With the 2025/26 season starting on Friday in Winkler, followed by the home opener on Sunday at the Southeast Event Centre, Head Coach and General Manager Paul Dyck breaks down the roster, starting with the forwards.
Forwards
Sam Noad – We’ve had a lot of conversations about Noader in the last month. We named him captain early on, and it was a very easy decision. All the players that were here last year are in full support of that decision. He’s the kind of player we categorize as an every-dayer. That’s how he practices, that’s how he lives his life away from the rink, and he’s just a great human. He’s a determined athlete, and he’s the kind of guy that bleeds Piston’s blue.
Brett Kaiser – Kais brings some colour to the dressing room. He’s a fun guy, and one thing we’ve noticed with Brett over the last few years is the bigger the stage, the better he plays. Looking forward to his 20-year-old season, we’ve had some talks, and he knows it’s going to go very fast. He has a chance to have a very productive season for us.
Marek Miller – Marek, he’s been compared to a guy like Connor Paronuzzi, he things the game very well, has great vision, and the goal he scored in the preseason is just a glimpse of the skillset that he has. He’s a player that is going to find you. Just a great playmaker, and he’ll be a big part of our specialty teams.
Evan Gradt – 200-foot player, big body that can really move, and I think his ceiling is very high. Just with how far he’s come int he last two years, I believe he’s just scratching the surface. As a fan, you’ll take note immediately of his speed through the neutral zone. When he puts it into attack mode, he’s going to be a very difficult guy to contend with on a nightly basis.”
Luc DeGagne – He’s a really likeable guy, always has a smile on his face, and he’s just so consistent. From game-to-game, day-to-day, it’s just reflective on the kind of person that he is. He’s Mr. Trustworty. Just a guy that, as a coach, that dependability, and that understanding of what he’s going to bring every day is very comforting.
Brody Green – Different player this year. Best part of maturing as young player, and we’ve already seen that added bite. He has more jump in his step, he has more determination, and his competitiveness has hit another gear, as well. I’m really excited for him. We had really good dialog at the end of the season in regards to what his off season should look like in preparation, and he’s put in a lot of good work this summer.
Eric Han – He’s going to be a fan favourite. He competes, he plays with pace, and energy. One of the words I use to describe him is relentless. He’s a fun player to watch. If I’m a forward, I’d love to have him on my line, because he’s going to do everything he can to make things happen.
Mason Landry – The biggest thing that has jumped out through the preseason is he’s getting better every day. His growth has been noticeable, his comfort level is there, and he’s kind of a quite guy, but on the ice, there’s nothing quite about him. He plays with pace, speed, and puts pressure on defending teams. He’s increased his value already, we’ve already seen his minutes increase through the preseason, being able to play on the wing and up the middle, allows us to use him in different spots.
William Piclyk – 2009 born, he makes the staff feel old, and even the guys in the room, he’s the youngest by two years. We brought him in last year to skate with our guys a few times, and even last year we felt like he could play as a 15-year-old. You see a lot of 16-year-olds that are good hockey players, have a good skillset, think well, but maybe are not there with their size. Will weighed in at over 180 pounds. Great skillset, but physically, he’s ready for the league. I watch him play, and he’s kind of in that Jonathan Toews mold, he’s got an offensive side to him, but he doesn’t sacrifice it on the other side of the puck.
Cullen Ingebritson – There are some comparisons to an old favourite, Jordan Bochinski. He’s a very talkative guy on the ice and off the ice. His motor never shuts off, and that’s how he plays the game, as well. There’s a lot of energy to it, but he’s incredibly cerebral. He’s one of the smartest players in our lineup, his on-ice awareness is second to none, and it’s energizing how he plays the game. On the bench, he’s a great teammate, and he’s always encouraging the rest of the group.
Blake Farthing – He never stops battling, and when he’s skating, he’s really hard to play against. He’s a bit of an agitator, and while he’s not the biggest kid, he’s got no quit in him. He’s versatile, he can kill penalties, and I believe in time, he’ll develop an offensive flare here. We called him up last year, after a camp where he didn’t make that adjustment, but in the middle of the year, he ‘AP’d for us and he didn’t look out of place. He brings a lot of life and charisma to the ice, too.
Tanner Ducharme – He’s a big winger that brings toughness. He’ll be a willing combatant if he’s going to have to drop the gloves, but he can move. He’s a big power forward that embraces physicality, but there’s a skillset there, as well. He still has some growing to do as young player, but when you look up the word power forward, there’s a picture of him there. He’s a little old school in the way he plays the game.
Hunter Kelso – Team guy, he’s in the mold of a Hunter Degelman, Ryan McDonald, guys with high compete that maybe look undersized, but will go nose-to-nose with anybody. I think that he plays the type of game that is really inspiring. He’s very intelligent, very aware of being on the right side of pucks, and some incredible versatility.
Jack Greenwell – He’s the kind of guy who will have an impact on the organization well beyond this year. There’s a coach inside of Jack. He and Noader are best buddies, and there are similarities. He’s a very fiery competitor, he’s skilled, he’s intelligent, and he just checks so many boxes. Plays a strong two-way game, and will have a huge influence in our locker room. He’s come here with a great attitude. Sometimes, you get guys coming back from major junior that maybe feel a little entitled, and they underestimate our league, but Jack has come here with the mindset of earning ice time, earning the respect of his teammates, and we couldn’t be happier with him coming in to the program.
Cole Cairns – He looks great. Cairnsy has come back, he’s pushing hard in practice, and now we’re just waiting for doctors’ clearance. He looks really, really good, honestly. He reminds me of the young player we saw in bantam, there’s a lot of confidence to him. He’s another guy that brings a lot of maturity and leadership to the room. No question, his game exudes fire, but there’s a calmness to him in terms of how he leads. He can also be a voice of reason.
Ryan McDonald – We were really excited about Donny coming into the season, and obviously still are, even with the little set back after the injury. I spoke earlier about a Hutner Degelman, he’s in that group as well. In the playoffs, his grit really came out. He played really good hockey against some of the heavier teams. For a player that’s maybe smaller in stature, he really embraces taking on bigger bodies, and going up against the best in the league.
Logan Mehl – He just rejoined us from the Calgary Hitmen. He’s a big body, and he can really move. He was the captain of the Regina Pats Canadians last year, so he has some leadership ability to him.
Coaches Thoughts – I think there’s going to be some balance to our forward group. I don’t think goal scoring is going to be an issue for us. Are we going to score five every night? I hope we’re not in a situation where we have to. We’re looking at a forward group that is pretty responsible without the puck. A lot of guys you could classify as 200-foot players. Offense is just one part of winning a game, and I think we’ll see all four lines contribute to our overall team success.
We have a lot of forwards right now, and this group has put us in a really tough place when it comes to decisions. There was a lot of unpredictability coming into this season, we were not sure who would be returning, we made some decisions with players, and when you’re recruiting, you’re never sure what the trickledown will be. It’s 100% what you want, and it says a lot about the character of the guys here who have made really good cases for themselves to be key guys helping us build to where we want to be.
Defense
Zhenya Miles– Zhenya had a very impressive playoff. I thought he really elevated his game to another level, one that we felt was in there. I think there’s a new confidence to his game, and I think he has a tremendous amount of poise. He’s calm, but he’s also quite the competitor. He can get physical when he needs to, but his skating ability allows him to get out of trouble and carry pucks when needed. He has great vision and is a great passer of the puck. He’s going to be a big, big part of our team this year, and we’re looking for him to take another step.
Alex Stewart – Stewie is just Mr. Dependable. He really keeps things simple, and he moves pucks. At 5’11”, 190 pounds, he’s put a lot of time in at the gym. He’s strong, and there is a bite to his game as well. I think he had over 100 penalty minutes last year in U18. There’s a really big compete level in him.
Liam Doyle – Liam wasn’t with us last year, but he had a really good 18-year-old year with us. He’s someone who brings a lot of experience. We spoke a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of him returning, and he’s come here with the mindset of just wanting to win. He understands how we do things. He’s looked really good since he joined us, and he brings leadership and maturity. He’s a fun guy to have around the room, too. We were thankful we could add him.
Max Powers-Brekke – Max is a big body, he moves well, and he’s so eager to learn. There is real good upside with him. He’s competitive, he’s a fun guy, but there’s an intensity to him. As time goes on, I think he’s going to continue to improve, and at 19 or 20, he’s going to be very effective.
Luke Bogart– Anyone who loves details of the position, he’s so fun to watch. He’s learned to survive because he’s always been a smaller defenseman, but he’s another guy that won’t back down from anyone. He loves to compete, he has great edge work, and he understands. When you look at Luke, he’s 5’10”, 175 pounds; he’s not the biggest guy, but when you watch him play, he clearly belongs. He’s going to have an excellent season. He can play power play, kill penalties, just a solid, solid defenseman. He’s a guy who has embraced his game.
Charlie Velner – Charlie has been a beast here during camp. He’s the kind of player that if you get caught on the wall with him, good luck getting loose from his clutches. He’s very mobile; that might be the part of his game that has surprised me the most, just how good he moves. He played high school last year, and sometimes you’re not sure how they will adjust, but he’s just been getting better and better. He’s 6’3″, 215 pounds, and he’s about as strong as they come in junior hockey.
Evan Kabel – You watch him skate, and it’s so effortless, but when you watch him skate through the neutral zone, I don’t think there are too many guys that can catch him. He’s a smart player, very good defensive stick, and while he’s still adjusting to our league, you can tell he’s a smart player. A number of guys have said they like playing with him. He brings poise and composure to the bench, as well.
Kasen Mateychuk – Kasen is a big body, listed at 6’4″, 220 plus pounds, long reach, and he has a level of physicality to his game. You watch him in his own zone; he uses that reach, and he eats up a lot of ice. I think he’ll continue to develop as he gets accustomed to the pace.
Eric Cote – E-Co has looked really good. He’s been skating all the way through camp. He looks confident; he has made big strides from last year, despite the fact that he hasn’t played since February because of that back injury. We’re waiting on clearance, and we’ll see how things are when the time comes, but we’re very much looking forward to him.
Coach’s thoughts – We have a great mix of styles, a blend, which is great because we ask our D to do a lot. We want them to buy into the way we play away from the puck, defending, and taking care of our own zone, and we know there are different ways to go about that. Some will be more physical, like when you look at guys like Charlie Velner and Kabel, both guys are big, but they defend differently. Both can be effective, because they are mobile. We had a d-core that is going to look to be a part of our offense. That mobility and skating we’ve seen so far it should allow us to be dangerous any time we have the puck.
We learned last year that we need to be harder to play against in front of both nets, ours and theirs. Taking care of the middle ice in our zone is critical. When we play some teams, they’ll have big bodies that like to create chaos, but we have D that can box out early; that all starts with mobility. Add in good sticks, and the willingness to partake in those confrontations net front. Offensively, it’s an area too that we want to get to the middle paint. We’re bigger, we have more determination this year to own those areas.
Goalies
Chris Quizi – I thought he was really good in that last preseason game. When you talk about the penalty kill, you want your goalie to be the best penalty killer, and that was exactly what he was. He brings a maturity, it’s his fourth year of junior hockey, and he’s been on some really good teams. Being on Brooks last year, he understands winning culture, and that’s why he wanted to be here. He wants to be a part of team that can contend, and make some noise at the end. With that maturity, there’s a real calmness to him, he’s a real cool customer. I like our tandem with the two different personalities.
Easton Thvedt – He’s looked really, really good at camp. I think the thing that stands out, I got the chance to watch him in a goalie session, just his footwork when it was isolated, he’s got great feet, and it’s not something we maybe talk about in a goaltender. His movements are strong and crisp. As a goaltender that is 5’11”, sometimes that’s not considered to be big in today’s game, but he’s aggressive, and he takes away a lot of space from shooters. I think his footwork is a strength, as well as his ability to read the play.
Coach’s thoughts – There’s a lot of hockey, and we’re going to need both guys. Our belief is that we need two guys if we want to make a deep run. If you get into that stage where you’re in that 70,75 or 80 game range, there is just no way one guy can’t get you there. We’re going to need both guys, and hopefully they push each other, establish a good working relationship, and we have a lot of confidence in both of them.
Staff
Paul Dyck, Head Coach/General Manager – It’s exciting, I’m really excited to get this year going. Camp has been a lot of fun, a lot of new faces that we’ve had multiple discussions with as a staff all summer long, doing projections of where guys might fit in the lineup, so with that newness, it’s certainly a different energy level within the staff, as well. We’re very much looking forward to the puck dropping this weekend.
Calving Bugyik, Assistant Coach– He brings a lot of wisdom to our staff, and he has a tremendous amount of experience. We’ve worked together now for quite some time, so there’s a familiarity. There are times we’re saying the same things at the same time, so we’re definitely on the same page. For Bug, he can be very firm, and other times he can be a little softer, but he’s done a great job with working and leading our backend that last few years. I know he’s looking forward to this group, and they’re going to see how big of an asset he is for us, and he’s a great hockey guy.
Graham Pollock, Video Coach – We’ll have to endure another season of Toronto Maple Leafs banter, but you do what you gotta do sometimes. G’s so incredibly valuable to us, he brings a different perspective. Sometimes as a staff when you’re on the bench, you’re wrapped up in this internal discussion, and you’re hearing things on the bench, after the game when Graham comes downs, he gives a different look because he sees the game so well and from a different perspective. He’s that eye in the sky, and it’s usually postgame we have the discussions, and he sees things differently. He’s a great hockey mind to have, and he’s very valued within the organization.
Matthew Thiessen, Goalie Coach – Top notch goalie coach, he’s such a great asset for us. He’s a young guy that maybe hasn’t been coaching very long, but he’s a real student of the game. He’s extremely passionate about goaltending, and building relationships. I think it’s a big strength for him, the guys will really, really enjoy spending time with him. He’s one of the best people you’re ever going to meet. I’m very grateful, and I love what he’s doing with our goaltenders already. I’m really looking forward to him being here all year.
Nick Lubimiv, Scout – Lubi has been a big, big part of our success the last couple of years. He’s a part of our daily discussions in terms of player assessments. He pours everything into watching video, and is so big in recruiting. He loves being a part of it. He works behind the scenes, so maybe not everybody recognizes him, but he very much is on a day-to-day basis, a huge part of what we’re doing here.
Jeff Eidse, Athletic Trainer – There’s a comfort having Jeff around, not only because of the quality of work he does, but the kind of person that he is. He’s really the backbone for us on a game-to-game basis. He makes our lives as staff and the players lives very comfortable, but he’s not afraid to use his voice and keep guys accountable. You can’t sneak anything past him, he’s very routine, and he will get on guys whether they are veterans or rookies, he’s not afraid to let anyone know there’s a certain way we do business, and he’s a great example of the kind of detailed, passionate work we want to bring to the rink every day.
Pistons Community – It’s amazing. It’s community, and it’s what we’re all about. We’re so appreciative of their support, it’s just been with moving into the new building, we’ve seen our support expand. The volunteers we have, the game day crew, our production team, our ticket takes, Shannon (Dyck) at the store, and our entire game day team, there are so many people involved. Our billet coordinator is amazing, Stacy understands that it’s not just about hockey, it’s about helping build good people, and we’re very blessed to have some amazing billets who treat our players like they are family. Our season ticket holders, I believe we’re at 1100, which is a record for us, and I believe the is room for growth. I think when people get into the building for the first time, I’ve heard some have yet to see it, but when they come and see us play, be a part of this community in the facility, I’m looking forward to seeing some huge crowds here. I’m looking forward to people experiencing everything right here in Steinbach.
