To say the Moncton Wildcats are having a better season than its previous 2007-08 campaign would be an understatement.

The team has gone from worst to first in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) standings and has yet to drop a game in regulation.

With a record of 16-0-2, the red-hot Wildcats surpassed the 1972-73 Quebec Remparts for the best-ever start to the season in QMJHL history. Eight weeks into the season the team is also ranked as the second best squad in the Canadian Hockey League, trailing only the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.

Like any success story, there are a combination of factors involved, which for this year's Wildcats team include Yukon hockey stars Ted Stephens and Jordan Lane, who are both playing key roles on the club.

"It's pretty crazy, going from last to first place," said Stephens, who is a second-year member of the team. "All our guys want to win and everyone works hard, so that's a good thing. I think everyone in the league is looking at us as one of the best teams, so it's nice."

Thanks in part to his hard work in the off season, the second-line centre has enjoyed a stellar start to the season, which began in the team's opening game against the P.E.I. Rocket.

Stephens finished with a hat trick in the season opener and hasn't slowed down since. He currently has seven goals and eight assists, which ties him for third place in club scoring and is just one point away from second.

This is a significant improvement for Stephens, who finished with two goals and three assists in 2007-08 and saw limited playing time for the first half of the season.

He has been one of the regular starters since last December when the Wildcats traded seven of the club's older players for youth and draft picks, opening up spots for a number of other players including Stephens.

Lane has yet to score for the Wildcats, but Stephens said he is fitting in nicely on the team.

"He's working out great," Stephens said. "He's a big guy that uses his size well and is tough as nails."

Stephens, who suffered a shoulder injury in late October, said the team has won its last nine games and hopes to be back in the lineup for Saturday's tilt against the Halifax Mooseheads.

"You always want to be out there playing with your teammates," Stephens said. "I'm anxious to get back in."

Stephens practiced on the ice this week and said the injury is improving every day.

Despite the injury, he said this has been the most enjoyable season as a hockey player and hopes the team's success carries over into the playoffs.

"We have had such a good start that guys are starting to believe we can go really far," Stephens said. "We will keep working hard and see what happens."

Danny Flynn, the Wildcats' head coach and director of hockey operations, said he knew the team was good, but didn't expect them to get off to such a quick start.

"Never in junior hockey can you project development, how quickly kids are going to progress," he said. "You are hopeful, but it's hard to project that. We are a fortunate that we have a number of guys that are really progressing rapidly and really growing as players and it's exciting to watch."

Flynn said the team plans on re-evaluating where they stand in early December and could add a more experienced forward and defenceman to the mix around Christmas.

He said both Yukon players on the squad have worked out really well for the organization.

"We are two for two," Flynn said. "We have had two players come out in the last two years and hopefully good things happen in threes."