Four teams have been eliminated while four have advanced to the 2026 Turnbull Cup semifinals, as the opening round of the MJHL playoffs wrapped up on Saturday when the Steinbach Pistons defeated the Portage Terriers in five games, the only series in the first round that wasn’t a sweep.
The Niverville Nighthawks swept the Winkler Flyers, while the Virden Oil Capitals did the same to the Neepawa Titans, as did the Waywayseecappo Wolverines over the Dauphin Kings.
Things don’t get much easier for Steinbach moving forward, as they’re set to face the Oil Capitals in round two, a team they didn’t beat once on the road during the regular season, which could add to the challenge of the series.
Steinbach Round One Team Leaders
Defenceman Liam Doyle led both the Pistons and the MJHL in points (10) in the opening round against Portage (4G, 6A). Forward Jackson Kostiuk topped the league in goals (6), while forward Brett Kaiser led Steinbach in assists (7).
On the power play, Doyle found the back of the net twice for the team lead in power-play markers. Captain Sam Noad also scored the club’s lone short-handed goal.
Steinbach Round One Goaltending
Pistons goaltender Chris Quizi started all five games against the Terriers, posting a .938 SV%, a 2.00 GAA, and a shutout in Game Five. The Bradford, Ont. native recorded the third-best save percentage in the MJHL during the quarterfinals.
Virden Round One Team Leaders
Forward Bryce Bryant led the Oil Capitals in points (8) in round one (3G, 5A). Forwards Dysen Drake and Marshall Light tied for the team lead in goals (4), while Bryant also led the club in assists (5).
Bryant, along with fellow forward Liam Goertzen, both scored Virden’s lone power-play goals of the series.
Virden Round One Goaltending
Braxton Burdeny appeared between the pipes for all four games in Virden’s sweep over Neepawa, recording a .933 SV% along with a 1.50 GAA. He also registered one shutout.
Regular-Season Series
Steinbach and Virden met four times during the regular season, with both teams winning two games each, notably on their home ice.
The Pistons took the first two meetings at the Southeast Event Centre, winning 5-2 on Oct. 18 and 4-3 on Nov. 8. Virden then captured the next two at Tundra Oil & Gas Place, winning 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 30 and 7-4 on March 12.
Both clubs scored 16 goals each against one another across the four games.
Game One & Two Details
Game One of the second-round best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday, April 3 at the SEC, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
Game Two will follow the next night (Saturday, April 4) at the SEC, with puck drop also set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
