Photo Credit: Sharla George Photography
The Virden Oil Capitals have opened the 2026/27 MJHL season on a strong note, and with the calendar turning to October, the Oil Caps will look to keep building momentum.
Virden enters the new month with a 3-1-0-0 record, earning six of a possible eight points through its first four games. After dropping the season opener on the road against Waywayseecappo, the Oil Capitals have responded with three straight victories, including wins over Waywayseecappo, Niverville and Steinbach.
The strong start comes after a memorable 2025/26 season that saw Virden make a run all the way to the McMunn & Yates Turnbull Cup Final. While the Oil Caps ultimately came up short of the championship, the experience gained during that playoff run has carried into a new season with a number of familiar faces back in the lineup.
Experience Leading the Way
Virden’s leadership group features five returning players who were all part of last spring’s playoff run.
Captain Nathan Schaefer is joined by assistant captains Carson Wright, Liam Goertzen, Brooks Siemens and Tyson Draper, giving the Oil Caps a veteran core that knows what it takes to play meaningful hockey late in the season.
That experience has already been noticeable early in the year.
Draper has been one of the hottest Oil Capitals out of the gate, recording three goals and four assists for seven points through four games. His six-point performance over victories against Niverville and Steinbach earned him recognition as an MJHL Star of the Week for September 21–27.
Goertzen has also started quickly with four goals through the first four games, while Christian Pitz has contributed two goals and two assists.
Finding Ways to Win
Perhaps one of the most encouraging parts of Virden’s start has been the different ways the team has found to win.
The home opener against Waywayseecappo required a comeback and a shootout before the Oil Caps earned a thrilling 5-4 victory in front of the home crowd at Tundra Oil & Gas Place.
Virden followed that with a tight 3-2 victory over the Niverville Nighthawks, before the offence broke out the following night in a 7-5 road victory over the Steinbach Pistons.
Four games into a long MJHL season, there is still plenty of hockey ahead. The early results, however, have given this year’s group something to build on as the Oil Capitals continue to establish their identity.
Home-and-Home with Neepawa Up Next
The Oil Capitals now turn their attention to a pair of games against the Neepawa Titans.
Virden will welcome Neepawa to Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Friday, October 2, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The two teams will turn around and meet again the following night, Saturday, October 3, at the Yellowhead Centre in Neepawa. Puck drop is once again scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The back-to-back will provide another early-season test for the Oil Caps and an opportunity to continue building consistency both at home and on the road.
Building on Last Season
Last year’s trip to the Turnbull Cup Final showed what this group and organization are capable of accomplishing.
But 2026/27 is a new season.
With returning veterans, new faces and a leadership group that has experienced playoff hockey together, the Oil Capitals have begun the process of building their own story this season.
At 3-1 through four games, the start has been encouraging. There will be challenges, adjustments and plenty of hockey still to come, but as the Oil Caps enter October, the focus remains on getting better, competing every night and continuing to build as a team.
And after three straight victories, they’ll look to keep that momentum rolling this weekend.
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, October 2
Neepawa Titans @ Virden Oil Capitals
Tundra Oil & Gas Place
7:30 PM
Saturday, October 3
Virden Oil Capitals @ Neepawa Titans
Yellowhead Centre – Neepawa
7:30 PM
