Head Coach and General Manager Paul Dyck and the Steinbach Pistons have agreed to a 5-year contract extension, which will run to the conclusion of the 2025/26 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season.

Dyck was a defenceman for the Moose Jaw Warriors from 1989-91 before playing 15 years of pro hockey. He retired as a player in 2006.

"It's been very special," Dyck said of being able to coach in his hometown. "I feel very fortunate and blessed. As a player, you chase the game and chase the levels. I went through a stretch where over 18 years, I had 31 different phone numbers and that was pre-cell phone. It was relocation, relocation. You go play somewhere in the winter, you come home in the summer, you go back the next year but you're living with another friend, you're traded or there's free agency and more."

Dyck had a goal once he was done playing. "I remember saying I'd love to put my pictures on the wall and keep them there. I've been fortunate in my coaching career to stay in one location since 2010. I know it's rare and I don't take it for granted. I'm very, very thankful for the situation, the support from the community and I've said it before, to do this in my hometown is a dream come true."

As a family man, he says that having his kids settled in one place means a lot to him as well. "Considering the age of our family at this point, it plays a role. Ultimately, it's where we want to be. We love this community, we love being a part of it. We have family and friends here and it all weighs into a decision like that. A coaching career isn't always an easy one. I've had friends go onto higher levels and been there for a year when there's a change of direction in the organization, then they're left looking for another job and relocating the family again. Being able to be in one spot is not the norm. I really can't ask for a better scenario. I work with amazing people, love the fan support we have, and being able to work with this age of player, I truly enjoy it. I have a great staff, we have stability within the organization and those are all things a coach would look for."

As for the behind-the-scenes work, putting together a team throughout the summer months, that's something Dyck really gets excited about. "I don't know if it ever grows old. It's a new challenge every year. I'm a competitive individual, I want to win but I also want our players to enjoy that success. I want them to come into a winning environment. When they get here in the fall, I want them to see a good group of players that have potential, it inspires everyone, it inspires the staff. We want to put a good product on the ice that the fans enjoy and see growth from the players. It doesn't guarantee a championship every year but we want to be a team in the mix for it, certainly. There's no doubt that it's a challenge and during the pandemic, it's been even more challenging. I'm grateful that I have that role. I really, really enjoy the general manager role."

With being the general manager during a time where so little hockey has been played, Dyck says this might be the most challenging off-season of his entire career. "It's an interesting one. Typically, we have players returning, we have some really good young players returning to our team for this year, and what's unique, they have only seven games of experience. They may be veterans in the fact that it's year two for them but they're very young players in terms of experience. If you look to the year prior to that, some of the players will be here but they've been robbed of playoff experience. It's going to take some time maybe to fully understand the composition of our team. We usually go into the year with a really good handle of what our leadership group will look like but this year we're going to see guys step up, we're going to see some of those characteristics come through, but it's going to take some time."

After the announcement was made, people from all over Steinach, the province of Manitoba, and around the country in the hockey world reached out and that outpouring of support meant a lot to Dyck. "It's very humbling. To have the support of my peers, to develop good friendships through the game, it really, really feels good. Whenever you read one of those messages and people are grateful you're back, it puts a smile on your face. I'm really excited about getting back at it in the fall."