The T.G. Smith Arena is an

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

arena in Steinbach,

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

It is adjacent to the site of the Southeast Events Centre, which is currently under construction. The Steinbach Curling Club is also adjacent to the arena.

History

Prior to 2023, the T.G. Smith Arena was part of the T.G. Smith Centre. The original part of the complex was the ''Steinbach Centennial Arena'', opened in 1967 and accommodated up to 1,250 spectators (seated and standing room combined). A second indoor rink was constructed in the mid-1990s after which the entire complex was named after the T.G. Smith Centre, after a local banker and supporter of local sport programs. The Centennial Arena was demolished in June 2023 to make way for the new Southeast Events Centre, leaving the existing arena as the remaining part of the complex. It has a capacity of approximately 300. The T.G. Smith Centre was the home of the

Steinbach Pistons The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. History Southeast Thunderbirds/T-Birds/Bl ...

of the

Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The MJHL consists of thirteen teams all based ...

from 2009 to 2023 and the

Steinbach Huskies The Steinbach Huskies are a junior and senior ice hockey club based in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. Senior Huskies Founded in the 1920s, the Senior Huskies have played in several leagues over the years: the Hanover-Tache Hockey League (1953–2 ...

junior and senior hockey teams. The T.G. Smith Arena continues to host the community's

minor hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...

ringette Ringette is a contact sport, non-contact winter team sport played on ice hockey rinks using Ice skates#Ice hockey skates, ice hockey skates, straight sticks with drag-tips, and a #Equipment, blue, rubber, pneumatic ring designed for use on ice ...

, and

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

programs.

Events

In Senior 'AAA' hockey, the T.G. Smith Centre played host to two

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

national senior "AAA" championships: the Steinbach North Stars, active from 2007 to 2010, hosted the

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

event, while the

South East Prairie Thunder The South East Prairie Thunder are a Canadian Senior 'AAA' ice hockey team based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba and two-time Allan Cup champions. They play an independent schedule under the jurisdiction of Hockey Manitoba. The team is inactive as of 20 ...

hosted in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

. It also hosted the ninth place game of the 2002

World Under-17 Hockey Challenge The World U-17 Hockey Challenge, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is an international ice hockey tournament held annually in Canada. Prior to 2011, the tournament did not operate during years in which the Canada Winter Games were held. As ...

, in which

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

defeated

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. Aside from hockey, the T.G. Smith Centre has hosted two Manitoba Provincial Curling Championships (2006, 2010). In March 2019, the T.G. Smith Centre hosted

Rogers Hometown Hockey ''Rogers Hometown Hockey'' is a former package of National Hockey League (NHL) telecasts aired by Sportsnet as part of its national broadcast rights to the league. Debuting on October 12, 2014 as part of Sportsnet's inaugural season of coverage, ...

, the first time the program was hosted by a southeastern Manitoba community.

List of major events

1979 Allan Cup The 1979 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1978–79 senior "A" season. The event was hosted by the Petrolia Squires in Sarnia, Ontario. The 1979 playoff marked the 71st time that the Allan Cup has been awarded. ...

Western Canadian Finals * 2002 Air Canada Cup Western Regional Championship * 2006 Safeway Select * 2009 Allan Cup * 2010 Safeway Select * 2013 Turnbull Cup Finals * 2015 Turnbull Cup Finals *

2016 Allan Cup The 2016 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey and the 108th year the Allan Cup was awarded. The tournament was contended in Steinbach, Manitoba from April 11 to April 16, 2016, with all games played at the T.G. Smith C ...

* 2016 Turnbull Cup Finals * 2017 Telus Cup Western Regional Championship * 2018 Esso Cup Western Regional Championship * 2018 Turnbull Cup Finals * 2018 ANAVET Cup

External links

City of Steinbach Website

References

{{coord, 49.5270, -96.6815, type:landmark_region:CA-MB, display=title Sport in Steinbach, Manitoba Indoor ice hockey venues in Canada Indoor arenas in Manitoba 1967 establishments in Manitoba Sports venues completed in 1967