When the NHL’s rules changed after the 2004 work stoppage, so too did the typical belief that you had to have size to play the game at that level. When once the Martin St. Louis’ of the world were an exception, that size of player has become more commonplace in the NHL, think of Johnny Gaudreau. In order to make this fantastic list of CHL stars, you had to be at or under the height requirement of 5-foot-9.

Here are the best of the CHL’s smaller brand of players.

10. Ryan Moore (Flint Firebirds) 5-foot-8, 168 pounds

Moore has flourished under the tutelage of Flint’s new bench bosses Ryan Oulahen and Eric Wellwood. He’s an even-strength machine with more than 75 per cent of his point total having been produced in even-strength or worse situations.

9. Petrus Palmu (Owen Sound Attack) 5-foot-7, 172

They say good players make those around them better and that definitely rings true with the Finnish world junior star. The line of Palmu, Kevin Hancock and Jonah Gadjovic is one of the CHL’s best and Palmu is the straw that stirs the drink, scoring and distributing the puck equally.

8. Mason Shaw (Medicine Hat Tigers) 5-foot-9, 180

Shaun Clouston has a penchant for making top notch scorers out of smaller players. Shaw is the latest in that line. He has points in 18 of his last 21 games and most impressively, more than two-thirds of his points have come at even strength or short-handed.

7. Christophe Boivin (Acadie-Bathurst Titan) 5-foot-8, 166

The reigning CHL player of the week, Boivin performs in the most under-cover market in the QMJHL, maybe the entire CHL. The golden helmet wearing Titan are building a championship-contending team that will make everyone take notice beginning with this year’s playoffs. Boivin has been a model of consistency with points in 19 of his last 21, including 10 multi-point efforts.

6. Matthew Phillips (Victoria) 5-foot-6, 141

Told he’d be too small to play in the WHL, Phillips has dispelled that notion for two straight seasons. There’s no substitute for hockey IQ and the Calgary Flames prospect is loaded with it. He’s quick, and slippery and those attributes help him avoid heavy contact. Phillips is not afraid to go to the dirty areas and when he gets a chance to score, he rarely misses.

5. Tyler Wong (Lethbridge Hurricanes) 5-foot-9, 176

Has witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly, in reverse order in his Lethbridge career. Wicked speed to go along with an accurate shot, Wong’s point totals have increased every year in the league. This year he’s added a flair for the dramatic with eight game winners.

4. Adam Mascherin (Kitchener Rangers) 5-foot-9, 197

He was taken under the wing of former Kitchener head coach Mike Van Ryn previous to his draft year, and Mascherin has never looked back. Nabbed in the second round by Florida last June, Mascherin has been asked to carry the offensive load left by the departure of the skillful Jeremy Bracco and has answered the call.

3. Vitalii Abramov (Gatineau Olympiques) 5-foot-9, 170

His infectious smile and passion for the game are evident every time you watch him play. Former coach Benoit Groulx claimed that Abramov is as coachable as any player he’s ever had. Abramov moves well and can shoot it a ton. He has 20 points in nine February games played, including two hat tricks.

2. Jayden Halbgewachs (Moose Jaw Warriors) 5-foot-8, 160

The name is easier to pronounce than it looks, and WHL announcers have had to say it often this season. Halbgewachs had just 15 goals a season ago, now he’s knocking on 50’s doorstep. Halbgewachs plays a ton in Tim Hunter’s system and the coach has been rewarded with a lightning quick dynamic forward who can strike at will.

1. Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters) 5-foot-7, 170

Not drafted into the OHL, Alex DeBrincat is just the second player in OHL history to record three straight 50-goal seasons. He’s done it with and without Connor McDavid, with and without Dylan Strome. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect is as pure a sniper as there is in the CHL right now.