By Derek Holtom
I’m happy to report solid crowds up and down the MJHL on opening weekend, as they attempt to continue to build off the momentum from last season.
The defending league and Centennial Cup champion Niverville Nighthawks attracted a solid crowd of 729 to see their banner rising.
I was also heartened to see a solid crowd in Swan River watch the Stampeders on their opening night. A total of 450 fans turned out, bringing some normalcy for three hours to a community still cleaning up from the two floods this summer.
Dauphin was also hit with flooding this year, with waves lapping up to the steps of Credit Union Place. They drew a solid crowd of 974 fans.
Other impressive crowds include Winkler attracting 974, Portage bringing in 723, Neepawa getting 659, and Waywayseecappo getting 416 fans.
The second-most fans on opening night was in Virden as they attracted a great crowd of 1,037. Amazingly that number still pales in comparison to the top crowd from the weekend – 2,053 fans attended to watch the Steinbach Pistons beat the Winkler Flyers.
That’s a staggering amount of fans to watch a MJHL game. For comparison, when I used to cover the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in the late 1990s, they would average 1,800 to 2,150 fans a game.
It’s a great success for the Pistons for sure, but one has to wonder are they becoming too successful for the MJHL? We’ve seen all sorts of movement in junior hockey leagues, especially since the NCAA started to accept players from the WHL. One wonders what the future holds for the Pistons, and what that might mean for the rest of the MJHL?
That’s all speculation for now – today the MJHL has to love seeing full rinks.
- The opening weekend MJHL Stars of the Week saw all three winners score four goals to help their teams.
Swan Valley’s Dylan Ruff had a hat trick opening night and one more the next night, as well as two assists, to earn his honour.
Noah Paulsen from the Selkirk Steelers also scored four goals – one shorthanded – as well as an assist in two games to earn his award.
The final winner is Neepawa’s Addison McIntosh. He scored all four of his team’s goals in the second game to help the Titans to a big win over the rival Portage Terriers.
- On the trade, front, the Waywayseecappo Wolverines shipped forward 2006 born Rhett Perrin and a player development fee (PDF) to the Portage Terriers for 2008 forward Jonah Lemoine. Perrin rejoins the Terriers after being dealt to the Wolverines back in the 2024-25 season. Perrin had eight goals and 13 assists in 34 games last year. Lemoine had nine goals and 17 assists last season with the Terriers.
The Winkler Flyers shipped defenseman Parker Henderson to Fort Frances of the SIJHL for a PDF.
And the Neepawa Titans sent forward Tyler Wamboldt to the Portage Terriers for a PDF. Wamboldt had seven goals and 10 assists last season with the Titans.
- Opening weekend saw a pair of suspensions as well.
Teagan Wrolstad from the Selkirk Steelers was handed a one-game suspension after being assessed a boarding major.
Also, Swan Valley’s Karson Connelly was handed one-game suspension after being assessed a cross checking major.
There was also a pair of one-game suspensions, handed out on different nights, to players for taking part in one-man fights. Sitting for one game as a result is Justin Belanger from the Winkler Flyers and Ryder Heaphy from the Neepawa Titans.
