Steinbach Pistons

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

History

The team started as the Southeast Thunderbirds, an expansion team, in the 1988-89 season. It was owned by the Southeast Tribal Council, a group of First Nation bands in southeastern Manitoba, and played out of the Notre Dame Arena in Winnipeg. After three seasons, the team changed it's name to the Southeast T-Birds for one season, and then the Southeast Blades starting in the 1992-93 season.

The Blades were granted a leave of absence from the MJHL for the 1996-97 season. The team returned the following season, moving to the Sagkeeng Multiplex, located on the Sagkeeng First Nation, northeast of Winnipeg. The Blades played ten seasons in Sagkeeng, their best season in 2002-03, when the team finished second in the Addision Division with 87 points. The Blades advanced to the Turnbull Cup finals (MJHL Championship series), but lost to the OCN Blizzard.

The Blades were sold to Mel Sonnenburg during the summer of 2007. The team relocated to the Sun Gro Centre in Beausejour and was renamed the Beausejour Blades. The Blades played only two seasons in Beausejour, winning only 13 games over the two year span.

During the 2009 Allan Cup in Steinbach, Manitoba, the City of Steinbach announced that the club would be relocating to Steinbach for the 2009-10 season.^[1] Following a local contest, the team was renamed the Steinbach Pistons. Rich Gosselin, a former star with EHC Biel of the Swiss-A league, was hired as head coach.

Despite steady improvement in their first two seasons in Steinbach, the Pistons finished last each season. Through the 2010-11 season, the franchise has missed the playoffs eight consecutive seasons since appearing in the 2002-03 Turnbull Cup finals.

After two and a half seasons with the Pistons, Gosselin resigned as head coach on December 15, 2011. Assistant coach Paul Dyck, a ten year veteran of the International Hockey League, is the team's interim head coach.^[2]

Season-by-season record

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

Playoffs

• 1989 DNQ
• 1990 Lost Quarter-final

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

• 1991 DNQ
• 1992 DNQ
• 1993 DNQ
• 1994 Lost Quarter-final

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

• 1995 Lost Quarter-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

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in Manitoba

References

External links

• Steinbach Pistons website