Southeast Blades

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.

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. The team was renamed the Steinbach Pistons, in recognition of the city's reputation as "The Automobile City". Steinbach was previously home to a MJHL team called the Hawks from 1985 to 1988.

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. 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. 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

*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''
*2018 ''Won League, won ANAVET Cup''
: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''
*2021 ''Playoffs cancelled''
*2022
: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''
*2023 ''Won League''
: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:

Gallery

Image:Beausejour Blades.jpg, Beausejour Blades logo 2007-2009
Image:Steinbach Pistons 2013.jpg, Steinbach Pistons logo 2012-2020

See also

*List of ice hockey teams in Manitoba

References

Further reading

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External links

Steinbach Pistons websiteSteinbach Pistons season statistics and records
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The Internet Hockey DatabaseSteinbach Pistons win over OCN

{{Manitoba Sports

Sport in Steinbach, Manitoba
Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams