The Steinbach Pistons announced Wednesday that forward Brady Tatro will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season due to a knee injury.
The injury occurred on January 5th in the third period of a 3-1 win against the Dauphin Kings. Because this is his 20-year-old season, this ends Tatro’s junior career with the Pistons.
“Unfortunately Brady Tatro’s season came to an end last week with a season ending knee injury,” Head Coach and General Manager Paul Dyck said in a statement. “It is obviously an extremely disappointing end to his season and junior hockey career for him.”
Tatro came to the Pistons last season, and was an integral part of Steinbach’s Turnbull and ANAVET Cup championship wins in 2017-18. In 57 games last season, Tatro scored 19 goals and added 17 assists while predominantly playing on the fourth line. He added five goals and five assists during the MJHL playoffs, scored two goals and an assist in the ANAVET Cup, and notched an assist in the RBC Cup as well.
“Brady made an immediate impact when he arrived in the fall of 2017, as he brought an element we were lacking at the time,” Dyck recalled. “His strength and physicality made him difficult to play against, and could punish defenceman on the forecheck. He grew in confidence this season and produced at a point per game pace.”
The Bemidji native scored 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 37 games played this season. “What I will remember the most about the past two years is winning both the Turnbull and the ANAVET, the relationships I made with the people on the teams I played with, and the people in the community,” Tatro said.
Tatro credited his coach of two seasons for all of his success. “Paul has played a big part in my development as a player,” he said. “Starting with the style of practice he runs, to the style of play he sets up for the team. He surrounds himself and the team with the perfect people to help with the player’s development.”
“I was impressed by him as a person from the first time we met,” Dyck added. “He is just a solid guy, a great teammate, and a high character young man with leadership qualities. He spent countless hours the past two seasons giving back to our community, and I often heard positive comments from people after they had encounters with Brady.”
“We will miss him on the ice, in the room, and in the community,” he said.
The entire Pistons organization would like to thank Brady for everything he accomplished on the ice these past two years, and for all of the work in the community he did during his time in Steinbach. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward.