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.

After those early stumbles, Falk’s replacement, Matthew Melo, has the team looking just like the Flyers from last year, if not better.

Watching them fight past Steinbach in a tight shootout game in early February was one thing — and shows for all their on paper brilliance, nothing is a sure thing in hockey — but the way they absolutely dismantled the Niverville Nighthawks Feb. 23 should have the entire league on notice.

The Flyers quite simply bullied the Nighthawks out of their own building, looking bigger, stronger and tougher than their competition in a 4-1 scoreline that did not do the game justice. Niverville only managed a single shot in the first period while Winkler had 17.

That result came despite the Nighthawks having, in my opinion, their best ever team this season.

While the Nighthawks will finish in fourth place in the East Division for the third consecutive year since joining the league, the pick-up of Sean Williams locked in a team identity for me and a renewed commitment to team defense made up for the loss of star goaltender Raiden LeGall to the WHL.

There’s a toughness and grit to this year’s Nighthawks team which is fun to watch. They deserve better than a first-round match-up with the Winkler Flyers, where they will be massive underdogs.

The two/three match-up in the East division is locked up as well, with Steinbach taking on Portage in what for my predictions is a de-facto league semi-final, much like the Flyers/Pistons series of 2023.

My gut, which shouldn’t be trusted seeing as I thought Winkler lost a step this season, is that Steinbach should have the edge, given Portage has needed some outstanding goaltending performances to get results against the Pistons, and I’m not sure that can carry over an entire seven-game series.

But that’s the beauty of playoff hockey. Anything is possible, and the most well-informed pundits and fans could be wrong thanks to a team upping their game. Let’s drop the puck!