Hockey season beginning across region

While the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Niverville Nighthawks and Steinbach Pistons kicked off the region’s competitive hockey season Sept. 20, they were shortly joined by other leagues last weekend.

CRJHL

It was an historic afternoon Sept. 29, as the La Broquerie Habs won their first-ever game in the Capital Region Junior Hockey League, defeating the Selkirk Fishermen 1-0. The Habs start with two games on the road before their home opener Oct. 11.

Jaxon Loewen was the hero of the night, stopping all 47 shots he faced to give his team a victory. The 2005-born Steinbach goaltender played in two games last season with the Cranbrook Bucks of the B.C. Junior Hockey League.

Loewen’s performance meant the franchise’s first goal, a first-period unassisted tally from Stuartburn’s Nathan Storoschuk, was also the team’s first game-winning goal.

The CRJHL’s defending champions St Malo are also starting the first two weeks of the season on the road, but couldn’t come up with a win in a re-match of last year’s final to open their season.

The Beausejour Comets came out on top Sept. 27, winning 5-1 on the strength of two first period goals from Braden Clarke.

The Warriors home opener is also Oct. 11.

HTJHL

Thanksgiving weekend will be a busy one for team debuts in the region, with the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League beginning regular season play as well.

Grunthal and Ste Anne will be making their returns to junior hockey, with Mitchell beginning the next weekend. The league is hosting a showcase event Oct. 20 in Niverville, with all 10 teams in action from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

MMJHL

The Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League is also underway, with the Morris-based Pembina Valley Twisters going 1-1 in their opening weekend.

The Twisters dropped their home-opener 6-2 to the River East Royal Knights Sept. 27, before snapping back with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Raiders Jr Hockey Club. Austin Spicer picked up the game-winner just 8 seconds into the extra frame.

The three-time defending champion St James Canucks are off to an unusually poor start to the season, dropping their first two games of the season, without scoring a single goal.

The Twisters are back in Morris for a home game Oct. 5 when they take on Transcona.

SEMHL

Expansion franchises seem to be all over the Southeast this season, as new area teams are set to join the South East Manitoba Hockey League (SEMHL) and the Winnipeg High School Hockey League.

In the SEMHL, Oakbank is set to join the league, with the Springfield Hawks making their debut. The Hawks were announced in April, but the league will remain at 10 teams after the Altona Maroons decided they wouldn’t be fielding a team this season.

The Maroons have been a member of the SEMHL since the league’s founding in 1951, and have not missed a season since, even as the league dipped to an historic low of only three teams in 1999.

The SEMHL will begin regular season play Oct. 25.

High School

Niverville High School will be entering a team into the Winnipeg High School Hockey League, but what division they will play in is still up in the air.

The league already boasts Steinbach Regional (tier 1 last season), Gabrielle-Roy (tier 2 champions), Springfield (tier 2) and Lorette (tier 3).

The exact league format and schedule will be decided this week.

The divisions for both the boys and girls leagues should be decided this week. Lorette and Springfield also enter teams in the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League.

The zone 4 hockey league, featuring the Morris Mavericks is set to begin Oct. 9.