Steinbach Pistons hope returning players give team boost

When the days start to get shorter and cooler weather is on the horizon, that can only mean one thing: Hockey season is about to begin.

The Steinbach Pistons, the city’s highest profile team, has been holding skates since Oct. 19, with prospect camp Aug. 23/24. The team’s main camp kicked off Sept. 2.

“It’s been excellent,” Pistons head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said after a skate Aug. 28.

Steinbach is looking to rebound this season after losing the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final to Winkler in April.

“Our returning players have come back, they’re really hungry and really focused,” Dyck said, noting even in the pre-main camp skates there has been an intensity on the ice.

“They’re doing things with purpose and intention. That’s what I like — start enforcing those good habits.”

Dyck was clearly pleased with the players’ efforts after the Aug. 28 skate, with the practices featuring spirited battles, hard hits and physical play.

“We want to enforce ‘how do we play,’” Dyck said on the mentality he brings to pre-camp skates.

“For the players who were last year, they’re bringing that intensity and bringing some fire to these skates. There’s been some emotion that we’ve seen already amongst teammates, and I don’t mind that. That competition just strengthens everybody and improves and stretches everybody.”

Dyck said he was happy with prospect camp, noting most of the players in attendance were born in 2009.

“There’s some real good players there,” he said.

“We had a look at some players we wanted to see. Our camp is small, and that’s kind of by design. I thought the quality of play was quite high.”

For the Pistons, who have only become a top MJHL and Canadian junior A franchise in the last decade or so, prospect camps look a lot different today than they used to.

“We’ve been able to attract some good players,” Dyck said.

“It’s not so much about volume anymore, it’s really just trying to get the quality as high as possible.”

Steinbach should boast a pretty deep and balanced group of returning players this year, especially compared to the 2023/2024 season.

Last year, the team was forced to jam their forward core full of MJHL rookies who managed to perform well. Now a year older and more experienced, those returning players will be looking to make an even bigger impact.

“What a difference a summer can make,” Dyck said.

“All of the experience they take from last year and from our run to the finals.”

Dyck expects no Turnbull Cup hangover from this year’s group of returning players. The Pistons have a good recent history of strong bounce-back seasons, winning the championship a year after making the finals in 2022.

“Those long playoff runs, they’re worth so much for young players,” Dyck said.

“It’s a process for them to understand how to play and how to be successful at that stage of the year.”

On defense, a good mix of returning and new players will hope to have a healthier year, as injuries forced line-up changes throughout last season.

They’ll be lead by Noah Szabo, who is returning for his 20-year-old season The reigning MJHL defenseman of the year is spending his final year of junior hockey in Steinbach before heading to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in the NCAA.

“(Szabo) is obviously going to be a big part of our team, as part of the leadership group and a big part of our offense too,” Dyck said.

While camp is out of the T.G. Smith Centre this season, the team is looking forward to moving into their new permanent home inside the Southeast Events Centre next door when construction is finally completed. The hot weather at the end of August was no problem for T.G. Smith to handle, as the new ice plant which will provide cooling for both ice surfaces potentially year-round is already in use.

With no ice available in the team’s temporary home in La Broquerie, all Pistons pre-season games are on the road. They’ll play in Winkler Sept. 6 and Sept. 13. Fans who are hoping to get a glimpse at the team before the regular season begins will get a chance, as Steinbach plays just down the highway in Niverville Sept. 8 and Sept. 14.

Puck-drop for all games is at 7:30.