Niverville Nighthawks Coyle, Legall, flying south

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This article was published 21/05/2024 (425 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pair of Niverville Nighthawks could be suiting up south of the border next year, as goaltender Raiden LeGall and defenseman Kaycee Coyle were selected in the United States Hockey League (USHL) draft May 7.

LeGall was a standout goaltender in the MJHL this season, as the 2006-born player posted an impressive 0.920 save percentage in 37 games in his first year of Junior A action.

The Morden-born player has already committed to Bemidji State University, and is set to begin playing at the NCAA division one school in the 2025/2026 season.

He was taken in the fifth round of the draft by the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

The Waterloo Black Hawks are hoping to replicate their success in drafting a member of the Nighthawks, picking up a defenseman from the club for the second consecutive year. Carson Reed was taken in last year’s draft, and is set to play for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in the NCAA this season.

This year, they took Oakbank’s Kaycee Coyle.

The 2004-born defenseman had an excellent year for Niverville, as he was named a finalist for the league’s top defenseman award.

Coyle scored at nearly a point-per-game pace this season, including two memorable overtime highlight reel goals, where he used a spin-o-rama move to beat his defender before giving the Nighthawks a victory.

Former Eastman Select Ethan Simcoe, who is from Lac du Bonnet, was also selected in the tenth round of the USHL draft. Simcoe currently plays for the Coquitlam Express of the B.C. Hockey League.

The 16-team USHL is one of the top hockey development leagues in the world, with teams across the Midwest United States.