Royal Knights charging towards playoffs

River East

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This article was published 11/02/2026 (191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With only a month left in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League regular season, the River East Royal Knights are a lock for a playoff berth.

“I’m very happy with the team,” said Barry Bonni, longtime president of the team. “We have a chance to win every game. We certainly don’t, but we always have a chance. For the most part, even if we don’t win, it’s a very close game. It’s a fun season, and a fun team to watch.”

Once the playoffs begin, Bonni knows anything can happen, with the Royal Knights hoping to bring home a league championshipfor the first time in 25 years.

“I would never say we wouldn’t have a chance. But I know it won’t be easy. If we can get through the first round, I’d be very happy,” said Bonni, now in his 44th year with the club. “We’ve shown we can win against anybody, but we can also lose to anybody. Sometimes you just don’t match up great against certain teams.”

River East won its first league championship in 1981-82, before winning four championships in a row between 1987 and 1990. The Royal Knights won again in 1992-93, and once more in 2000-01. Since then, the team has made the playoffs several times but hasn’t made it farther than the semifinals since the 2014-15 season.

Manny Minuk, who is the Royal Knights’ new bench boss this season, played for Bonni on the team that won it all in 2001.

“We just needed a different voice, and that’s why I made the change this year,” Bonni said. “(We also have) a few new players who have helped us tremendously. New attitude, new altitude kind of thing.”

At press time, ahead of a Feb. 6 game against the fourth-place Stonewall Jets, River East was in fifth place in the 10-team loop with a 19-14-1 record, good for 39 points. The Transcona Railer Express, St. Boniface Riels, Charleswood Hawks, and the Jets have already punched their tickets to the post-season, with River East needing just two more points to join the club.

“We’re getting good goaltending, but I don’t think we’re necessarily winning because of it,” Bonni said. “We score timely goals, have a good work ethic. Most important thing is we have a great attitude in the dressing room and great leadership, a good bunch of guys. It makes it enjoyable going to the rink.”

Captain Layne Richardson, a veteran forward acquired at the start of last season after playing parts of two seasons with the St. James Junior Canucks, led the team in scoring with 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 34 games ahead of puck-drop on Feb. 6, putting him among the top scorers in the league. Richardson is also a leader off the ice.

“He’s a very good player, leading scorer, but more importantly, he doesn’t hesitate to stand up in the dressing room and call out the guys and get them going,” Bonni said. “They respect him as a leader. He’s been a very good pick to have him as captain. He’s been one of our best captains we’ve ever had — and we’ve had some very good captains.”

With only a handful of games remaining before the playoffs, Bonni said it is important for the Royal Knights to continue playing the way they’ve been playing recently.

“I would hope we don’t take our foot off the gas,” he said. “I don’t think we will. The guys have a taste of winning and I think they like it.”