The Steinbach Pistons added depth at forward and defence ahead of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League trade deadline, Wednesday evening.

 Head coach and general manager Paul Dyck spoke about the first move made and it was to bring back a familiar face. "It was a quieter day across the league but we were able to make a couple moves that will solidify our lineup. First, is the return of Riley Bruce from the Regina Pats. Riley played a game for us last year, he's a draft pick of ours and brings some toughness to his game. He's a pretty skilled player as well. He's younger, he'll bring enthusiasm and some toughness."

Dyck wasn't done as he also added to the Pistons forward depth. "Danny Pion is from BC, he's a '98 forward and has the ability to play different spots in our lineup. There's a lot of potential. We felt like it was necessary to add a piece up front. Danny is a responsible player, he's got some real upside. We watched his game, liked the decisions he made. He's got offensive upside and the fact he's a '98 and to have him around for the next two years was appealing. He's a motivated young man, in fact, I found it interesting, his first language is French and has only been in Nanaimo for 5 months but he's pretty close to fluent. It shows the level of commitment and he wants to be a hockey player."

With the moves to add, Dyck had the difficult task of moving a player out. He explains the move. "We moved David Beauchamp and it was a real tough move. Davis is one of the classiest guys you'll ever find. He was a favourite in our room and was great in the community. He was great to coach and it's always tough. On paper, the moves are simple but the moves impact players as individuals. He'll be going to Thief River Falls. It's a matter of him needing to see game action. He needs to play bigger minutes. I know the guys down there in Thief and it's a good group of paper. Once he's there, he'll be a good addition and I think he'll enjoy it as well."

The Steinbach Pistons sit first in the MJHL and Dyck talked about his strategy going in and ultimately, what happened at the deadline. "We felt like, if we could make a move that would make us better, we'll do it. We're not going to force a trade just for the sake of a trade. We feel we are better today with the players we've brought in."

Both Bruce and Pion could be in Steinbach as early as Wednesday afternoon.

Steinbach welcomes in the OCN Blizzard tonight. Puck drops at 7:30pm at the TG Smith Centre. Stream the game through SteinbachOnline.com right here: https://www.steinbachonline.com/pistons-schedule