Mark Wilson scored two power play goals, and Bradley Schoonbaert notched the game-winner in the beginning of the third as the Steinbach Pistons withstood a great performance by Winnipeg Blues goaltender Jeremy Link to win 3-1 Friday night. Link stopped 49 of 52 shots in the loss, and Matthew Thiessen continues to roll in these […]
Courtesy of Dave Anthony of Steinbachonline.com Bradley Schoonbaert scored two goals and added an assist in the Steinbach Pistons 8-3 victory over the Selkirk Steelers on Saturday night. It was the second straight night the two teams locked horns, this time in Selkirk for their home opener. The party was short lived for the Steelers […]
Former Pistons Player Cole Smith was recently invited to compete at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Developmental Camp. The camp ran from June 27th to July 1st and was held at the Lightning’s practice facility, The Ice Sports Forum, located in Brandon, Florida. Every NHL team hosts a developmental camp where they feature the organizations top […]
The upcoming season will be a little brighter for the Steinbach Pistons as the City of Steinbach have finished installing new LED lights and a new roof cover.
In this edition of Pistons alumni update, we re-connect with local hockey superstar Daniel Taillefer.
A reminder to all Pistons alumni, you can now register online to our new alumni database.
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League has released the upcoming schedule for the 2017-18 season.
The Steinbach Pistons hosted another successful Hockey in the City tournament this past weekend. Players and parents packed the T.G. Smith Centre to take part in a fun-filled day that included 11 teams from the ages of 7 to 14. The following are this years Hockey in the City Winners: 7 (2010) and 8 (2009) year-old Division: Eastman Junior Pistons 9 (2008) and 10 (2007) year-old Division: Transcona All-Stars 11 (2006 to 14 (2003) year-old Division: The McChickens Team The Pistons would like to thank all the teams that registered and participated in this years Hockey in the City tournament. We would also like to thank all our volunteers and Pistons players who helped set up, manage and ref throughout the event.
In this edition of Pistons Alumni Update, we re-connect with one of the most beloved players to have played for the Steinbach Pistons, defenseman Kyle Rous (Pictured above with his parents celebrating an SEMHL championship as a member of the Notre Dame Hawks). Rous played 4 seasons with the Pistons from 2009-13, where he established himself as a dominant force on the back-end. Rous began his career with the organization when he was called up to play with the Beausejour Blades in the 2008-09 season. In his next three seasons with the newly relocated Steinbach Pistons, the Winnipeg product endured his fair share of team struggles as the Pistons won 47 games. In comparison, this past 2016-17 season saw the Pistons win 49 games. Although the team struggled, Rous remained loyal to the organization and consistently produced excellent individual seasons. Rous elevated his game to another level during the 2012-13 season. He was awarded the team captaincy and through his leadership, Rous exhibited the dedication and hard work it would take in order to be successful at the junior level. With a smart hockey sense, gritty attitude and wicked shot, Rous led by example on and off the ice and helped the Pistons reach its first MJHL Playoff berth. Although this was Rous’ first taste of Junior A playoff action, the star defenseman played with poise, becoming the Pistons go-to player in all situations. Not only was Rous an offensive threat in the oppositions end, but he was tasked with shutting down the opponents top lines. All the struggles that Rous experienced early on in his career were worth it as he ended his junior career an MJHL Champion. The captain finished his graduating year by leading the Pistons to the Inaugural Western Canada Cup in Naniamo, British Columbia. Rous ended his Pistons career as the teams top defenseman in all major statistical categories. Rous finished first in games played by a defenseman with 207, goals with 43, assists with 93 and points with 136. In 19 career playoff games with the Pistons, Rous finished with 3 goals, 10 assists and 13 points. Rous was awarded many league accomplishments during his Pistons career, including a spot in the MJHL All Star game in 2010-11, the Player of the Month award for January of the 2012-13 season, an MJHL First All Star Team selection for the 2012-13 season and an MJHL Championship. The following is Kyle Rous’ Q and A STP: What are you doing in life these days? Rous: I've recently bought a house in Notre Dame de Lourdes with my girlfriend. I am working for MND Plumbing as an apprentice and playing hockey with the Notre Dame Hawks, who won the SEMHL championship this past season. STP: What are your plans for the future? Rous: My future plans are to complete my levels and become a journeyman plumber. In the next couple of years, my girlfriend and I hope to get married and start a family. I also plan on continuing to play hockey with the Notre Dame Hawks. STP: Do you still follow the team during the season? Rous: I follow the team as much as I can. I enjoy seeing highlights on their social media pages and catching a game or two when I have the time. I rarely miss checking the score to see how the team is doing during playoffs. STP: Do you still connect with any of your former pistons teammates? Rous: Yes, all of the time. Most of those guys became like brothers during our junior days, and I still play with and against some. Since moving to a small town I don’t get the chance to see a lot of them anymore but many of us still chat and catch up when we have the time. STP: Who was your favorite Pistons player and why? Rous: I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite. I would say that I have earned respect for a group of guys that battled through the tough times in our organization for a number of years when winning didn’t come easy and stuck it through to see a championship in the end. Trent Genyk, Dan Taillefer, Justin Augert along with a bunch of twenty year olds that aged out before our championship run, are a few that I will always remember. STP: What are your most memorable on ice moments with the Pistons? Rous: My most memorable moment as a piston was game 6 in Steinbach with a packed barn and winning the MJHL championship. Nothing could have been sweeter in my final year than going out on top. STP: What are your most memorable off-ice moments with the Pistons? Rous: The best moments off the ice were always hanging out with your teammates, whether it was celebrating after a win or relaxing with the boys. You'll never forget those moments. STP: What advice would you give to future players wanting to play in Steinbach? Rous: The advice I think I'd give to any guy going through the Steinbach organization would be don’t take anything for granted. This franchise has worked extremely hard to become what it is today and if you get the honor to wear that jersey, you give it your all, on or off the ice and you'll see, it'll repay you by making you the player and person you want to be. STP: How did your time with the pistons get you to where you are today? Rous: I think my time with the Pistons helped me along my path by providing me with a strong work ethic, leadership skills and an attitude that doesn’t quit when situations get difficult.
For many young hockey players looking to play at the junior level, leaving home and moving in with a new family can be a very big adjustment. Billet families accepting young men into their homes also experience these changes, with those players becoming big commitments in their lives. The importance of billets, however, is undeniable as they play a life long role in the development and maturity of players. The Steinbach Pistons recruit players from all around the country and south of the border to play hockey, and like so many other Junior A hockey programs, the Pistons rely heavily on their billet community. One such billet family are the Loewens. Alysia and Colin have been billeting Pistons players for the past three years. This past year, the family billeted goaltender Roman Bengert and forward Jack Johnson. Alysia and her family always entertained the notion of one day billeting a Pistons player, but it was a comment from a friend that made her and her husband decide to start billeting. “We had one person make a comment to us about thinking ahead to if our kids would need to billet one day. What kind of home would we want them to stay in? Well we would want for them what we have here at home.” “We would want that family oriented home, where everyone would be together, doing things together,” explains Alysia. “We would want that for our kids and chances are there are other people out there who are wanting the same thing for their kids as well.” Billet families like the Loewens are the strong foundational support that Junior A players need when continuing their hockey careers far from home. They play an essential role in providing players a place to escape from the rink where they feel comfortable and at home. “We have found it to be an extremely rewarding, positive experience for our entire family,” continues Alysia. “Our kids look forward to having the players come to our home. They play floor hockey in the basement together and play hockey on the outdoor rink. The relationships between our children and the players last a very long time.” The relationships created through billeting are the biggest takeaways for billets and players, as their relationships remain close. The Loewens were able to reconnect with one of their former billets, Cole Smith, now a member of the University of North Dakota’s Men’s Hockey team, this summer. “Cole Smith was our first player that we had, and just over the May long weekend, both our families got together and spent time with each other,” Alysia added. For families who are interested in billeting but aren’t quite sure if they should, Alysia’s advice would be to go for it! “If you’re willing to sacrifice some of your own space, time and things to invest in someone else’s life, those kind of investments will find you far greater satisfaction than living your own.” “That’s a message that we try to pass on to our children too,” she said. “When you invest your love, time and energy into others, it is far more rewarding than living life selfishly.” The Pistons have been very fortunate to have such a strong billet community that cares deeply about our players well being. We would like to thank all our billets for the amazing support that they provide our organization and players. The Pistons are always looking to add more families to our billet community. If you and your family are interested, contact Pistons Billet Coordinator Janice Fender at 204-326-4878 or 204-392-5309 for more information.
