Steinbach Pistons

The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

Steinbach Pistons
CitySteinbach, Manitoba
LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey League
Founded1988
Home arenaT.G. Smith Centre
ColoursNavy blue, blue, white
              
Owner(s)Steinbach Pistons, Inc.
General managerPaul Dyck
Head coachPaul Dyck
Mediawww.SteinbachOnline.com
AM Radio 1250
Mix 96.7 FM
Country 107.7 FM
Websitewww.steinbachpistons.ca
Franchise history
1988-1991Southeast Thunderbirds
1991-1992Southeast T-Birds
1992-2007Southeast Blades
2007-2009Beausejour Blades
2009-PresentSteinbach Pistons

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.

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]

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 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]

Steinbach Pistons 2013.jpg 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 season in 2017-2018 when the team won its second Turnbull Cup, defeated the Nipawin Hawks to win the ANAVET Cup, and qualified for the 2018 Royal Bank Cup.[4]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1988-89481470-17744929th MJHLDNQ
1989-905220311-282342418th MJHLLost Round 1
1990-91488382-216347189th MJHLDNQ
1991-92482460010645349th MJHLDNQ
1992-9348162930224307359th MJHLDNQ
1993-9456103411----229th MJHLDNQ
1994-9555213013196271468th MJHLLost Round 1
1995-965654920144404129th MJHLLost Round 1
1996-97Did Not Participate
1997-98622038222313004410th MJHLDNQ
1998-9961213820234265448th MJHLDNQ
1999-00642926-9282285678th MJHLDNQ
2000-0164755-21604051612th MJHLDNQ
2001-02642336-52022865110th MJHLDNQ
2002-03634018-5265210855th MJHLLost Final
2003-04641250021843892611th MJHLDNQ
2004-0563750241653312011th MJHLDNQ
2005-0663183456198293479th MJHLDNQ
2006-0763946531813562611th MJHLDNQ
2007-0862750-51654001911th MJHLDNQ
2008-0962652-41474241611th MJHLDNQ
2009-10621343-61853083211th MJHLDNQ
2010-11621940-32032774111th MJHLDNQ
2011-12621541-61883193610th MJHLDNQ
2012-13603125-4224211665th MJHLWon League
2013-14604216-2216147862nd MJHLLost Semi-final
2014-15603914-7218150852nd MJHLLost Final
2015-16604510-5251138952nd MJHLLost Final
2016-17604910-1249124991st MJHLLost Semi-final
2017-1860488-42961301001st MJHLWon League, Won AC
2018-19603417-4197127823rd MJHLLost Semi-final
2019-20604210-8219138921st MJHLWon Quarter-final

Playoffs
  • 1989 DNQ
  • 1990 Lost Div Semi Final
Kildonan North Stars defeated Southeast Thunderbirds 4-games-to-none
  • 1991 DNQ
  • 1992 DNQ
  • 1993 DNQ
  • 1994 Lost Div Semi Final
St. Boniface Saints defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-1
  • 1995 Lost Div Semi Final
St. Boniface Saints defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-none
  • 1996 DNQ
  • 1997 Did Not Participate
  • 1998 DNQ
  • 1999 DNQ
  • 2000 DNQ
  • 2001 DNQ
  • 2002 DNQ
  • 2003 Lost Final
Southeast Blades defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-3
Southeast Blades defeated Winnipeg South Blues 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-none
  • 2004 DNQ
  • 2005 DNQ
  • 2006 DNQ
  • 2007 DNQ
  • 2008 DNQ
  • 2009 DNQ
  • 2010 DNQ
  • 2011 DNQ
  • 2012 DNQ
  • 2013 Won League, Lost in 2013 Western Canada Cup round robin
Steinbach Pistons defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-2
Steinbach Pistons defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-2 MJHL CHAMPIONS
Fifth and eliminated from 2013 Western Canada Cup round robin (0-4)
  • 2014 Lost Division Final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3
Winnipeg Blues defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-1
  • 2015 Lost Final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-0
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-1
Portage Terriers defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-0
  • 2016 Lost Final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-0
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-3
Portage Terriers defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-1
  • 2017 Lost Semi-final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Neepawa Natives 4-games-to-2
Portage Terriers defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-2
Steinbach Pistons defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-0
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-2
Steinbach Pistons defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-games-to-2 MJHL CHAMPIONS
Steinbach Pistons defeated Nipawin Hawks 4-games-to-2 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONS
Fifth and eliminated from 2018 Royal Bank Cup round robin (0-2-2)
  • 2019 Lost Semi-final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-2
Swan Valley Stampeders defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-2
  • 2020 Won Quarter-final
Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-0
Remainder of season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[8]


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 2012-2020

See also

References
  1. "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. "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. "MJHL COVID-19 Update: 2020 MJHL Playoffs". MJHL. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
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