Game On Magazine 2017 Nov Game On low res | Page 62

As an affiliated player or
AP with the Steinbach Hawks,
the then 16-year-old was
excited about the prospect
of being a full-time member
of the MJHL team, likely as
soon as the following season.
For any player with
aspirations of continuing
at the game’s higher levels,
that particular age is a crucial
point in his hockey career.
For Dyck that chance
never came. Following the
1987-88 season the Hawks
ceased operations and
junior hockey in the Carillon
region would eventually
enter into an abeyance for
more than two decades.
Fortunately, other eyes
were on Dyck and he quickly
found a place to play with the
Dauphin Kings. However, it
wasn’t home and it wasn’t
the way it was supposed to
unfold for a youngster chasing
his junior hockey dream.
“I always thought we were
robbed of an opportunity
to play at home,” says Dyck
looking back. “It forced
me and other guys in the
area to play elsewhere.”
Overall, the junior hockey
void in the city didn’t stunt
Dyck’s progression as a player.
He went on to play major
junior in Moose Jaw and
enjoyed a solid professional
career both across North
America and in Europe.
After retiring as a player,
Dyck returned home to
Steinbach to pursue other
interests. This included the
invention, marketing and
sales of a helmet to protect
horses post-surgically and
for their wear during trailer
or airline transport.
But with a passion
still for the game and the
disappointing memory of
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the MJHL departing in the
city in the ‘80s still fresh
in his mind, it wasn’t long
before the newly-arrived
Steinbach Pistons asked
him to become involved.
At first it was as an assistant
coach during the team’s
second season of operation,
after it had relocated from
Beausejour in 2009-10. But
with an ownership change
within the first two years,
Dyck was organizationally
elevated and assumed the
dual roles of head coach and
general manager by 2011.
“I truly felt like Steinbach
should have a franchise and a
successful franchise at that,”
he says. “And to get involved
hoping to make a difference
was definitely intriguing.”
Since then, he’s held both
positions and guided the
franchise to an MJHL title
in 2012-13. Moreover, in
the past five seasons, Dyck’s
Pistons have qualified for the
playoffs each year and made
two additional appearances
in the MJHL finals.
To consider him the face of
the Pistons’ franchise would
probably make the 47-year-old
uncomfortable, but if he’s not
the face then he’s certainly
the most recognizable and
perpetual figure with team.
In fact, it’s somewhat
mayoral in popularity.
No doubt, some of the
positive notoriety stems from
the fact he’s a Steinbach guy
as well as the Head Coach/
GM of the local Jr. A team,
but a significant part of that
popularity is attributable
to the success of the team
under his tutelage.
“When the program really
needed somebody he was
there,” says Rob Smith, also
a Steinbach product, who