Steinbach Pistons swept out of MJHL finals by Winkler

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This article was published 26/04/2024 (756 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Steinbach Pistons’ season came to a shocking end April 26, as the Winkler Flyers completed a finals sweep, winning their first Manitoba Junior Hockey League Championship since 1998.

Winkler scored five minutes into overtime to clinch the title, after Spencer Penner and David Cote took minor penalties, leaving Steinbach two men down for well over a minute.

Zach Nicolas would be the hero, taking advantage of the extra space near the Pistons net and knocking home a loose puck, setting off jubilant celebrations inside the Centennial Arena in Winkler with the final score reading 5-4 for the home team.

Steinbach put together their best period of the entire finals, scoring twice in the third period to force overtime, including a Parker Jasper one-timer marker with 30 seconds left.

The Flyers were undaunted by the late equalizer, nearly winning the series off the opening faceoff of the extra frame, and picking up chance after chance in the overtime.

The victory was the perfect sendoff to Winkler’s Centennial Arena, which will be undergoing major renovations next season. The Pistons, who were defending champions, also won the MJHL’s Turnbull Cup in the final year of their arena’s existence last season.

The Flyers will be Manitoba’s representative at the Centennial Cup in Oakville, Ont.