Steinbach and the surrounding region are running short of ice time as population growth and rising participation in hockey and ringette put pressure on existing facilities.

Kevin Geisheimer, general manager of the Southeast Event Centre (SEC), told Steinbach city councillors that ice bookings are nearing capacity, leaving local user groups struggling to accommodate growth while the facility also pursues major events.

“We’re in 90 to 95 per cent utilization, depending on the month,” Geisheimer shared during a presentation to the city’s Strategic Priorities Committee. The committee is made up of the full City Council sitting together.

Geisheimer explained the challenge is becoming more apparent as the region’s population grows and more people take part in ice sports. He noted that the region’s population has increased from approximately 89,000 people 25 years ago to 145,000 today, while only one new ice surface has been added during that time, at the CRRC in Niverville.

Tonight marks the start of the 2026-27 season for the SRSS Sabres, as they get ready to host Lord Selkirk at 4:00 p.m. today at the Southeast Event Centre.

Vibes high
Heading into the new year, Head Coach John Laninga is excited for what this group is looking like. “Really optimistic about this group,” he says with a grin. “We had a really competitive main camp again in the month of September. We’ve got a number of players back looking to build on the successes of last year, and (we) are really excited about the additions we have to this year’s Sabres squad.”

For LumberZone owner Joel Hartung, supporting the Steinbach Pistons and the Southeast Event Centre is about more than putting a business name on a space. It’s part of a connection to the team and community that goes back to before LumberZone even opened its doors.

Today, that connection is easy to spot inside the arena. The LumberZone Rinkside Suite gives fans a unique ice-level place to gather, watch the Pistons and experience the energy of a game from just behind the boards.

“It’s the only place in the arena you can actually be ice level, standing up at the boards and watching the hockey game,” says Michelle Sawatzky-Koop, Director of Communications, Marketing and Sales at the Southeast Event Centre.