The River East Royal Knights are a junior ice hockey team in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the Royal Knights play their home games at Terry Sawchuk Memorial Arena.
History Formed in 1972 as the East Kildonan Knights, president and part owner John Haasbeek (who led a group that bought the team in 1977) folded the team in April 1981 after operating it for four seasons. Haasbeek was then approached by Barry Bonni (2017 Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame inductee) about keeping a team in the area. The two worked together and formed the new River East Royal Knights for the 1981-82 MMJHL season.
After three straight seasons by the E.K. Knights of finishing third in the league standings the Royal Knights captured the Jack McKenzie Trophy in their very first season. The team won four consecutive league titles from 1987 to 1990 and again in 1993 and 2001.
The Royal Knights have been to the league finals twelve times while claiming the Art Moug Trophy (regular season winner) seven times in team history.
Season-by-season +SeasonWLTOTLPtsFinishPlayoffs1972-7317162 ---364th of 81973-7411177 ---297th of 81974-7517155 ---395th of 81975-7613194 ---306th of 81976-7718177 ---434th of 71977-7827132 ---573rd of 81978-7925107 ---573rd of 81979-8022191 ---453rd of 81980-8127150 ---543rd of 81981-8222200 ---444th of 8League champion1982-8325161 ---512nd of 81983-8418202 ---386th of 91984-8520200 ---405th of 91985-8619194 ---425th of 81986-8728130 ---561st of 8League champion1987-883462 ---701st of 8League champion1988-893732 ---761st of 8League champion1989-903561 ---711st of 8League champion1990-9124171 ---496th of 81991-9228140 ---563rd of 81992-933390 ---661st of 8League champion1993-943381 ---671st of 81994-953390 ---661st of 81995-9628131 ---573rd of 81996-9713281 ---278th of 81997-9825152 ---522nd of 81998-9922191 ---454th of 81999-0019212 ---406th of 82000-01191634453rd of 8League champion2001-02311202642nd of 102002-0336711762nd of 102003-04241821513rd of 102004-05251712534th of 102005-06271611563rd of 102006-07241722524th of 102007-08251514555th of 102008-092117 ---7497th of 102009-102022 ---3436th of 102010-111131 ---3259th of 102011-12925 ---6248th of 92012-132219 ---4485th of 102013-142118 ---6485th of 102014-152319 ---3496th of 102015-161822 ---5419th of 10DNQ2016-17639 ---01210th of 10DNQ2017-18241 ---2610th of 10DNQ2018-19340 ---2810th of 10DNQ2019-20436 ---51310th of 10DNQ2020-21 0 4 - 0 0 Covid2021-22 20 25 - 0 40 7th of 10 Lost Quarters 1-4 (Transcona)2022-23 28 14 - 3 59 2nd of 10 Lost Quarters 1-4 (Transcona)2023-24 8 31 5 1 22 10th of 10 Did Not Qualify 2024-25 8 32 2 0 18 9th of 10 Did Not Qualify 2025-26 25 19 1 0 51 6th of 10 Won Quarterfinals 4-3 (Stonewall)Lost Semi-Finals 0-4 (Transcona)
References
External links Royal Knights official website @MMJHLREKnights