THE MJHL PRE-SEASON IS UNDERWAY, THE MMJHL AND CSSHL STARTS THIS WEEKEND

The MJHL’s pre-season schedule is underway while more teams are holding tryouts all over the province. Who’s Ready for Hockey?

 Game On Hockey Brief — August 31–September 6

The MJHL supplied the week’s only substantial game action. The other Manitoba leagues remain in camp mode, while the three CSSHL programs have yet to begin regular-season play.

• Key preseason results: Swan Valley beat Waywayseecappo 4–2 on September 1. Northern Manitoba then defeated Swan Valley 7–3 (seven different players scored for the Blizzard) and 1–0 in a home-and-home set. Winkler swept Steinbach 5–3 and 5–4 in a shootout.
• Winnipeg’s new rivalry began emphatically: the Blues beat the Monarchs 8–4 on September 5. Jacob Alexander had a pair for the Blues while Suhaan Nagra had two for the Monarchs.
• Defending national champion Niverville opened with an 8–1 victory over Selkirk. Rookie Maddox Ramage from Pilot Mound Hockey Academy scored a hat for the Nighthawks.
• These are exhibition results, so there is no regular-season standings movement. However, Winkler’s 2–0 start and Northern Manitoba’s dramatic improvement deserve attention.
• Potential storyline: “From eight wins back to contention” — Gratton’s attempt to restore the 2025 Turnbull Cup champions following last season’s collapse.

Sources: MJHL schedule and results, Niverville 8, Selkirk 1, Northern Manitoba season preview.

MMJHL

• Inactive: No games or standings movement during the reporting window.
• River East opens registration September 7, while Fort Garry/Fort Rouge and St. Boniface begin camp September 8. Exhibition activity increases later this week.
• Potential storyline: River East’s camp is particularly timely because renovations at Terry Sawchuk Arena create another operational element worth exploring.

Sources: MMJHL official news, Twins camp information.

• Inactive/unavailable: No games, standings movement or dependable new league announcement was posted.
• Expansion Altona remains the primary preseason storyline as the CRJHL prepares to operate with eight teams.
• Potential storyline: Compare Altona’s expansion build with the established recruiting systems in St. Malo and Beausejour—where do new Junior B teams find enough competitive players?

Sources: CRJHL official site, Altona franchise announcement.

KJHL

Source: KJHL official site.

MWJHL

• Inactive: Tryouts have not begun; consequently, there were no results, standings movement or player performances.
• Six evaluation teams skate September 12–13, followed by rookies and draft-eligible players September 15. All available goaltending positions remain filled.
• Potential storyline:  “The goalie rush” — why MWJHL crease positions filled before the league’s first tryout and what that says about Manitoba’s female goaltending pipeline.

Source: MWJHL registration and tryouts.

• Inactive/unavailable: No league games, standings or current player statistics were posted.
• Pembina Valley’s public calendar shows practices beginning September 7 under head coach Chris Laing, but several other team pages remain incomplete or under construction.
• Potential storyline: A preseason coaches’ poll asking each bench boss for one returning leader, one rookie to watch and the team’s biggest unresolved camp battle.

Sources: MFHL U18 AAA official site, Pembina Valley Hawks.

CSSHL — Manitoba programs

• Pilot Mound: Inactive during the reporting window. The Female U18 Prep regular-season schedule has been released, but no September 1–6 result was posted.
• RINK Winnipeg: The Female U18 Prep team listed a September 4 exhibition against Jamestown University, but no reliable final score or individual statistics were publicly posted.
• Balmoral Hall: Inactive. Its first listed head-to-head exhibition with RINK Winnipeg is September 12.
• No CSSHL standings movement occurred for the three Manitoba programs.
• Potential storyline: RINK–Balmoral Hall Blazers on Sept, 12, offers an early chance to assess two Manitoba Female U18 Prep rosters in the same building.

Sources: CSSHL official site, Pilot Mound schedule release, RINK Winnipeg Female U18 Prep schedule.