The 2025-26 season came to an end last week for the five Manitoba Junior Hockey League clubs that failed to qualify for the Turnbull Cup playoffs.
Selkirk Steelers goaltender Hudson Hunnie stopped 24 shots in the 6–2 loss to the Winkler Flyers last Friday night in Selkirk
Among them were the Selkirk Steelers, who finished the campaign 20-35-2-1 for 43 points, placing fifth in the MGEU East Division.
Last week they rounded out their 58-game schedule with a trio of games against divisional opponents.
On Tuesday they fell 4-2 to the league-leading Niverville Nighthawks at Selkirk Recreation Complex.
The Steelers outshot Niverville 54-50 in the contest. However, the Nighthawks found the timely goals when they needed them late in the third.
Wyatt Witham and Landon Pue scored for Selkirk, which had things tied at two early in the third period until Niverville’s Ryken Arran scored the game-winner 8:45 into the final frame.
Niverville’s Marlen Edwards added an empty-netter in the dying seconds as the Nighthawks claimed victory on the road.
Steelers netminder Ethan Sawyer finished with 46 saves in the loss, while Niverville’s Ben Chornomydz made 52 in the win.
The Steelers then shifted their focus to their final home game of the regular season on Friday against the Winkler Flyers.
A crowd of 685 came out to Selkirk Recreation Complex for the divisional meeting, which saw the Flyers skate to a 6-2 victory.
Selkirk trailed 1-0 through 20 minutes before the Flyers got five more past netminder Hudson Hunnie in the second period.
Jules Delepoulle got Selkirk on the board amid the Flyers’ onslaught, making it 3-1 at the time.
Owen Branson later netted the Steelers’ second goal of the game, which stood as the lone tally of the third period.
Hunnie finished with 24 saves, while Winkler’s Liam Russell stopped 25 at the other end.
Selkirk then played its final game of the season Saturday in Steinbach, resulting in a 6-2 loss to the hometown Pistons in front of 2,377 at Southeast Event Centre.
Selkirk trailed 3-0 early in the second before Isaac Sousa got one back to cut into the lead.
Steinbach then scored twice more before Witham tallied what proved to be Selkirk’s final goal of the season late in the second period.
The Pistons led 5-2 entering the third before extending the lead midway through the frame.
Sawyer finished with 28 saves, while Steinbach’s Chris Quizi made 17 in the win.
The game concluded the MJHL careers of Steelers 2005-born players Branson, Witham, Delepoulle, Nolan Wytrykusz, Evan Mayer, Carter Zalischuk and Dawson Madden.
Both Branson and Wytrykusz were previously committed to play college hockey next season before Delepoulle joined them, with the Steelers announcing his commitment to Plattsburgh State University (NCAA Division III) on March 7.
The Montreal-born defender will take his talents to Plattsburgh, N.Y., fresh off a career-best eight-goal, 17-assist season in the MJHL.
