at Beaver Fever and Spring Roll (including upset wins over Calgary and Queen City) has Tri-City back in the Top 5. (5/54)
6. Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	-1	While briefly in D1 position, losses at Spring Roll (most notably to Tri-City) send them just out of the Top 5. Calgary has plateaued a bit after a surge up the rankings. (8 / 43)
7.Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)	–	Quebec’s travel team is just getting warmed up but holds its spot after a better result against Bangor than Muddy River had. Their upcoming showdown with the Lumbersmacks should be explosive.  (11 / -)
8. Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)	+1	Muddy River keeps climbing after a second place finish at the grueling Mayday Mayhem tournament, where they defeated Winnipeg in the semifinals. (10 / -)
9. All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)	unranked	Winnipeg finally enters the Top 10 after an impressive final-four appearance at Mayday Mayhem that helped improve their season record to 4-2 (all sanctioned play). (13 / -)
10. Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby)	-2	The Anarchy Angels remain in the Top 10 after a dominant performance at Flat Track Fever including a win over E-Ville. They are 5-0 on the season with an average differential of 250 points. (9/ -)

The Power Rankings had anticipated an end to Montreal New Skids on the Block’s all-time Canadian winning streak, and it finally happened in April. After coming back to take a narrow 9-point win over Toronto at home in Montreal, the Skids headed out west to the Big O where Terminal City had its chance. They took advantage. It was an intense, back-and-forth game that Vancouver was able to win on the final jam, 182-177. It ended a 17-game winning streak dating back to 2008 for Montreal and the results have the Power Rankings Crew holding the top three.

Rideau Valley also was able to hold on to its fourth spot with an up-and-down performance at Beaver Fever that included a solid 186-156 win over Tri-City. Speaking of Tri-City, Thunder returns to the Top 5 on a strong run at both Beaver Fever and Spring Roll that saw them upset Queen City and then Calgary. That loss is what sends Calgary tumbling a spot. The CRDA All Stars had briefly jumped into WFTDA’s Division 1, before slipping back to D2 where they hold a strong playoff position should they remain there.

While Les Duchesses barely hold the 7th spot, they will continue their burgeoning rivalry with Muddy River this summer, who has crept up next to them in the Power Rankings after a second-place performance at the Mayday Mayhem tournament in Colorado, where they knocked off Canadian counterparts Winnipeg (who are entering the Top 10 for the first time after a long time on the Watch List and then on the Bubble). As with Muddy River, expect a big WFTDA rankings debut for Winnipeg. Finally, Mainland Misfits Anarchy Angels are hard to judge as they have yet to truly face a challenge so far in 2015, but an impressive (dominant) run at Flat Track Fever keeps them safely in the Top 10.

On The Bubble

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby) (12th)

Avalanche City Roller Girls (Fernie Roller Derby Society) (17th)

Brute-Leggers (Royal City Roller Girls) (19th)

We’ve still got a long watch list to keep track of as the season progresses but there are three teams who remain directly on the Bubble. E-Ville, in particular, held off a strong challenge from Avalanche City at Flat Track Fever (keeping them both here on the Bubble), and finally Guelph’s Royal City Brute-Leggers started the season with an unsanctioned loss to Toronto’s Bay Street Bruisers only to go on a 3-0 run in their WFTDA sanctioned debut, securing an impressive initial ranking of 105th.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Get caught up by reading the April Power Rankings here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Lay of the Land: Where Canadian Teams Stand Midway Through WFTDA Season

The Nerd breaks down the rankings and records of Canada’s top WFTDA teams as the playoff push continues.

DIVISION 1

All four Canadian D1 teams have seen considerable action this season, and at the midway point, all seem fairly secure in their D1 status for the season. Barring any disastrous summers, the next few months should be dedicated to improving placement.

Terminal City All Stars

Current Ranking: 17^th / 2015 Record: 4-0

Terminal City is officially the top team in the nation, but they have not in any way distanced themselves from Montreal and Toronto. Impressive wins over Helsinki and Nashville to kick off the season were followed by the narrow streak-stopping victory over Montreal (182-177) and an even narrower win over Boston (177-174). Interestingly, despite the loss to Vancouver, Montreal has better results against Nashville and Helsinki, and Toronto has a better result against Boston but lost (barely) to Montreal. It seems that there is nothing really separating Canada’s top three teams right now.

The Terminal City roster returns largely unchanged from last season but there have definitely been internal shifts, with the likes of Eve Hollows and Sundown taking on more on-track leadership and Maiden Sane rising to the top of the jammer rotation.

Next up for Terminal City are Wasatch (39th) and Rocky Mountain (14th) at Besterns on May 29^th.

Montreal Roller Derby: New Skids on the Block

Current Ranking: 20^th / 2015 Record: 4-1

Montreal started the season very well holding off frantic pushes from both Rideau Valley (166-140) and Toronto (180-171) before handling Nashville and Helsinki with relative ease and then suffering the team’s first ever defeat to a Canadian team in the last-minute loss to Terminal City.

Montreal is going through a minor rebuild this season from the bench staff right through to the jammer rotation. And while skaters like Ohi(0) and Demanda Lashing in the pack and Falcon Punch with the star have emerged as prominent pieces, there is still a very experienced core at the heart of this team that includes Jess Bandit, Mange Moi El Cul, Cheese Grater and Mel E. Juana.

The Skids have a busy June coming up with tough games against Boston (21st), Stockholm (32nd), and a tumbling Windy City (13th) scheduled.

Toronto Roller Derby: CN Power

Current Ranking: 24^th / 2015 Record: 4-3

Toronto has been very busy so far this season and despite a considerable roster shuffle in the off season has looked strong in 2015. An impressive three-game winning streak over Rideau Valley, Steel City and Boston built up CN Power’s confidence going into a showdown with long-time rival Montreal, a game they led most of the way before losing narrowly. An up-and-down Spring Roll saw them sneak by Kansas City (191-188) before strong performances in losses to higher ranked Arch Rival (18^th currently) and the surging Dallas Derby Devils, who have jumped 31 spots in the standings so far this season.

Toronto, largely, has a new-look jammer rotation with transfers Mad Megz, Smoka Cola, and Bay Street Bruisers graduate Bellefast all in the top four of the depth chart. Blocking, Misery Mae has added some much-needed power to the pack while Ames to Kill has emerged as a more-than-capable team leader.

Toronto faces some old (and also rebuilding) rivals in Naptown (35th) and Ohio (22nd) next.

Rideau Valley Vixens

Current Ranking: 34^th / 2015 Record: 3-4

The Vixens remain somewhat of an enigma. Although their record speaks to the quality of competition the team has faced in 2015, they have had some inconsistent results. Starting the season with a big win over Steel City, Rideau Valley looked very good in losses to the higher ranked Toronto (32 point loss), Boston (23) and Montreal (26), they then crushed Green Mountain and held off a cagey Tri-City before coming up flat in a loss to Queen City (a team that, to be fair, has often seemed to baffle the Vixens—for whatever reason).

While the Vixens have been slowly extending their bench (and the B-Team Sirens are developing well), depth remains a problem. Skaters like Jamie’s Got a Gun (who has transitioned nicely from the junior to the senior game) and Restless Ross are taking on more responsibility in the pack, but they still have problems at the jammer position. With Shania Pain once again missing most of the summer schedule, they have yet to find a consistent third jammer capable of replacing her at this level, a gap that was evident in the loss to Queen City.

The Vixens do, so far, have a quiet summer planned, but have a very important showdown scheduled against Baltimore’s Charm City in July.

DIVISION 2

Canada has two teams securely in Division 2 playoff spots, and although both would love to advance to D1 by the season’s end (and it remains a possibility), either team could do some serious damage in the D2 playoffs and would both be considered contenders if they remained.

Calgary Roller Derby Association All Stars

Current Ranking: 43^rd / 2015 Record: 3-6

A very busy Calgary team is getting a crash-course in how hard it is to stay competitive in WFTDA’s Division 1. The darlings of the Association last season (built upon a record-setting surge up the standings), Calgary briefly slipped into D1 early in 2015 before settling back high in the D2 standings. Calgary hasn’t yet managed the big wins this season as they’ve faced some stiff competition, losing one-sided decisions to strong teams from Arizona, Jacksonville, Arch Rival and Dallas. However, most surprising was their recent loss to 54^th ranked Tri-City (208-196) in a thrilling game between the cross-nation teams.

Calgary retains its core after last year’s run up the rankings and their jammer rotation (led by Team Canada’s Kryss Myass) has been shored up by the strong play of Mulan Bruise and Easy Break Oven.

Calgary awaits its schedule for Beach Brawl 2015 in June, and also has yet to announce an opponent for a June 6^th home game.

Tri-City Thunder

Current Ranking: 54^th / 2015 Record: 6-2

After a seemingly ominously auspices start to the 2015 season (a one-sided loss to a rebuilding Ohio), Tri-City has turned its fortunes around and anchored by a solidly rebuilt jammer rotation has won six of the last seven games to all-but-secure a spot in the D2s once again (they were in the D1 playoffs last season, but the D2s in 2013). The only loss in that run was to the higher-ranked Rideau Valley (186-156) and included considerable upsets over Calgary (43^rd) and Queen City (30^th).

Changes all around have helped to shore up Tri-City’s game. Recent transfers Andy Slamberg and Anne Tastic join Fox Hadley, Wylde Leigh Coyote, and Fraxxure in a deep pack, while the jammer rotation has been completely rebuilt around transfers Honey Badger and Crazy Squirrel (with double threat AnneX providing the most consistent relief with the star).

Up next is a tough June meeting against 45^th ranked Chicago Outfit in Chi-town.

THE BEST OF THE REST

The rest of Canada’s WFTDA teams are either currently unranked due to lack of sanctioned games (Muddy River and Winnipeg, for example, who both just picked up a handful of games after strong performances at Mayday Mayhem and will enter the rankings shortly) or have either fallen far out of D2 (Hamilton continues its slide, down now to 141st) or haven’t yet climbed their way into it (Forest City, for example, whose inconsistency has them still hovering at 136th).

However, the best of the rest is easily the Royal City Roller Girls’ Brute-Leggers, who after winning their first three sanctioned bouts, have leap-frogged the rest of the Canadian competition to find themselves ranked 105th and on the cusp of Division 2. The Brute-Leggers’ next sanctioned action comes in June at ECDX where they will square off against Salisbury (107th) and Connecticut (112th). It will easily be the stiffest test the team will have faced yet in sanctioned play, but they are both winnable games that provide a quality opportunity to build on what has been an incredibly successful start to their WFTDA run.

*I’ll be at the Bunker in Downsview Park this weekend working with Rogers TV to broadcast Toronto Roller Derby’s playoffs! After their quarterfinal win on May 9th, the Smoke City Betties have advanced to take on the defending champion Death Track Dolls for an opportunity to play in this year’s Battle For the Boot. The night will begin with the D-VAS hosting Royal City’s Our Ladies of Pain (5:00 PM), with opening whistle for the semifinal scheduled for 7:00 PM. Tickets are now available.

Canadian Power Rankings: April 1, 2015

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Dafone, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months (or so). This is the first Power Ranking of 2015.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1.Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)		Idle thus far in 2015, but Terminal City has seen very little turnover on a team that played its way to the top last season.   (2 / 18)
2. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)		Another untested team thus far in 2015, and one that has seen considerable turnover in the off season. But until there is evidence to the contrary, the Skids hold their spot. (1 / 17)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)		Despite big off-season changes, Toronto kicked off 2015 with three straight wins over quality competition (Boston, Steel City, and Rideau Valley) to hold onto third spot. (3 / 28)
4.Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)		The Vixens come into the season with their roster virtually intact and looked solid with a 1-2 record at Quad City Chaos that included a significant upset over Steel City’s Steel Hurtin’.  (5 / 39)
5. Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)		Calgary surged up the WFTDA (and Power) Rankings last season, and have picked up right where they left off, going 3-1 to kick off 2015 (2-1 in sanctioned play) with a loss to Arizona. (4 / 53)
6. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)		A team in the midst of a rebuild (evidenced by a big loss to a similarly rebuilding Ohio), the Thunder did pick up some nice pieces in the off season and remain a D2 threat. (7/46)
7.Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)		Les Duchesses have picked up right where they left off last season with a one-sided win against Bangor. This team has been on an upward trajectory for a few years now and should be poised to jump even higher. (8 / -)
8. Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby)		No action yet in 2015, so they get the benefit of the doubt and hold their spot. (10 / -)
9. Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)		After skirting the Top 10 for the majority of 2014, Muddy River’s all stars make the leap. They’ve only got one result this season, but it was an impressive one-sided sanctioned win over the Rock Coast Rollers.  (11 / – )
10. Avalanche City Roller Girls (Fernie Roller Derby Society)		A WFTDA apprentice league, Avalanche City makes its Top 10 debut after a 1-1 start to the season including a win over Flat Head Valley and a loss to Snake Pit. (14 / -)

The top two teams in the rankings have not seen any action yet in 2015, but they get the benefit of the doubt. Terminal City ended last season with the strongest, most accomplished roster, and virtually nothing has changed since, so until there is evidence to the contrary, they hold onto top spot. Montreal gets the benefit because, well, they are Montreal. However, in 2014 it was a dog fight to keep their (sanctioned/regulation) undefeated record against Canadian competition and with upwards of seven new faces on the roster this year, they will be challenged to do so again. They’ve got some stiff tests against Rideau Valley and Toronto coming up that should give us a clear picture of how this Skids team will look in 2015.

Toronto, Rideau Valley, and Calgary have all gotten off to strong starts this season and are very tightly bunched from 3-5. Both Rideau and Toronto played in the Quad City Chaos and looked very good, with Toronto running the board, including a convincing 55-point win over 25th ranked Boston. Calgary were the biggest movers and shakers in 2014 and although it will get harder to make those massive leaps in the WFTDA rankings now, they are solidly in a D2 payoff position and based on the strong start to the season (their only loss being to under-ranked Arizona) and a bolstered 2015 roster, they could challenge for a D1 spot when all is said and done.

Tri-City slipped out of D1 last year, and is in the midst of a continued rebuild. They have picked up some transfers that could help bolster their jammer rotation especially, but it remains to be seen how far the Thunder can go this year. However, a strong organizational foundation helps prop up the team. Quebec’s Les Duchesses leap up to their highest spot in the rankings after a one-sided win over Bangor and are followed by the Anarchy Angels (who are the only non-WFTDA affiliated league in the Top 10).

The Top 10 is rounded out by two teams making their Top 10 debuts: both Muddy River’s Lumbersmacks and Fernie’s Avalanche City were on the bubble or certainly on close watch in 2014 and should both make a competitive jump this season. Muddy River is now a full WFTDA league and coming off of their busiest and most challenging season to date, could be set to make some noise in 2015 (and started off the year with their first ever sanctioned win). Similarly, a newly appointed WFTDA Apprentice, Avalanche City, looks to be finally making the jump into more competitive territory in 2015.

**A few things to note: Perennial Top 10ers Red Deer’s Belladonnas have ceased operation after the 2014 season, although some of the roster have dispersed to other leagues. We’re sorry to see the team go, but wish the skaters the best of luck in their new endeavors. Also, The Rankings Crew has decided not to include Alliston’s Misfit Militia this season. Not a knock on this team’s excellent training and commitment, but just that a vast majority of the members of their roster play in other leagues, with a considerable number now on the already-ranked Toronto team.

TEAMS TO WATCH IN 2015

Teams may come and go on this list as the season progresses, but to kick things off, these are the teams that are making the most noise on the Ranking Crew’s radars, representing a threat to crack the Top 10 at some point (with Rollergirl.ca rankings in parentheses):

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby) (13th)

Sugar Skulls (Pile ‘O Bones Derby Club) (15th)

All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League) (16th)

Shipyard Sirens (Fog City Rollers) (18th)

Deadlies (Tournament City Derby Dolls)   (19th)

Brute-Leggers (Royal City Roller Girls) (20th)

Timber Rollers (Forest City Derby Girls) (23rd)

Mind Fox (Saskatoon Roller Derby League) (26th)

Rated PG Rollergirls (29th)

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2015

Each year, the Rankings Crew likes to point out some skaters that may fly under the radar but deserve some extra attention and could be primed for breakout years.

First up, out west there are a couple of Calgary skaters who could help put that team over the top in 2015. Taz may not be so new a name to fans of Canadian roller derby (she was a member of Team Canada in 2011 while with Red Deer), but now on Calgary, this strong, agile skater will get a chance to shine on a grand stage as part of Calgary’s impressive jammer rotation. Similarly, her teammate at CRDA, Knox Hersoxoff, is a blocker poised for a breakout season. One of new Top 10 teams, Avalanche City, also has a skater to watch in the explosive Jenna Jammerson. Jenna’s been around for a few years, but with Avalanche City now a WFTDA Apprentice league, look for her profile to rise. Similarly, fast-climbing Anarchy Angels boast a solid double threat in Mala Justed, a strong all-around skater who will benefit from the Angels’ increased level of competition.

In the east, Tri-City Roller Derby has picked up a few new skaters including Crazy Squirrel. After playing for a variety of leagues in southern Ontario, this jukey jammer has now landed at Tri-City and will have an opportunity to shine on a considerable stage. Another team to watch, the Brute-Leggers, features an impressive blocker in Allie Artuso. A third-year skater with a background in figure skating, look out for this smart, agile blocker (with definite jamming capabilities), known for playing well above her size. Toronto’s CN Power has a new-look jammer rotation filled with excellent transfers that will undoubtedly turn heads, but we’re going off the board a little for this pick: Sleeper Hold. Although a B-team skater at present (with ToRD’s impressive Bay Street Bruisers), Sleeper Hold is arguably the future of Toronto Roller Derby’s offense. She’s got all the tools: size, strength, smarts and a calm focus on the track. And finally, although Muddy River’s Burnie is well known to fans on the east coast, look out for this super-fit, multi-position skater to turn heads all across the country as the Lumbersmacks continue their ascent up the WFTDA ladder.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Can’t remember how last year ended? Read the final Canadian Power Rankings of 2014 here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: December 1, 2014

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months. Read the August 1st Power Rankings here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1.Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	+1	It’s happened. A new team at the top of the power rankings for the first time ever. After absolutely dominating the West Coast Dust Up, Terminal City lost a hard-fought game against Rat City in the first round of the WFTDA playoffs followed by two big consolation round wins and another nail-biter, a 26-point loss to Tampa to close out their season. After their narrow loss to Montreal at ECDX, it seemed like only a matter of time. (2 / 18).
2. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	-1	After fighting off challenges all season, the Skids finally slip a single spot in the rankings. Yet another heartbreaking playoff loss (by a single point to their rivals from Charm City) was followed by an impressive run through the consolation bracket.  (1 / 17)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	–	A challenging season for Toronto was capped off with a nice playoff win over Steel City in the 7th place consolation game in their division. After a strong start, inconsistencies plagued CN Power all season. (4 / 27)
4.Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	+2 (6)	After a record-setting climb up the WFTDA rankings ladder, where they now sit in a D2 playoff position, Calgary continues its climb up the power rankings as well. A perfect 12-0 season (8-0 in sanctioned play) was capped by a stunning performance at the Maple Stir Up in August that included a win over D2 finalists Rideau Valley.  (3 / 57)
5. Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	–	The Vixens topped off a strong season with a thrilling run through the WFTDA D2 playoffs, falling in the final to a mighty Detroit team for only their second loss on a 10-2 season. (5 / 36)
6. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Rller Derby)	-2 (4)	The Thunder had a busy 2014 that saw them compile a 9-9 record that reflects some of the highs and lows they encountered this season. A 5-point win over Oklahoma in their final consolation round playoff game took away some of the sting after back-to-back blow out losses to Montreal and Arch Rival. This is the first time the Thunder have slipped out of the top five. (7/44)
7.Misfit Militia (Misfit Militia Roller Derby)	–	Although the enigmatic Misfit Militia had a quiet year, they looked very impressive when they did play. The only blemish on their 7-1 record was a season-opening loss to the Vixens. They capped off the year by picking up their second-straight victory over ToRD’s Bay Street Bruisers. (6 / -)
8. Belladonnas (Red Deer Roller Derby Association)	+1 (9)	After a late re-entry into the rankings this year, the Belladonnas move up another spot. Their loss to Calgary this season after four straight wins over CRDA dating back to 2011 signaled a power shift in the Canadian West. The team finished a quiet 2014 with a 3-3 record. (8 / -)
9.  Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)	+1 (10)	Les Duchesses went 7-0 this season with an average margin of victory of 200 points against a lot of teams that only a short time ago would have been considered their equals. Back-to-back wins against Muddy River this summer remain a season highlight for this team from Quebec. (10/ -)
10. Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits Roller Derby)	unranked	Welcome to the power rankings Anarchy Angels! After being on the “Teams to Watch” list all season, Mainland Misfits’ all stars finally debut after compiling a 6-3 record this season (primarily through July and August), with two of their losses coming to the power-ranked Belladonnas and Terminal City (against whom they managed to notch 119 points). (12 / – )

The debate has raged all year. And after a season in which they seemed to repel onslaught after onslaught against their status as the top team in the country, the Terminal City All Stars have slipped ahead of Montreal’s New Skids on the Block to take top spot in the final power rankings of 2014. Consistent performances all year long and an ever-strengthening roster that seems as if it still has more time to continue to develop has made this team a national powerhouse with staying power. Both Vancouver and Toronto were nipping at Montreal’s heels to start the season, but while CN Power faded, Terminal City continued to flourish.

Calgary was the biggest mover and shaker yet again, concluding the season they same way they started it: winning big games. This team seems to have it all, depth in the pack and an explosive jammer rotation, and will be the recipients of even more depth as veteran skater Taz from perennial Top 10ers, the Belladonnas, will be transferring there for next season. She is one of at least two transfers parting ways with Red Deer next season, leaving the Belladonnas with some questions about their roster.

The lone debutantes on the list are the Mainland Misfits’ Anarchy Angels, a team that the rankings crew has been watching for quite a while now. They leap into the rankings based as much on the tumble of some other teams, namely Hammer City, as the strength of their own season, which was solid, but lacked some comparable competition.

ON THE BUBBLE

Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)

It was truly a great season for Muddy River, who made some brave forays into Quebec and Ontario this year on road trips that may not have led to victory, but were undeniably valuable nonetheless. They finished 2014 with a 9-6 record, including a dominating performance at the 2014 Slay Of Fundy where they managed to distance themselves a bit from their chief east-coast rivals, Fog City with a 228-127 win. As undisputed queens of the Maritimes, Muddy River will need to continue its travels to ensure the level of competition they will need to keep building itself up. They picked up a lot of momentum this season that they will hopefully build on in 2015.

TEAMS TO WATCH

All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)

Sugar Skulls (Pile ‘O Bones Derby Club)

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby)

Avalanche City Roller Girls (Fernie Roller Derby Society)

Mind Fox (Saskatoon Roller Derby League)

These are basically the teams we’ve been watching all season and we will continue to do so to see if they can build on some advances made this year or overcome some inconsistencies. Former Top 10ers, the Mind Fox, return to the list after briefly falling from our radar.

PLAYERS WE WATCHED

At the beginning of the season, we listed five players to watch, players we thought might have a big impact on their teams. Thinking that Calgary was due for a big season, we pointed out two of their jammers to watch and both have had an impressive 2014. Easy Break Oven and Kris Myass were solid this year, with Kris perhaps earning the nod as the biggest standout of the bunch, perhaps even in the country as a whole, leading her team’s offense through their impressive first season in the WFTDA, while also earning herself a spot on Team Canada; she seems to be working her way up the depth chart on that team as well and look for her to be a key piece of the Canadian jammer rotation at this week’s Roller Derby World Cup.

We thought it may have been a similar story for Toronto’s Rainbow Fight, and it started out that way. She was dominant in a pre-season game against Team Ontario and then again in the WFTDA season opener against Killamazoo despite the fact that she suffered a lacerated kidney in that game. The injury kept her out for the duration of the season, and she is now taking some time away from the sport.

We also picked two skaters from Tri-City to watch, and while Meow Wallace was a steady presence in her team’s pack, Fraxxure, the team’s co-captain, emerged as one of the Thunder’s top blockers, logging heavy minutes all season but particularly in the playoffs when it mattered most.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Read the Canadian Power Rankings 2014 preview here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: August 1, 2014

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months. Read the June 1st Power Rankings here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	–	Sometimes experience can overcome everything else. Despite finally slipping to second in both the Canadian Rankings and WFTDA (one spot behind Terminal City), the Skids keep overcoming the odds and winning when they need to. Their 199-177 victory over Terminal City at ECDX allows them to maintain their power ranking lead. However, they looked inconsistent in a blowout loss to Victorian followed by a strong showing against Windy City.  (2 / 19).
2. Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	–	Vancouver enters the  WFTDA playoffs as the top Canadian team by virtually every metric out there except on: wins and losses. Terminal City’s only loss in the last three months has come against the Skids, but they are most recently coming off of solid wins against Boston and Houston.  (1 / 18)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	–	After an inconsistent start to the season (including a nine-game losing streak), Toronto had knocked off three wins in a row before a fairly one-sided loss to Charm City (282-146) ended the streak. They seem to be reeling as they prepare for playoffs, but last season came together when it mattered most, so don’t count them out just yet. (3 / 23)
4. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Roller Derby)	–	Since the last Power Rankings, Tri-City has knocked off three-straight wins (including a crushing 281-67 win over former D1ers Bleeding Heartland) and, of course, became the fourth Canadian team to qualify for the D1 Playoffs, thereby missing out on their own party.  (4 / 40)
5. Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	–	The Vixens have only played two games since the last Power Rankings, but they were both solid wins over NEO and Green Mountain that allowed them to continue their meteoric rise up the D2 standings. They will have the pleasure of being the first Canadian team to play a playoff game on home soil, and are positioned well for a solid run through the D2 playoffs. (5 / 48)
6.Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	+1 (7)	The reality of the WFTDA slog has seen Calgary slip back a  bit after a ferocious start. Nonetheless, they have continued to impress against Canadian competition, winning three in a row against tough teams in the Kannibelles, The Belladonnas and Winnipeg. They’ll have a chance to live up to this ranking this weekend at the Maple Stir-Up.  (7/105)
7.Misfit Militia (Misfit Militia Roller Derby)	+1 (8)	The Misfit Militia continue to baffle. With sometimes seemingly makeshift rosters, the team continues to compete at an incredibly high level. Although they’ve only played once since the last rankings, that game was a monstrous 441-97 win over Forest City. There still doesn’t seem to be much interest in making the leap to the WFTDA, so they may be hard pressed to get many games with top-level competition. (8 / -)
8. The Eh! Team (Hammer City Roller Girls)	-2 (6)	In 2013, Hammer City was one of the hottest teams in the WFTDA. Unfortunately, that hasn’t completely carried over to 2014. Although still favourably ranked in D2, Hammer City has lost all seven of its sanctioned bouts this year by increasingly larger margins. They will be in tough this weekend at their first ever Maple Stir Up tournament, but will have a chance to redeem themselves on their home track. (20 / 83)
9. Belladonnas (Red Deer Roller Derby Association)	Unranked	The perennial Top 10ers were late to the party this season, but are back and sneak into the Top 10. Tough losses to Treasure Valley and Calgary (despite solid offensive performances) should harden them for the rest of the season. (9 / -)
10. Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)	(-)	Les Duchesses were able to hold off another hot team in Muddy River in a home-and-home series that allows them to retain their spot. From the bottom up, this remains an organization on the rise and certainly one to watch as a potential new consistent Canadian powerhouse. (12 / – )

With Hammer City’s historic Maple Stir Up coming up this weekend, the Rankings Crew decided to stagger the release of this month’s Power Rankings. While there wasn’t much change, what there was, was significant. Notably, Calgary jumps two spots based on the Power Rankings Crew’s prediction of a strong showing at the tournament in Hamilton.

Speaking of Maple Stir Up, Hammer City, the hosts, tumble two spots based on increasingly inconsistent play and another long losing streak. The Belladonnas return to action and to the Top 10, knocking out the injury-riddled and roster-shuffling Sugar Skulls, who may have some rebuilding to do. Les Duchesses faced off twice against a bubble team, the Muddy River Rollers, and won both games, if not definitively, then certainly close to that. Finally, the Kootenay Kannibelles are hanging up their skates for the season, so slip from the list for now.

ON THE BUBBLE

Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)

All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)

Sugar Skulls (Pile ‘O Bones Derby Club)

The Sugar Skulls have had some roster adjustments recently, and it remains to be seen how the teams respond. Nonetheless, they have proven resilient in the past and remain on the Bubble. Both Winnipeg and Muddy River continue to impress, but each missed opportunities to climb into the Top 10 after suffering losses to ranked opponents.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits)

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby)

Arch Angels (St. Albert Heavenly Rollers)

Avalanche City Roller Girls (Fernie Roller Derby Society)

Not much change here, except to see the addition of Fernie’s Avalanche City, which has been a hard working team in 2014, compiling an impressive 13-4 record that includes a current six-game winning streak.

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Read the Canadian Power Rankings preview and explanation here.

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Canadian Power Rankings: June 1, 2014

Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, Dr. Jenny Fever and Derby Nerd rank Canada’s top A-level travel teams every two months. Read the April 1st Power Rankings here.

TEAM (League)	CHANGE	NOTES (Rollergirl.ca /WFTDA rank)
1. New Skids on the Block (Montreal Roller Derby)	–	By the narrowest of margins, the Skids retain top spot. They got roughed up against stiff competition on a recent West Coast road trip, but have also picked up victories over Boston and, most importantly, a 63-point win over a Toronto team that had pushed them to the limit earlier in the season. An ECDX matchup with prime contenders Terminal City is looming. (2 / 12).
2. Terminal City All Stars (Terminal City Roller Girls)	+1	Vancouver has completely swapped places with Toronto, and as CN Power did earlier in the season, Terminal City seems on the verge of knocking the Skids off of top spot. Terminal City had a rough time against top competition at the Tinseltown Showdown, but looked strong in defeat, and used the experience to roll over their competition at the Big O (including a narrow win over the Oly Rollers, a team who also narrowly beat Montreal). (1 / 37)
3.CN Power (Toronto Roller Derby)	-1	After an explosive end to 2013 and a surging start to 2014, Toronto seemed to take its foot of the gas for a bit, suffering some big losses on a nine-game losing streak. However, they seem to have begun to pull themselves back up, rattling off three-straight wins, including one-sided victories over Cincinnati and Jet City at Spring Roll. They’ve slipped just below Vancouver and Montreal, but remain well above the rest of the competition. (3 / 23)
4. Tri-City Thunder (Tri-City Roller Derby)	–	The Thunder have had an up-and-down 2014, sporting a 5-7 record based on some inconsistent wins/losses. However, they went 2-2 with a tough schedule at Spring Roll and notched victories over Glasgow and Big Easy. They remain on the cusp of the WFTDA D1 playoffs; it’s going to come down to the wire. (6 / 40)
5. Rideau Valley Vixens (Rideau Valley Roller Girls)	–	Despite massive league-overhauls and the rebuilding of the house league, the Vixens continue to roll along fairly consistently. They are undefeated so far in 2014 (4-0) and are currently on a three-game WFTDA winning streak with victories over DC, Maine, and Roc City. A D-2 playoff spot is tantalizingly within reach. (5 / 64)
6.The Eh! Team (Hammer City Roller Girls)	+2 (8)	Hammer City has picked up 2014 right where they left off 2013: surging up the WFTDA rankings. They made another recent 11-spot jump based on solid performances in losses to higher ranked teams in Fort Wayne, Bleeding Heartland and Paper Valley. A D2 playoff spot may be out of reach for this season, but the steady improvements show that it is just a matter of time. (10 / 78)
7.Calgary All Stars (Calgary Roller Derby Association)	-1 (6)	While Calgary has a busy summer ahead, they’ve been relatively quiet since the last rankings, with only one closer-than-expected victory over the Kannibelles to base our opinions on. However, this remains a team to watch. (11 / 91)
8. Misfit Militia (Misfit Militia Roller Derby)	-1 (7)	Things have gone silent from the Militia recently as well, and the dearth of top-level competition scheduled for them this summer means that they will not have much of a body of work to base a ranking on. They are a team loaded with talent, but without much of a competitive push, they slip a spot in the rankings. (8 / – )
9. Sugar Skulls (Pile O’ Bones Derby Club)	(-)	Welcome back to the party Regina! Last seen in these parts in August of last year, the team returns to the Top 10 on the back of a 5-2 record and impressive wins over former Top 10ers in the Mind Fox and most impressively the Kannibelles (194-80) at Spokarnage. (12 / -)
10. Les Duchesses (Roller Derby Quebec)		It’s about time to stop underestimating this team, and really, this league as a whole. While they have yet to face off against truly high level competition this season, they have absolutely destroyed everyone they have faced. They’ve also had considerable success at the house league level showing that this is a travel team with a truly solid foundation. An upcoming home-and-home series against bubble team Muddy River could solidify this spot in the Top 10. (14 / – )

This month’s Power Rankings were defined by long discussions and some tough decisions. As with Toronto at the end of last season and beginning of this one, Vancouver’s Terminal City could arguably have stolen the top spot and has now emerged as the greatest threat to Montreal’s long-time dominance of Canadian roller derby. Terminal City was able to narrowly defeat the Oly Rollers, only to have Montreal fall to the former champs from Olympia a week later. However, taking into considering some roster changes and other factors we’ve got Montreal (barely) holding on to Top Spot. Currently, there seems to be zero statistical difference between these two teams. Luckily for Canadian derby fans, the two teams themselves will solve this debate when they meet at ECDX later this month.

Toronto rounds out the top three remaining well ahead of Tri-City and Rideau Valley (who round out the Top 5). One thing the Rankings Crew has noted is that the top three teams in Canada are currently well above the competition, humming along at a completely different level right now than anyone else in the country. All three teams have played, quite literally, the best there is in the world this season, which is keeping them at that heightened competitive level.

Tri-City and Rideau Valley also led to quite a bit of debate in rounding out the Top 5, as the Thunder have waned ever-so slightly while the Vixens just seem to be heating up. However, Tri-City holds its spot based on the calibre of competition they have been facing. Hammer City, Calgary and Misfit Militia juggle spots a bit in the middle but remain solidly in position, but things have changed at the bottom.

Regina’s Sugar Skulls (representing the Pile O’ Bones Derby Club) returns to the Top 10 after nearly a year-long absence, quite literally knocking the Kannibelles out of the Top 10 with their victory over them at Spokarnage.

ON THE BUBBLE

Lumbersmacks (Muddy River Rollers)

Anarchy Angels (Mainland Misfits)

Kootenay Kannibelles (West Kootenay Roller Derby)

Moncton’s Lumbersmacks remain on the bubble, but are now joined by a handful of other teams. The Kannibelles find themselves here after just barely slipping out of the Top 10; the Anarchy Angels have been on our radar for quite some time, and are still under scrutiny but have yet to face (or defeat) a high-enough level of competition to make the leap.

TEAMS TO WATCH

All Stars (Winnipeg Roller Derby League)

E-Ville Dead (E-Ville Roller Derby)

Belladonnas (Red Deer Roller Derby Association)

Arch Angels (St. Albert Heavenly Rollers)

 

As the season wears on, the Crew has narrowed its Teams to Watch list. Winnipeg has been on this list for quite a while, and we’re just waiting to see how they respond to some stiffer competition than they have currently faced. The Belladonnas have been perennial Top 10ers, but some roster changes and uncertainty have caused them to slip; nonetheless, they remain on the radar. On the other side of the coin is E-Ville Dead: once considered a top team in the nation, the league has gone through a bit of a rebuild but is beginning to climb once again. Also jumping onto the radar after a second-place performance at Flat Track Fever are St. Albert’s Arch Angels.

 

*These rankings were compiled by the Derby Nerd, Captain Lou El Bammo, Dick Pounder, and Dr. Jenny Fever.

*Read the Canadian Power Rankings preview and explanation here.

 

-Respectful disagreement and debate is encouraged!-

Weekend Results: Canada’s WFTDA Teams Have Up-and-Down Weekend

It was a busy weekend for Canada’s WFTDA teams, with most of Canada’s top teams spread out across the continent for important regular season matchups.

Both Toronto and Tri-City had busy weekends at Fort Wayne’s Spring Roll

Montreal Roller Derby: New Skids on the Block

Montreal had to have hit the West Coast with high expectations, especially after Vancouver’s Terminal City was able to knock off one of their opponents, the Oly Rollers, last weekend. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Canada’s top team went 0-3 against incredibly tough competition in Rat, Rose and Oly. The losses will affect their WFTDA rankings (although they lost only 3.6 points on Flattrackstats on the weekend), but the loss to lesser ranked Rat and Oly, especially, shows that they still have a lot of work to do before season’s end to finally attain that goal of making Champs.

Montreal (12^th) 124 vs. Rat City (18^th) 202

Montreal 109 vs. Rose City (5^th) 306

Montreal 174 vs. Oly (14^th) 230

Toronto Roller Derby: CN Power

Toronto entered the weekend on a massive 8-game slide, and were looking for some positives heading into a busy summer. Things started off rough on Saturday against a tough Jacksonville team whose incredibly fast and agile jammers ran roughshod over the team. However, Toronto found their form against lesser opponents as the weekend went on, handling a strong Jet City with ease before crushing Cincinnati to close out Spring Roll (it’s hard to believe this Cinci. team beat Toronto a year ago). They were confidence-boosting wins that the team needed as it looks to shore up a favourable playoff spot.

Toronto (23^rd) 116 vs. Jacksonville (16^th) 243

Toronto 235 vs. Jet City (36^th) 86

Toronto 370 vs. Cincinnati (56^th) 83

Tri-City Roller Derby: Tri-City Thunder

The Thunder headed to Spring Roll hoping to improve their tenuous hold on a Division 1 playoff spot; unfortunately, things didn’t necessarily go as planned. Given a favourable draw for the weekend, Tri-City did go 2-2 for the tournament, but the results were not quite as expected. The wins came against a D-2 non-playoff team (Big Easy) and a D-3 team (Glasgow, though due to lack of high-level competition, Glasgow’s ranking is probably far too low), but both wins were within 40 points. The loss to Jet City, despite being ranked below the Everett-based team, was a missed opportunity to knock of a low-ranked D-1 team, and the upset loss to a determined Chicago Outfit team just trying to qualify for the D-2 playoffs had to have hurt.

Tri-City (40^th) 148 vs. Jet City (36^th) 178

Tri-City 190 vs. Glasgow (104^th) 175

Tri-City 176 vs. Big Easy (82^nd) 137

Tri-City 124 vs. Chicago Outfit (65^th) 161

Division 2 and Division 3 Action

The Rideau Valley Vixens headed to the East Coast to take on Maine’s Port Authorities in a very important D-2 showdown between two teams who have made significant jumps early in 2014, and the Vixens came away with the win: another step in securing a D-2 playoff spot.

Rideau Valley (64^th) 192 vs. Maine (72^nd) 160

Closer to home, the GTA Rollergirls G-sTARs hosted Alliston’s Renegade Derby Dames Striking Vikings in WFTDA action. This was the second sanctioned bout for the G-sTARs after a loss to London’s Timber Rollers to kick off the season. It was the first ever sanctioned game for the Striking Vikings. It was an incredibly tight game, especially in the first half (the Vikings had a 12-point lead at the break). Some excellent half-time adjustments for the G-sTARs saw the hosts take a lead early in the second that they were able to hold onto for the remainder of the game. Neither team has yet to be ranked (they must play three sanctioned games for an initial ranking), but both will be looking to make inroads into D-3 before the season is over.

GTA (-) 144 vs. Renegade Derby Dames (-) 112