The Steinbach Pistons have finished their 2025/26 season ranked second in Canada for average attendance among all teams in the Canadian Junior Hockey League. During their first full season at the new Southeast Event Centre, the team brought in an average of 1,885 fans per game.
According to the team, this performance marks a significant increase for the club. Attendance numbers have doubled compared to the 2022/23 season, the team’s last at the Centennial Arena, where they averaged between 800 and 900 fans per game. Within the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, the Pistons drew more than double the fans of any other team this past season.
The only team in the country to post higher attendance figures was the Edmundston Blizzard of the Maritime Hockey League, which averaged 2,327 fans per game. The Southeast Event Centre, which officially opened in August 2025 following the arena’s initial opening in March of that year, holds a seating capacity of 2,366. Throughout the 29 regular-season home games and six playoff appearances, the team reached crowds exceeding 2,400 fans on two separate occasions by utilizing standing-room options.
The 112,000 square foot facility, which includes two ice surfaces, a gymnasium, a restaurant, and is connected to a movie theatre, was constructed at a cost of approximately $74 million to $75 million. Roughly one-third of the funding for the project was provided through private donations from the community. The building is owned by the City of Steinbach and operated by the Southeast Events Group.
