AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The Southeast Event Centre Arena is a masterpiece

Wow. Just wow.

The brand new Southeast Event Centre (SEC) arena is amazing. The sheer size of it all, the bowl seating, the lighting, the sound system, the two jumbotrons — it’s just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

There are so many thank you’s that are needed to pull off something as breathtaking as the new arena.

Thanks to city council for spending the money and approving such an enormous project. Thanks to HyLife for all the money they contributed to the SEC. Thanks to Kevin Geisheimer, Jamie Roy and the entire Pistons organization as well as their game day volunteers. Thanks to the Pistons ownership group. Thanks to all the billets who provide a home for the out of town players. Thanks to all the corporate sponsors. Thanks to the construction workers who physically built the SEC. Thanks to the SEC staff and volunteers who will be excellent stewards of that facility and the many exciting events and concerts it will host. Thanks to the fine people in La Broquerie for being the Pistons temporary home while the new rink was being built.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: To the fans who aren’t around anymore

In the whirlwind that was the opening of the Southeast Event Centre last weekend in Steinbach, there was a moment that made me pause, that put me on the verge of tears, that shed new light on what arenas and sports can really mean.

Cliff Dueck was not only a massive local hockey fan, but also a mainstay as a Pistons volunteer. When not helping out the local junior A team, he was often on the road to senior and minor hockey games around the southeast, alongside his good friend Dale Plett.

He tragically passed away last October, with the Pistons holding a moment of silence before a game in his honour.

There was no doubt Plett would be at the first Pistons game, and he made sure to bring along Dueck’s Ste Anne Aces jersey, bringing a piece of his friend to the historic night.

SEMHL final pushed to a winner-takes-all game 7

There couldn't be a more fitting end to the South East Manitoba Hockey League season. After a season battling for supremacy, the best two teams in the league will play a decisive game seven in the league's finals in Ste Anne March 23.

The Ste Anne Aces will be searching to complete a three-peat, while the expansion Springfield Winterhawks, full of former Aces, will be looking to nab their own glory.

There nearly wasn't a game seven to play. The Aces looked to be cruising to an easy victory in game six, before a flurry of offense from the Springfield Winterhawks turned a 6-2 hockey game into a 6-6 tie and sent the crowd inside the Oakbank arena into a frenzy. Not even a disallowed goal could stem the tide, as the Winterhawks struck twice in the final minute of the second period to eat into the lead, before finally tying the game mid-way through the third.

It took a spectacular individual effort for Ste Anne to restore their lead, with Adam Hughesman dancing around a defender to turn a two-on-two rush into a two-on-one, setting up Cody Fowlie for an easy game-winner, capping off an incredible game six which will be remembered by local senior hockey fans for a long time.

St Malo Warriors set for CRJHL finals re-match

It took a massive effort, but the St Malo Warriors have advanced to their third straight Capital Region Junior Hockey League finals.

The Warriors squeaked past the Selkirk Fishermen 1-0 in a decisive game five to win their semi-final series four games to one.

“Selkirk gave us as much as we could handle,” Warriors assistant coach Patrick Trudeau said.

“Our guys stuck with it. We knew after game three (a 5-0 loss), the world wasn’t ending, we were alright, we were going to bounce back and the guys did here.”

Steinbach Pistons ready for a battle in first round of MJHL playoffs

A first-round match-up in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) playoffs has rarely felt so meaningful.

With the league staying in division for their quarterfinals the Steinbach Pistons and Portage Terriers, the second and third best teams in the MJHL this season, will be facing off just to advance into the semi-finals.

While Steinbach had a better regular season, finishing eight points ahead of the Terriers with a plus-123 goal difference compared to Portage’s plus-45, the teams should be evenly matched. In five regular season games, the Terriers battled to a 4-1 record, thanks to some outstanding goaltending performances.

In three of those four victories, the Terriers were vastly out-shot, but were able to hold on for the win.

Springfield Winterhawks battle back into SEMHL finals

Editor's Note: This story was written for a March 19th deadline

The Springfield Winterhawks have turned the South East Manitoba Hockey League finals into a series. Down 2-0 to the Ste Anne Aces, the Winterhawks went into hostile territory March 12 and came away with a big 6-4 victory, before nabbing a 3-1 win on home ice March 15 to tie the series.

Fans who packed into the Maurice Chaput Arena were treated to an instant classic, with the Aces taking an early lead only to have the Winterhawks respond with three first period goals. Ste Anne battled back, tying the game on a Jordan DePape marker early in the third period, only for former Ace Keith Grondin to nab two goals, including the game winner to rescue the series for Springfield.

Several members of the Steinbach Pistons were in attendance at game 3 in Ste Anne, with locker room bragging rights on the line. Ty Paisley’s brother, Caleb, suits up for the Aces, while Reece Gault’s father is the general manager for the Winterhawks.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: March 13th edition

Featuring photos from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Men's Volleyball Championships, hosted in Niverville March 5 - 8, the 55+ Games curling events in Steinbach, Games one and three of the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA semi-finals between Eastman and Yellowhead, game five of the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League East Division finals in Oakbank between Springfield and Steinbach, an MJHL game in Niverville March 9 and game two of the South East Manitoba Hockey League finals between Ste Anne and Springfield.

Koop, rookie of the year Dick, help Wesman to CanadaWest title

The University of Winnipeg claimed their first CanadaWest men’s volleyball championship on their home court March 8, sweeping the national number one University of Alberta 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21).

Linden’s Easton Dick and Steinbach’s Paxton Koop suit up for the Wesmen. Dick was named the conference rookie of the year just before the CanadaWest final four.

Playing middle, he made appearances in all 20 of the university’s conference matches, racking up 93 kills on a 0.352 attack percentage. Dick added 52 total blocks, with 12 solo efforts, leading all freshmen in the conference and U of W.

In the final, Dick was a leading contributor to the Winnipeg defense at the point of attack. The Wesmen held Golden Bears hitters, including conference player of the year Isaac Heslinga, to just a 0.293 hitting percentage, finishing with five block assists and a solo block to lead U of W.

Paronuzzi named MJHL’s most valuable player to cap off record-breaking Pistons season

For the first time in league history, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s (MJHL) most valuable player is a Steinbach Piston.

The league announced Connor Paronuzzi as the annual award winner March 7. The MJHL’s MVP award is named in honour of Steve “Boomer” Hawrysh.

Paronuzzi has nearly lapped the field when it comes to scoring points this season. When the news was announced, Paronuzzi had 89 points in 54 games, 24 more than his nearest competition, Northern Manitoba’s Miguel Bouvier. Bouvier and Winkler goaltender Liam Ernst were the other two finalists for MVP.

Paronuzzi continued his assault on the Steinbach record-book in Winnipeg March 11, and now owns the team’s single-season points record, with 92 points, passing Brad Schoonbaert to nab the record. He’ll have two more games to add to the total record.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2002: Hockey marathon to set new Guinness world record

One has to admire the enthusiasm and commitment to their community of 40 Lorette recreational hockey players, as they get ready to attempt to set a Guinness world record later this month by playing a marathon 36-hour hockey game at the Lorette Sports Centre.

The world record attempt is being made as a fundraiser to support construction of a new sports and recreation complex in Lorette, which would include a new arena. The 36-hour hockey marathon begins Friday, March 22 at 7 a.m. and concludes 36 hours later, on Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m.

The game will be a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the world’s longest hockey game. Each team will have a roster of 20 players, playing 36 consecutive hours. This roster of players must remain consistent throughout the duration of the game, with no substitutions or addition of players permitted.

Co-organizer of the game, Chris Maxemuck says talk about a fundraiser to fix the Lorette Arena began late one night in January, after a recreational hockey game, when a friend of his came up with the idea.

DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: Winkler Flyers my pick to repeat as MJHL champions

On Nov. 3, the Winkler Flyers dropped a game to the Portage Terriers 3-1 to drop to 10-6 on the season and into a tie for fourth place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League standings.

As I write this column 128 days later, the Flyers have only lost two more games in regulation this season, blasting back to the top of the league standings in a fantastic run of play.

When I first saw them in October, my immediate impression was the Flyers were a far cry from their championship squad from last season, which I knew would win the championship from the moment I saw them play in 2023.

I assumed what I was seeing meant the loss of head coach Justin Falk was just too much to overcome, leaving the door open for Portage or Steinbach to dominate the league this season. And I could not have been more wrong.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: Merci beaucoup, La Broquerie

As the Steinbach Pistons get ready to play their first ever games at the brand spanking new Southeast Event Centre (SEC), the entire organization owes a huge debt of gratitude to the folks in La Broquerie for doing such a fantastic job hosting the Pistons these past two seasons.

The Pistons needed a place to play while their new arena - part of a state of the art facility that includes a walking track, multiple courts for volleyball, basketball and pickle ball - was being built.

The Pistons hoped to be in their new digs this past Christmas, but the kind and patient people of La Broquerie had no problem letting the Pistons play in the Hylife Centre for a few more months while the finishing touches were made at the SEC.

The hospitality shown by everyone in La Broquerie - a true hockey town if there ever was one - will be remembered by the Pistons organization and the hockey fans in the Steinbach area for many, many years. La Broquerie’s rich Habs history and love of hockey helped them embrace becoming the Pistons’ home rink these past two MJHL seasons.

Red Deer claims CCAA national championship hosted in Niverville

The Red Deer Kings looked like a varsity team playing the junior varsity squad in a scrimmage at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association’s (CCAA) national championship in Niverville last weekend.

The Kings didn’t drop a set en route to a championship victory, including a strong display in their opening match against the host Providence Pilots.

Pilots head coach Paul Armbruster was left searching for answers after his team’s below-expectations performance. Providence went win-less at the tournament, with Armbruster answering “that’s the million dollar question,” when asked what went wrong on the court.

“It stings. And it’s going to sting for a little while,” Armbruster said as the final between Red Deer and Douglas College took place.

Stingy U18 AAA Eastman Selects blast into finals

A dominant regular season has continued into the playoffs, as the Eastman Selects locked up a spot in the Manitoba Female Hockey League’s U18 AAA final with a 4-0 victory over the Yellowhead Chiefs March 8.

The Selects have been excellent at keeping the puck out of their own net so far in the playoffs, only allowing four goals in six playoff games while notching a perfect 6-0 record en route to the finals.

Given those numbers, it’s no surprise to see goaltenders Addison Tomes and Isabelle Labossiere at the top of the goalie statistics list for the playoffs, with each netminder starting three games and picking up two shutouts so far in the post-season.

“I think we’ve really honed in on taking care of our jobs defensively,” Selects assistant coach Lauren Warkentin said after the game three victory.