Steinbach Pistons

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. Their best season was in 2002-03, when they advanced to the Turnbull Cup finals, losing to the OCN Blizzard.

Beausejour Blades

Beausejour Blades (2007-2009)

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 two seasons in Beausejour.^[1]

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 Steinbach for the 2009–10 MJHL season.^[2] The team was renamed the Steinbach Pistons, in recognition of the city's reputation as "The Automobile City".^[3] Steinbach was previously home to a MJHL team called the Hawks from 1985 to 1988.^[1][4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6][7] 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 National Junior "A" Championship for the first time.^[4]

Mascot

The Steinbach Pistons' mascot is named Clutch. He is a brown horse with bright blue mane and tail. He wears the Pistons dark blue jersey with dark blue hockey pants and socks with the team's striping on them. When the team wears their alternate grey jersey, he wears his as well. He has his name on the jersey's name bar and his number, "00". He is known to run around the arena showing off his dance moves, help the Pit Crew toss give-aways into the crowd, and "rev up" the crowd with his GO PISTONS, GO signs and banging his bright blue drum. In November he sports a bright blue mustache to support #Movember. He wears a long pink scarf with team striping during the annual Pink in the Rink game which has a jersey auction afterwards to raise money for Cancer Care Manitoba, and at Christmas he wears a large Santa hat and sometimes tosses candycanes into the crowd.

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)