By Derek Holtom /

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League got off to a successful start in the second weekend of September. Eleven teams all start with the same record and dreams of winning a league title. But the spotlight will definitely be on the Dauphin Kings, hosts of this year’s RBC Cup for the national championship in junior A hockey.

Here’s what people are talking about early this season.

SHERWOOD DIVISION

Dauphin Kings
The aforementioned RBC hosts started their season on the road with three games in three nights. Perhaps that’s a good thing for a team which has brought in so many new players from all across Canada, as it gives the players a chance to come together. The Kings went 2-1 on their opening road trip, needing an overtime goal off the stick of Bryce Lamb to ensure they started the season with a winning record. They also allowed 11 goals in three, games, including six in their first two. No doubt defensive play is something they will be working on early this year.

Neepawa Natives
While most every team got in a game on the opening weekend, there were two notable exceptions – the Neepawa Natives and the Portage Terriers. Both teams had games scheduled for the following weekend. They generally start a little later than other Sher-Wood Division teams. Of course, both teams take shorter Christmas breaks and will once again play each other on New Year’s Eve this year. The Natives did make some moves in the opening week of the season, trading 18-year-old forward Blake Boaz and 19-year-old forward Tyler Stevenson to the Fort Frances Lakers of the SIJHL for future considerations. They also added 19-year-old defenceman Jordan McKay from the Swan Valley Stampeders for future considerations.

OCN Blizzard
Zeanan Buternowski is going to be a key part of the Blizzard’s success this year. But fans looking for his name on his jersey this year better be on the lookout for something different. The Blizzard sniper’s name is actually Zeanan Ziemer-Buternowski, and he opted to wear the name Ziemer on his jersey this year to honour his father who passed away this summer. And how did Ziemer-Buternowski fare in his first game with the new name on his jersey? Not too bad, just two goals and three assists to help lead the Blizzard to a 7-2 victory over the visiting Winnipeg South Blues.
Portage Terriers
Will the champs be able to repeat? That’s the question people in Portage are asking after the Terriers won the league title last year, but lost plenty of their top veteran talent. The franchise will look local to fill some of those holes this year, including 18-year-old defenceman Josh Dufresne. After three years of midget hockey, and being called up by the Terriers for the playoff run last year, Dufresne is ready to represent his home community.
 
Swan Valley Stampeders
The Stampeders were saddened upon hearing that Matt Vigier had passed away following a vehicle accident. Vigier is the first cousin of former Stampeder Stephan Vigier and was drafted by the team this past June. General manager Guy Vestby said the team was shocked when they learned Vigier had passed away. “We sympathize with the family over the loss of this young man,” he said. This is not the first time the Stampeders have had to deal with the loss of someone in the organization. Former Stampeder Stephan Hopkins died in a canoeing mishap in the summer of 2007.

Waywayseecappo Wolverines
One of the biggest stories surrounding the Wolverines this season isn’t one the ice, but off. Head coach Barry Butler will be an assistant for Team West at the World Junior A tournament in Summerside, P.E.I., this November. In the meantime he’s got a team to coach. They dropped their opening game 4-0 in Swan Valley against the Stampeders, a game which featured a line brawl which saw eight players on the ice get suspended, including netminder Dezsi Wiens. The Stampeders went hard to the net all night, and Wiens had had enough by the third period. Look for the Wolverines to better protect their netminders. Both Wiens and Jayme Janzen are two of their most valuable players.

ADDISON DIVISION

Selkirk Steelers
The Steelers lost some of their biggest offensive weapons due to graduation this year, but that did not stop them from pumping in six goals against the talented Dauphin Kings to win their season-opening game
6-4. How about this for a season-opening performance by Taylor Dickin – two goals and an assist for three points. Josh Schappert also had three assists in the win. The Steelers have new faces and a new head coach, but they’ll look to continue their winning ways this year. And by beating the Dauphin Kings early on, they sent a message to the rest of the MJHL.

Steinbach Pistons
The former Beausejour Blades (who are the former Southeast Blades) are tired of being the doormat of the MJHL, and want to become at least competitive with the rest of the league. Last season, the team won six games and allowed a stunning 424 goals against, an average of 6.8 per game. Through their first two games, the Pistons are still looking for their first win, but are at least keeping the goals down. They dropped a 4-1 decision to a strong team from Dauphin, and fell 4-2 to Winker. Offensively the Pistons need to get it going, but defensively, they’re already on the right track.

Winkler Flyers
Some observers feel the Winkler Flyers might be a team to watch in the Addison Division this year. The Flyers started slow this year, starting 0-3 in the preseason and starting 0-1 in the regular season. Their lone preseason win and their first regular-season win were both against the Steinbach Pistons. Jordan Neduzak came off the injured list to score for Winkler in their first win of the season. And while the Flyers look to string together a few wins on the ice, off the ice they’re looking forward to next January when they host the MJHL’s annual all-star weekend.

Winnipeg Saints
What kind of team are the Winnipeg Saints going to be this year? That’s what many were wondering after they lost many of their top weapons in the off season to graduation and other teams. But the early indication is they will have a strong team after opening the season with a close 5-4 overtime loss to the Dauphin Kings, and two straight wins over divisional rivals. However, new head coach Keith Cassidy won’t have the overpowering offence to rely on as he did last year. The Saints averaged an astounding 6.1 goals per game last season. However, they still have players who know how to score. For instance, Craig Simchuk was second in league scoring after the first week of the season with six points in two games.

Winnipeg South Blues
Head coach Don MacGillivray knows enough about winning in the MJHL, and so expect the veteran coach to make moves to ensure the Blues don’t repeat last year’s dismal performance and miss the post season for a second straight year. The Blues feel they picked up another piece to the puzzle when they completed a deal with the Portage Terriers, who traded 20-year-old forward Ian Campbell and the MJHL list rights of 18-year-old defenceman Chad Deprez to the Blues for future considerations. The Blues also got their longest road trip out of the way on the opening weekend of the season, earning a split with the OCN Blizzard.