Steinbach Pistons Explained

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Team:Steinbach Pistons
Logosize:150px
City:Steinbach, Manitoba
League:Manitoba Junior Hockey League
Division:East
Founded:1988
Arena:HyLife Centre
Colours:Navy blue, blue, white
Gm:Paul Dyck
Coach:Paul Dyck
Owner:Steinbach Pistons, Inc.
Media:www.SteinbachOnline.com
AM Radio 1250
Mix 96.7 FM
Country 107.7 FM
Website:www.steinbachpistons.ca
Name2:Southeast Thunderbirds
Dates2:1988-1991
Name3:Southeast T-Birds
Dates3:1991-1992
Name4:Southeast Blades
Dates4:1992-2007
Name5:Beausejour Blades
Dates5:2007-2009
Name6:Steinbach Pistons
Dates6:2009-Present

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.

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 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.[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 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.

Season-by-season record

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

Playoffs

Kildonan North Stars defeated Southeast Thunderbirds 4-games-to-none

St. Boniface Saints defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-1

St. Boniface Saints defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-none

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

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)

Steinbach Pistons defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

Winnipeg Blues defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-1

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

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

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)

Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-2

Swan Valley Stampeders defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-2

Steinbach Pistons defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-0

Remainder of season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[8]

Steinbach Pistons defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-1

Steinbach Pistons defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-games-to-2

Dauphin Kings defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-3

Steinbach Pistons defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-3

Steinbach Pistons defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-2

Steinbach Pistons defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONS

Head coaches

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

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Blades cut ties with Beausejour for Steinbach. Winnipeg Free Press. 15 April 2009.
  2. News: Steinbach welcomes MJHL . . 14 April 2009 . 2010-06-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090422222950/http://www.mjhlhockey.ca/news_item.aspx?news_id=1395 . April 22, 2009 .
  3. News: MJHL welcomes the Steinbach Pistons. Hockey Manitoba. 1 May 2019.
  4. News: Steinbach Pistons pumped. 18 April 2013. 19 April 2013. Winnipeg Sun.
  5. News: Jeremy St. Louis . Rich Gosselin Resigns From Pistons . SteinbachOnline.com. 15 Dec 2011 . 2011-12-16.
  6. News: City Council Applauds Local Ownership Of Pistons. Steinbachonline.com . 8 August 2012 . 2012-08-08.
  7. News: Steinbach Pistons Sold. . 8 August 2012 . 2012-08-08.
  8. News: MJHL COVID-19 Update: 2020 MJHL Playoffs. March 12, 2020. MJHL.
  9. News: MJHL cancels remainder for the 2020-21 season. Discover Westman. February 12, 2021.