Reigning MJHL MVP Connor Paronuzzi returns to Steinbach Pistons

It’s not often a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team can add last year’s most valuable player to their roster mid-way through their season, but that’s exactly what the Steinbach Pistons have done.

Connor Paronuzzi is back playing for the team after a stint with the Brooks Bandits of the non-affiliated B.C. Hockey League. The MJHL has been losing high-profile players left and right to the BCHL throughout this season, including Pistons forward Brody Green, who left just as Paronuzzi returned.

“When he called, it was a very pleasant surprise and we knew immediately what that answer would be in terms of welcoming him back,” Steinbach head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said.

Paronuzzi posted 29 goals and 64 assists in 58 games last season for the Pistons, breaking the franchise assist and points in a single game record en route to his MVP award. In 29 games with Brooks this season, Paronuzzi had 18 points, even picking up an assist in the Bandits’ final game before the Christmas break against Sherwood Park.

Dyck said the transition has been “seamless.” Paronuzzi was named the team’s RBC Community Ambassador for his work volunteering in the community last year.

“The great part about it is ‘Nuz is excited to be here,” he said.

“He’s made some great friends in this community. He’s grown up here, he’s become a man during his time in Steinbach and I think that was important to him, to finish his junior career here.”

All of a sudden, a Pistons group that looked light on experience up front looks like one of the deepest in the league, as Paronuzzi, Grady Hoffman and Jackson Kostiuk, who all started the season playing at a higher level, have returned to the Automobile City.

All three contributed on the scoresheet in Steinbach’s statement 5-1 win over West Division powerhouse Dauphin Jan. 9, with the visitors out-shooting the Kings 32-17 through 40 minutes of play while building a 4-0 lead.

“We like our forward group a lot,” Dyck said, adding he’s loved the development of younger players and the grit players like Cole Carins have brought to the line-up.

Kostiuk returned to Steinbach from the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders just before Christmas, scoring seven points in his first three games back. Dyck said adding a pair of players with a combined 180 games of MJHL experience has been massive for the Pistons.

“(Kostiuk’s) got a lot of energy, he plays with a lot of pace,” Dyck said.

“He brings a smile to the room every day… That’s added a lot of energy to our room.”

Those additions meant an uncharacteristically slow deadline for Dyck and the Pistons, as the team made no moves in advance of the Jan. 10 roster freeze, aside from easing a log-jam in the crease.

“We thought, ‘are we going to make moves just to make moves?’” Dyck said.

“We like our group. We feel like if we play the way we’re capable of we can make some noice. I like the chemistry in the room, I really like the group of guys. They’re close, they really want to play for each other, I didn’t want to disrupt anybody.”

Steinbach is also getting healthy, as both their goalies (Chris Quizi and Easton Thevdt) to start the year set to return to the line-up. Those returns set up the only trade Steinbach made at the deadline, as they moved out their third goalie, Hunter Bauer, to the Dauphin Kings.

Bauer impressed Dauphin in person the day before the trade, backstopping the team in their 5-1 win and picking up second star fo the game.

When a player moves to the BCHL, the team he leaves in affiliated Junior A doesn’t receive any compensation, either through players coming back or a player development fee.

DEADLINE RECAP FROM ACROSS THE LEAGUE

It was a busy deadline around the MJHL with 22 deals between New Year’s and the Jan. 10th deadline. The Winkler Flyers and Niverville Nighthawks are loading up on the stretch run.

Swan Valley had a massively busy deadline week, making five separate deals. They added five Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League players by sending out player development fees and 2006-born defender Gavin Bartha in four separate deals. The Stampeders’ two leading scorers (2005-born forwards Ethan MacTavish and Riley Fequet) were moved to Winkler. The Flyers also added Monarchs forward Kade Stringer and Virden’s Rhylan Baxter, and re-acquired goaltender Liam Earnst after a stint in the North American Hockey League.

The Nighthawks grabbed the rights to Marlen Edwards from the Norman Blizzard in exchange for recent addition Renat Nahnieiev and Seth Quayle. Edwards was spectacular for Norman in the team’s championship season last year, and began the year in the North American Hockey League.

Portage waited until the final day to make their move, adding a trio of players who are all eligible to return to the league next year.

For more MJHL coverage including stats, standings and game recaps, be sure to check out The Carillon’s print edition.