Steinbach Pistons

Steinbach Pistons
CitySteinbach, Manitoba
LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey League
DivisionEast
Founded1988
Home arenaSoutheast Event Centre
ColoursNavy blue, blue, white
     
Owner(s)Steinbach Pistons, Inc.
General managerPaul Dyck
Head coachPaul Dyck
MediaFloSports
Websitesteinbachpistons.ca
Franchise history
1988–1991Southeast Thunderbirds
1991–1992Southeast T-Birds
1992–2007Southeast Blades
2007–2009Beausejour Blades
2009–presentSteinbach Pistons

The Steinbach Pistons are a junior ice hockey franchise in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) based in Steinbach, Manitoba.

History

Southeast Thunderbirds/T-Birds/Blades

The MJHL granted an expansion team to the Southeast Tribal Council, a group of First Nation bands in southeastern Manitoba, to begin play in the 1988–89 season. The team was known as the Southeast Thunderbirds and played out of the Notre Dame Arena in Winnipeg. The team was renamed the Southeast Blades in 1992. After taking a leave of absence for the 1996–97 season, the Blades moved northeast of Winnipeg to Sagkeeng First Nation. The Blades played ten seasons in Sagkeeng, the most successful being the 2002–03 season when they advanced to the Turnbull Cup finals which they lost to the OCN Blizzard.

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1988-89 48 1 47 0 - 177 449 2 9th MJHL DNQ
1989-90 52 20 31 1 - 282 342 41 8th MJHL Lost Round 1
1990-91 48 8 38 2 - 216 347 18 9th MJHL DNQ
1991-92 48 2 46 0 0 106 453 4 9th MJHL DNQ
1992-93 48 16 29 3 0 224 307 35 9th MJHL DNQ
1993-94 56 10 34 1 1 -- -- 22 9th MJHL DNQ
1994-95 55 21 30 1 3 196 271 46 8th MJHL Lost Round 1
1995-96 56 5 49 2 0 144 404 12 9th MJHL Lost Round 1
1996-97 Did not participate
1997-98 62 20 38 2 2 231 300 44 10th MJHL DNQ
1998-99 61 21 38 2 0 234 265 44 8th MJHL DNQ
1999-00 64 29 26 - 9 282 285 67 8th MJHL DNQ
2000-01 64 7 55 - 2 160 405 16 12th MJHL DNQ
2001-02 64 23 36 - 5 202 286 51 10th MJHL DNQ
2002-03 63 40 18 - 5 265 210 85 5th MJHL Lost final
2003-04 64 12 50 0 2 184 389 26 11th MJHL DNQ
2004-05 63 7 50 2 4 165 331 20 11th MJHL DNQ
2005-06 63 18 34 5 6 198 293 47 9th MJHL DNQ
2006-07 63 9 46 5 3 181 356 26 11th MJHL DNQ

"MJHL history and statistics". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

Beausejour Blades

The Beausejour Blades were formed in 2007 following the sale and relocation of the team to the Sun Gro Centre in Beausejour. The move did not improve the team's fortunes; the Blades managed to win only 13 games over the two seasons of their existence.[1]

Beausejour Blades
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Season Postseason
2007–08 62 7 50 1 4 165 400 19 5th in division
11th overall		 Did not qualify
2008–09 62 6 52 2 2 147 424 16 5th in diviion
11th overall		 Did not qualify

"MJHL history and statistics". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

Steinbach Pistons

During the 2009 Allan Cup in Steinbach, Manitoba, the City of Steinbach, together with Blades management, announced that the team would be relocating to the T.G. Smith Centre in Steinbach for the 2009–10 MJHL season.[2] The team was renamed the Steinbach Pistons, in recognition of the city's reputation as "The Automobile City".[3] Steinbach was previously home to a MJHL team called the Hawks from 1985 to 1988.[1][4]

Despite the team's improved record after the move to Steinbach, the Pistons failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of their first three seasons.[5] The team's continued poor performance and strained financial position spurred a group of investors from the local business community to purchase the Pistons in 2012 and convert it to a community-owned organization.[6][7] The next season, the Pistons ended the franchise's ten year playoff drought and captured their first Turnbull Cup.

The Pistons enjoyed their best seasons in 2017–18 and 2022–23, when the team won Turnbull Cups and advanced as far as the national championship.[4] The team relocated to the Hylife Centre in nearby La Broquerie, Manitoba following the 2022–23 season to allow demolition of their home arena and construction of the Southeast Event Centre, which became their new home in March 2025.[8]

Steinbach Pistons
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Season Postseason
2009–10 62 13 43 5 1 185 308 32 5th in division
11th overall		 Did not qualify
2010–11 62 19 40 3 - 203 277 41 5th in division
11th overall		 Did not qualify
2011–12 62 15 41 3 3 188 319 36 6th in division
10th overall		 Did not qualify
2012–13 60 31 25 - 4 224 211 66 2nd in division
5th overall		 Won quarterfinal against Portage (4:3)
Won semifinal round against Winnipeg Blues (4:2)
Won final against Dauphin (4:2)
2013–14 60 42 16 2 1 216 147 86 2nd in division
2nd overall		 Won quarterfinal round against Portage (4:3)
Lost semifinal against Winnipeg Blues (4:1)
2014–15 60 39 14 2 5 218 150 85 2nd overall Won quarterfinal against Selkirk (4:0)
Won semifinal against Winnipeg Blues (4:1)
Lost final against Portage (4:0)
2015–16 60 45 10 - 5 251 138 95 2nd overall Won quarterfinal against Swan Valley (4:0)
Won semifinal against Winkler (4:3)
Lost final against Portage (4:1)
2016–17 60 49 10 1 - 249 124 99 1st overall Won quarterfinal against Neepawa Natives (4:2)
Lost semifinal against Portage (4:2)
2017–18 60 48 8 2 2 296 130 100 1st overall Won quarterfinal against Swan Valley (4:0)
Won semifinal against Winnipeg Blues (4:2)
Won final against Virden (4:2)
Won ANAVET Cup against Nipawin Hawks (4:2)
2018–19 60 34 17 4 - 197 127 82 3rd overall Won quarterfinal against Winnipeg Blues (4:2)
Lost semifinal against Swan Valley (4:2)
2019–20 60 42 10 5 3 219 138 92 1st overall Playoffs cancelled
2020–21 7 5 1 - 1 29 12 11 1st in division
3rd overall		 Season cancelled
2021–22 54 42 9 2 1 239 122 87 1st in division
1st overall		 Won quarterfinal against Selkirk (4:1)
Won semifinal against Virden
Lost final against Dauphin (4:3)
2022–23 58 42 15 - 1 227 139 85 2nd in division
2nd overall		 Won quarterfinal against Winkler (4:3)
Won semifinal against Swan Valley (4:2)
Won final against Virden (4:1)
2023–24 58 47 8 3 - 224 103 97 1st in division
1st overall		 Won quarterfinal against Niverville (4:0)
Won semifinal against OCN Blizzard (4:3)
Lost final against Winkler (4:0)
2024–25 58 42 11 2 3 261 138 89 2nd in division
2nd overall		 Lost quarterfinal against Portage (4:2)

"MJHL history and statistics". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

Head coaches

The following is a list of the franchise's head coaches:

  • Wayne Babych, 1988-90
  • Rick Buffie, 1990-91
  • Bob Cook, 1991-92
  • Gord Malinoski, 1992
  • Don MacGillivray, 1992-93
  • David Roulston, 1993-95
  • Dan Gregovski, 1995
  • Dan Bourbonnais, 1996
  • Bruce Schmidt, 1997-99
  • Heavy Evason, 1999-2000
  • Kelly Zacharias, 2000
  • Steve Brown, 2000-01
  • Jamie Leach, 2001-03
  • Troy Kennedy, 2003-04
  • Lyle Loewen, 2004-05
  • Ray Neufeld, 2005-07
  • Jamie Watts, 2007
  • Kurt Walsten, 2007-09
  • Rich Gosselin, 2009-11
  • Paul Dyck, 2011-present
  • Beausejour Blades logo 2007–2009
  • Steinbach Pistons logo 2012–present

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Blades cut ties with Beausejour for Steinbach". Winnipeg Free Press. 15 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Steinbach welcomes MJHL". MJHL. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  3. ^ "MJHL welcomes the Steinbach Pistons". Hockey Manitoba. 1 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Steinbach Pistons pumped". Winnipeg Sun. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  5. ^ Jeremy St. Louis (15 Dec 2011). "Rich Gosselin Resigns From Pistons". SteinbachOnline.com. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  6. ^ "City Council Applauds Local Ownership Of Pistons". Steinbachonline.com. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  7. ^ "Steinbach Pistons Sold". Winnipeg Sun. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  8. ^ "Pistons cap off final season inside T.G. Smith Centre with championship". The Carillon News. 2023-04-29.

Further reading

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