MJHL trade market heating up

The region’s two Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams are tweaking their rosters, as the annual Canadian junior hockey roster freeze is just over a month away.

The Niverville Nighthawks, in the middle of an undefeated month of November, added 2006-born forward Renat Nahnieiev. Nahnieiev is a Ukrainian International, joining Canadian minor hockey ranks in the 2022/2023 season. After graduating high school, he spent a year with the Winnipeg Blues, before moving to Weyburn of the Saskatchewan junior league at the start of this season.

Niverville sent a player development fee to Weyburn in exchange for the 2006-born forward.

Nahnieiev’s 24 points across 37 games played was good enough to put him third on the Blues for points per game in the 2024/2025 season.

“We’re happy to acquire Renat,” Nighthawks general manager Mike McAulay said.

“We’re familiar with the player from his time in the league last year. He’s a hard working player that bolsters our lineup with size and skill.”

Down the road in Steinbach, the Pistons have moved local defenseman Kasen Mateychuk to the Blues in exchange for a player development fee.

Mateychuk, who is the brother of NHL first-round draft pick Denton, only saw action in seven games this season for the Pistons. He was coming off a strong final year for the Eastman Selects, where he scored more than a point-per-game as a defenseman and played five games with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League.

For more MJHL news, including standings, game recaps and statistics, be sure to pick up a copy of the print edition of The Carillon every week.