Steinbach Pistons evaluators busy with turnover

Potential Steinbach Pistons have given the team’s coaching staff plenty to think about through two games of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League pre-season. The Pistons took down the Winkler Flyers in back-to-back games, coming out with 5-2 and 3-0 wins.

“We always say these games don’t mean anything, but they do,” head coach and general manager Paul Dyck said after a game in Steinbach Sept. 7.

“They mean something for the players they mean something for the dressing room afterwords and for the culture we can resume building this year.”

A round of roster cuts happened right after the end of the game Sept. 7. There is plenty of work for team staff to do this off-season, with only a few players returning from last year’s squad. Despite the turnover, Dyck is enjoying the process of building the team this year.

“It’s a very competitive group,” he said, crediting the returning players, including newly minted captain Sam Noad for setting the pace.

“In practices there’s been some physicality and just really good energy… Those guys set the tone on what expectations are in practice and how we compete for pucks. It might get a little fiery sometimes and that’s okay. At the end of the day when you play that way you’re going to gain the respect of your teammates.”

Goaltender Easton Thvedt, who is from Reiles Acres, North Dakota, played all 120 minutes against Winkler, including a shutout performance in game two.

“He was sharp and does a really good job of reading the play and finding pucks,” Dyck said.

“I thought he was in control of his game all night.”

Thvedt is one of nine players from the USA named to Steinbach’s main camp rosters. With a reduction in the number of U.S.-born players from six to five, competition for those roster spots is heating up as well.

“I don’t know ultimately how many (Americans) we’re going to have,” Dyck said, stressing the team isn’t short of options from around North America.

“Those are the rules we all play under.”

Dyck added the “whiteboard,” line-up they put together to start camp has already changed, based on chemistry, culture fit and performance.

“You’re not here to make friends, you’re here to make a hockey team,” Dyck said.

Steinbach final pre-season game of the season is Sept. 13, with their home opener Sept. 21.