# Steinbach Pistons

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
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1988-89 | 48 | 1 | 47 | 0 | - | 177 | 449 | 2 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1989-90 | 52 | 20 | 31 | 1 | - | 282 | 342 | 41 | 8th MJHL | Lost Round 1 |
| 1990-91 | 48 | 8 | 38 | 2 | - | 216 | 347 | 18 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1991-92 | 48 | 2 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 453 | 4 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1992-93 | 48 | 16 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 224 | 307 | 35 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1993-94 | 56 | 10 | 34 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 22 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1994-95 | 55 | 21 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 196 | 271 | 46 | 8th MJHL | Lost Round 1 |
| 1995-96 | 56 | 5 | 49 | 2 | 0 | 144 | 404 | 12 | 9th MJHL | Lost Round 1 |
| 1996-97 | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate | Did Not Participate |
| 1997-98 | 62 | 20 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 231 | 300 | 44 | 10th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1998-99 | 61 | 21 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 234 | 265 | 44 | 8th MJHL | DNQ |
| 1999-00 | 64 | 29 | 26 | - | 9 | 282 | 285 | 67 | 8th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2000-01 | 64 | 7 | 55 | - | 2 | 160 | 405 | 16 | 12th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2001-02 | 64 | 23 | 36 | - | 5 | 202 | 286 | 51 | 10th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2002-03 | 63 | 40 | 18 | - | 5 | 265 | 210 | 85 | 5th MJHL | Lost final |
| 2003-04 | 64 | 12 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 184 | 389 | 26 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2004-05 | 63 | 7 | 50 | 2 | 4 | 165 | 331 | 20 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2005-06 | 63 | 18 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 198 | 293 | 47 | 9th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2006-07 | 63 | 9 | 46 | 5 | 3 | 181 | 356 | 26 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2007-08 | 62 | 7 | 50 | - | 5 | 165 | 400 | 19 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2008-09 | 62 | 6 | 52 | - | 4 | 147 | 424 | 16 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2009-10 | 62 | 13 | 43 | - | 6 | 185 | 308 | 32 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2010-11 | 62 | 19 | 40 | - | 3 | 203 | 277 | 41 | 11th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2011-12 | 62 | 15 | 41 | - | 6 | 188 | 319 | 36 | 10th MJHL | DNQ |
| 2012-13 | 60 | 31 | 25 | - | 4 | 224 | 211 | 66 | 5th MJHL | Won League |
| 2013-14 | 60 | 42 | 16 | - | 2 | 216 | 147 | 86 | 2nd MJHL | Lost semi-final |
| 2014-15 | 60 | 39 | 14 | - | 7 | 218 | 150 | 85 | 2nd MJHL | Lost final |
| 2015-16 | 60 | 45 | 10 | - | 5 | 251 | 138 | 95 | 2nd MJHL | Lost final |
| 2016-17 | 60 | 49 | 10 | - | 1 | 249 | 124 | 99 | 1st MJHL | Lost semi-final |
| 2017-18 | 60 | 48 | 8 | - | 4 | 296 | 130 | 100 | 1st MJHL | Won League, won AC |
| 2018-19 | 60 | 34 | 17 | - | 4 | 197 | 127 | 82 | 3rd MJHL | Lost semi-final |
| 2019-20 | 60 | 42 | 10 | - | 8 | 219 | 138 | 92 | 1st MJHL | Won quarter-final |
| 2020-21 | 7 | 5 | 1 | - | 1 | 29 | 12 | 11 | 3rd MJHL | Cancelled |
| 2021-22 | 54 | 42 | 9 | - | 3 | 239 | 122 | 87 | 1st MJHL | Lost final |
| 2022-23 | 58 | 42 | 15 | - | 1 | 227 | 139 | 85 | 2nd MJHL | Won League |
| 2023–24 | 58 | 47 | 8 | - | 3 | 224 | 103 | 97 | 1st of 7 East 1st of 13 MJHL | Won Div Semi 4-0 Niverville Nighthawks Won Semifinal 4-3 OCN Blizzard Lost Finals 0-4 Winkler Flyers |

### 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:
* Wayne Babych, 1988-90
* Rick Buffie, 1990-91
* Bob Cook, 1991-92
* Gord Malinoski, 1992
* Don MacGillivray, 1992-93
* David Roulston, 1993-95
* Dan Gregovski, 1995
* Dan Bourbonnais, 1996
* Bruce Schmidt, 1997-99
* Heavy Evason, 1999-2000
* Kelly Zacharias, 2000
* Steve Brown, 2000-01
* Jamie Leach, 2001-03
* Troy Kennedy, 2003-04
* Lyle Loewen, 2004-05
* Ray Neufeld, 2005-07
* Jamie Watts, 2007
* Kurt Walsten, 2007-09
* Rich Gosselin, 2009-11
* Paul Dyck, 2011-present

## Gallery

* Beausejour Blades logo 2007-2009
* Steinbach Pistons logo 2012-2020