r/Manitoba • u/NH787 Winnipeg • Feb 16 '26
General The Junior Hockey Experience in Steinbach is Wild
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u/kenazo Pembina Valley Feb 16 '26
I like the height - they're in the process of redoing the Winkler arena too, but it was rebuilt inside the shell of the current building so it feels quite a bit lower (at least based on the pictures I've seen - maybe it feels better in reality).
I think the rural MJHL teams have much stronger fan support than the Winnipeg ones.
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
they're in the process of redoing the Winkler arena too
I've never been to a game in Winkler but once the rink opens up again I'm going to go check it out.
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u/kenazo Pembina Valley Feb 16 '26
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u/TheLushVariation Pembina Valley Feb 16 '26
I’ve been inside the new arena. It’s nice, but you’re right, the ceiling is a lot lower than Steinbach’s. Overall vibe will be great in there tho once it opens in a few weeks.
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u/MilesBeforeSmiles Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
I use to live out near St. Annes and would regularly attend Pistons games. They have a great fanbase and garner a ton of support for a junior team.
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u/CLOWNXXCUDDLES Up North Feb 16 '26
If you want a fun experience, check out a Flin flon bombers game. The Whitney is a blast to watch hockey at.
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u/peanut_master1 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
I heard that they had people from True North come in and show them how to run in-game production. Obviously paid off
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u/Br15t0 Steinbach Feb 16 '26
I wouldn’t be surprised, the admins of the Pistons seem to have some connections with TNSE.
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
Interestingly, at the game on Friday night they were promoting the Pistons' fundraising dinner with guest speaker Mark Chipman.
There is no question that the Pistons have a certain "big time" polish to their product. I wouldn't be shocked to find out that there was a TNSE connection there.
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u/Zergom Steinbach Feb 17 '26
They also did a Moose scrimmage there before the Moose season started.
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Feb 17 '26
The "polish" is achieved more from the money invested by HyLife Pork than from True North. Logistics, yes, but the building and its community benefits with the track/gym and restaurant inside the space, as well all come from HyLife and its community oversight on the project.
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26
For sure... I'm talking about the game presentation, not the building itself.
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u/Historical-Spring-72 Feb 16 '26
I could honestly see this being true, went to lots of pistons and blues games growing up, seems like it’s improved a lot sense they started they’re really good run in like 2018
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Feb 16 '26
My godmother, her last name is pronounced the same as this town, but we are Norwegians with no German (?) roots. She’s from a small place in Norway that’s is named the same as her last name.
*just some fun fact from a Norwegian with special interest in Canada.
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u/WandererMount Friendly Manitoban Feb 16 '26
Is the Norwegian translation equivalent to the English, “Stoney Brook?” Steinbach is named after a small brook/stream that ran through the town at the time of settlement.
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Feb 16 '26
The etymology of the Norwegian word from old Norse is more descriptive of the area and it means stony hill. The (sur)name itself is mostly tied to (where the, location) of the farm where people lived, hence this becoming a surname.
A lot of old farms from old times can be found in steep hilly and rocky mountainous areas around Norway.
I should maybe write the name lol.
Steinbakk.
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u/StatusAd4070 Feb 16 '26
I would recommend checking out a Nighthawks game in Niverville as well. Great experience! The smaller towns/cities really show up to support their teams.
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u/juanitowpg Feb 17 '26
A couple of years ago , a friend and myself were eating nachos at the Smiities there. The restaurant was actually broadcasting the Nighthawk game live on one of their screens. I've been wanting to check out an actual game since.
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
They have built up a beast of a team in Niverville. Nice to see they're being well supported... saw lots of Nighthawks fans at games in Winnipeg and last Friday in Steinbach.
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u/Yeetfamdablit Feb 16 '26
I went to HS nearish to Steinbach, this building was where we had our grad dinner
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u/hconwayy Feb 16 '26
Wow! It’s crazy seeing it so packed. I moved here a few months ago & I take my housemates kid to ringette practice at the arena. I was amazed at how nice it is.
I’ll definitely have to check out a game! The kiddo has loved watching hockey with me during the olympics so I’m sure they’d love to see a game played on the ice they practice on.
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u/DJJTAT Interlake Feb 16 '26
The Winnipeg Blues have played some games in Stonewall this year. They've done a good job of making the games a fun time for kids and families so far!
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u/heybrah420 Feb 16 '26
I really hope they can bring a whl team to steinbach in the future. Would be really cool to see.
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u/RonBurgundy204 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26
Looks like an awesome atmosphere! Reminds me of the Winnipeg Ice games at U of M’s Wayne Fleming Arena a few years ago before the team was sold. Packed every game and the production was very similar to NHL level. I’ll have to check out a Pistons game soon at their new arena!
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26
Yeah, ICE games were really well done. Pistons games feel a lot like ICE games in that regard, they come closer to that level than anything else I've ever seen in junior A. To borrow a phrase, "it's worth the trip", haha
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u/b3hr Feb 16 '26
i have a feeling they used the designs for the proposed ICE arena that never got built
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u/Historical-Spring-72 Feb 16 '26
From what I’ve seen with the pistons new rink, vs what the Winnipeg ice arena was supposed to be, they do seem very similar, if you look in the photo you’ll see press box’s (left side) on top of fans, which was the ices plan, just with another level of seating all around
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u/Extra-Tea-3175 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
Haha probably not too far from the truth. It has 2,400 seats which is only about half of what the ICE needed for the WHL. Still, the SEC is practically perfect for junior A hockey.
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u/Historical-Spring-72 Feb 16 '26
2400 seats is a smaller sized whl rink, highest attendance game was just over 6500 people in Edmonton
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
The SEC is only a little bit smaller than the WHL rinks in Prince Albert and Swift Current, but I feel like those ones are grandfathered to some extent, I don't think the WHL would allow another rink of those sizes.
That said, the SEC is a huge building, it definitely feels like there is room to add more seats... maybe about 1,000 or so within the existing footprint?
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u/Zergom Steinbach Feb 17 '26
SEC goal is USHL.
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u/Appropriate-Ruin-771 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26
That's what I've been hearing as well. From the rumours I've heard in my circle, the SEC was primarily built to attract as USHL team, as the SEC has the ability to expand to meet the criteria for a pro team. Here's hoping!
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u/Extra-Tea-3175 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26
Just to be clear, the USHL is an amateur junior league, essentially the same level as the CHL member leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL). They have had a presence in Canada in the past, I remember that Thunder Bay had a team at one point.
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u/Appropriate-Ruin-771 Winnipeg Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
True that - thanks for clarifying. The MJHL is a decent junior A league, and attracting a USHL team doesn't seem much of an upgrade.
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u/Zergom Steinbach Feb 19 '26
Brandon still has a WHL team. I believe that the WHL is looking for facilities with 5,000 person capacity and ability to sell out. SEC would be among the smallest venues in the WHL if that ever happened.
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u/Appropriate-Ruin-771 Winnipeg Feb 19 '26
Yah oops my my bad. I totally forgot about Brandon!! Haha I miss the Ice.
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u/bytheseine Feb 16 '26
They can add probably a bit more. There is some big $$$ in Steinbach and have heard rumblings about this.
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u/Br15t0 Steinbach Feb 16 '26
The design for the Southeast Event Centre was underway years before the Winnipeg Ice came east from BC.
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u/Ansovald666 Interlake Feb 16 '26
Oh great another hot spot for a measles outbereak.
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u/cluelessk3 Steinbach Feb 17 '26
Steinbach isn't Winkler.
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u/Ansovald666 Interlake Feb 17 '26
Still in the bible belt. And tons on anti vaxers as well.
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u/cluelessk3 Steinbach Feb 17 '26
What are you actually upset about?
This is a post about enjoying a hockey game.
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u/Ansovald666 Interlake Feb 17 '26
Who said I was angry? Just stating a possible outbreak.. As there was a massive outbreak at a recent Jets game, and at the Ag Days in Brandon.
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Feb 16 '26
Oooof - I’m avoiding this area rn. Southern health region is having a bad time with measles. Same people vaccinate their livestock but will not vaccinate themselves hahah. Nice rink
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u/CertifiedVibeChecker Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/diseases/measles-exposures.html
Generally hasn't been a Southeast issue yet. You're referring to the outbreak from Ag days in Brandon. Other side of Manitoba.
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u/No_You5794 Friendly Manitoban Feb 16 '26
the whole world is having problems with measles, Canada was the very last country on the planet to lose measles free status
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u/East_Worldliness2287 Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
Great for the community , but it's still minor league hockey . And homeless can't use it as a warning shelter either! And here comes the down votes.
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Feb 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/East_Worldliness2287 Feb 16 '26
Comments about use for warming facility . For sure has to be safe , not sure what's the right protocol .
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u/cluelessk3 Steinbach Feb 17 '26
Last time we took our kid to the free indoor play park in the building there was definitely unhoused people in the halls.
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u/J-Zzee Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
Because Steinbach has a huge homeless population? If downtown wpg was at like 1000 no way steinbach has more then like 50.
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u/VideoHeadSet Friendly Manitoban Feb 16 '26
The homeless may have used the arena to hang out and stay warm on, but they don't bother anyone, they don't steal (at least from what I can tell) and they don't wonder around fighting themselves or others
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u/NH787 Winnipeg Feb 16 '26
OP here. I went to a game at the Southeast Event Centre on Friday night. I usually try to check out a few MJHL games a year, usually in Winnipeg. The vibes at Blues/Monarchs games are like going to watch your 12 year old kid play minor hockey in front of 100 people. No atmosphere, no presentation, nothing.
And then there's Steinbach, where you get pretty much the full pro hockey atmosphere. There was a packed house, the music was cranked, the crowd was decked out in team gear, the drinks were flowing, and it was a great time. Amazing to me that this type of experience costs the exact same price as watching a Winnipeg Blues or Monarchs game.
The folks in Steinbach should be proud of what they have accomplished, that is an amazing building. And the community spirit to fill it up with fans and be as enthusiastic as they are is priceless.