The Winkler Flyers 25/26 campaign has come to an end, more abruptly than the Flyers would have hoped, but with some shining stars that will make for an exciting offseason. Niklas Gudmundson finished the year with 74 points in 48 games, one of the top individual performances in the MJHL earing him the leagues MVP award. Liam Ernst broke the MJHL all time shutouts record with 16. Tanner George added 68 in 49, giving Winkler a chance to take over any game. Eight players hit 35 points or better, and the offense didn’t stop at the forwards. Owen Wallace racked up 46 points from the blue line including 40 assists earning himself a spot as a second team All- star, while Rhylan Baxter chipped in 14 goals from the back end. Capping off his season, Graeme Pickering was named to the First All-Rookie Team.
That depth showed in the standings. Winkler clinched a playoff spot and finished fourth in the East with 72 points. The power play clicked at 24.8 percent and the penalty kill held opponents to 14.5 percent, ranking among the better special teams units in the division.
The season had its peaks. A strong run through January and February gave the Flyers real momentum heading into the back half of the schedule, and the group showed on more than one occasion that it could put up big numbers in a hurry. The move to Centennial Arena brought some early adjustment, but the building quickly became home and with crowds showing up strong down the stretch, the atmosphere is only going to grow from here.
Facing Niverville in the first round was always going to be a steep test. The Nighthawks were the league’s best team from wire to wire, and while the series didn’t go the way Winkler had hoped, playing a team of that caliber in a playoff environment is exactly the kind of experience that pays dividends the following year. This group competed hard and came away with a better understanding of what it takes to get over that hump.
Now comes a significant offseason. Gudmundson, George, MacTavish, Fequet, Michelson, Dalton, Winklebleck, and goaltender Liam Ernst are all graduating out, a group that gave everything to this program and leaves with the respect of everyone in the organization. They’ll be missed, and they’ll be tough to replace.
What’s coming back is genuinely exciting though. A strong core of returning players brings a full season of experience at this level, and Owen Wallace, who put up 46 points from the blue line in his sophomore season, looks like one of the best defencemen in the division heading into next year. Pair that returning core with a recruiting class that will have every opportunity to make an immediate impact, and the Flyers are set up to be a dangerous team again in 2026-27.
Winkler has built a program that develops players and competes year after year. That doesn’t change.
