That team is the Northern Conference leading Rapid City Rush. 

In what was the closest poll of the 2009-10 season, the Rush earned one more point than the Jackalopes and two more first place votes, coming just days after beating the Jackalopes this past weekend in back-to-back games. 

Odessa has been voted the best all year long, earning the No. 1 spot in each of the first seven polls of the season.  The Rush are a league-best 17-2-3 since Christmas and currently have a four-point lead over the No. 3 team in the poll, the Colorado Eagles, for first place in the North.  The expansion Allen Americans remain the No. 4 team sitting just one point behind the Eagles in the most recent poll. 
Click HERE to view the entire Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll.
The results for the No. 5-No. 7 spots is remarkably tight as just one point separates each slot, furthering showing the competitive balance in the league this season.  The defending CHL Champion Texas Brahmas received 75 points, good for the No. 5 spot, followed by Bossier-Shreveport (No. 6 with 74 points) and Laredo (No. 7 with 73 points). 

The Mississippi RiverKings dropped one spot to No. 8 and as was the case in the last poll, the Corpus Christi IceRays and Tulsa Oilers round out the Top 10.  No team rose or fell more than one spot in the poll.
The Rush received eight of the possible 15 first place votes followed by Rapid City who garnered six first place mentions and the Colorado Eagles who received one vote for the top spot (teams are unable to vote for themselves).
View the entire Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll at www.centralhockeyleague.com.
The CHL Top 10 Coaches Poll will be released on or near the beginning and middle of each month through the regular season.  Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn nine points, etc.