The Carillon heading East for Centennial Cup

Readers of The Carillon will get the inside scoop at the Centennial Cup.

Sports Editor Cassidy Dankochik will be at the tournament, hosted by Summerside P.E.I. to cover the Niverville Nighthawks attempt to win Manitoba’s first national Junior A championship since Portage claimed the title on home ice in 2015.

Manitoba teams have won the cup just three times, with Portage and Selkirk claiming the trophy in the 70s. The 1974 Selkirk Steelers were powered by a slate of Eastman players who made the jump to play for the team, including five from Steinbach.

There are other Manitoba connections at the tournament, with the Flin Flon Bombers representing the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League at the 2026 edition of the Centennial Cup after they swept Yorkton in the league championship series.

The two Manitoba teams are in different pools for round robin play, so if they end up facing off, it will have to be in the playoffs. Saskatchewan’s representative has lost in the final for three consecutive years.

For post-game recaps, be sure to check out thecarillon.com/sports after every game. With 10 teams competing, the top three in two pools will reach the playoffs, with quarterfinals on Friday, May 15, semi-finals on Saturday and the national final, to be broadcast on TSN, Sunday at 5 p.m. Manitoba time.