FRANCHISE BEGINNINGS
Junior hockey returned to the Automobile City in 2009, as the Beausejour Blades were relocated from Beausejour to Steinbach and the franchise was named the ‘Steinbach Pistons’ for the 2009-10 season playing out of the TG Smith Centre.
Former Winnipeg Jets player Rich Gosselin was named the first Head Coach in Pistons history. Gosselin brought his experience of coaching in Europe and several different levels in Southeast Manitoba to the franchise. He coached the Pistons for two and a half seasons from 2009-12.
OWNERSHIP CHANGE
After missing the postseason for the third consecutive season, the franchise was under financial pressure and faced with the real possibility of ending team operations in the summer of 2012. But late that offseason, the team was sold to a group of community owners to keep the team in Steinbach, and in turn the Pistons became a community owned, non-profit organization.
2012-PRESENT
After serving as Interim Head Coach, Paul Dyck was named the permanent Pistons Head Coach/GM shortly after the ownership change. The following eight years have seen the Pistons turn into one of the top junior ‘A’ hockey clubs in the country.
The Pistons shocked the Manitoba hockey landscape by winning the 2013 Turnbull Cup championship over the favorite Dauphin Kings; winning it all just one year after the ownership change, and three consecutive years removed after finishing at or near the bottom of the league standings. The team advanced to the Western Canada Cup in Nanaimo, B.C.
The Pistons made it back to the MJHL finals in 2015 and 2016, and reached 100 points in the regular season for the first time in franchise history in 2018. That team would win Steinbach their second Turnbull Cup over the Virden Oil Capitals, and would go on to take home their first ANAVET Cup title (Manitoba/Saskatchewan regional championship) over the Nipawin Hawks to advance to the RBC Cup in 2018, with both series ending in six games.
Under Dyck’s leadership since 2012, the Steinbach Pistons have amassed a regular season record of 335-110-35, the best in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League over that span. The Pistons have also led the league in average attendance since 2014-15, despite having one of the smallest arenas in the MJHL.
The organization has sent many players onto the next level, as around 75 former Pistons have moved onto NCAA Division I, Division III, and U Sports schools in its history.
REGULAR SEASON HISTORY
2009-10 – 13-43-6
2010-11 – 19-40-3
2011-12 – 15-41-6
2012-13 – 31-25-4
2013-14 – 42-15-3
2014-15 – 39-14-7
2015-16 – 45-10-5
2016-17 – 49-10-1
2017-18 – 48-8-4
2018-19 – 39-17-4
*Season Cancelled due to provincial health restrictions during COVID-19 pandemic