Expansion to champion: Niverville Nighthawks claim Centennial Cup

For just the fourth time in history, the best junior A team in Canada comes from Manitoba. The Niverville Nighthawks joined the Portage Terriers (1973, 2014) and Selkirk Steelers (1974) in lifting the Centennial Cup, defeating the host Summerside Western Capitals 4-1 in the final May 17 in P.E.I.

Niverville began play in the Manitoba Hockey League in 2022, needing just four seasons to go from expansion to national champions.

“Words can’t describe the feeling of how proud I am of these young men,” head coach Dwight Hirst, who took control of the franchise mid-way through the 2024 season but was involved with the team from the beginning, said after the game.

The Nighthawks took a 2-1 lead into the third period and calmly wound down the clock, with Marlen Edwards nabbing an insurance goal and Tyler Bernier icing the game with an empty netter. Hirst, who is from Lac du Bonnet, said the message to the team after 40 minutes was to break the final period into five minute segments.

“(Don’t) worry about the end-game, just worry about the process of getting there,” he said on the team’s mindset.

“It was all about just finding ways to keep those guys on their heels instead of us being on ours.”

Stonewall’s Hayden Wheddon struck off the rush in the first and second periods to round out the scoring for Niverville.

“At some points in this tournament and in playoffs, we passed too many times, trying to make the pretty play,” Wheddon said.

“My mindset today was just, ‘shoot that puck and see what happens.'”

Starting goaltender Austin Dubinsky was brilliant in the final, bouncing back from a mediocre tournament by his high standards. He stopped 34 shots for the victory, picking up the game’s most valuable player honours.

“I just finally got in a rhythm,” Dubinsky said.

“At the end of (the semi-finals) I finally started feeling myself and today the guys made it easy on me. I saw everything from the outside, no traffic. Kudos to the group. It was pretty awesome.”

The Nighthawks got off to a hot start, with Wheddon sniping home a shot off the crossbar and in to open the scoring when he was the third man into the zone on a three-on-two. Niverville had a great chance to extend the lead on a powerplay a couple minutes later, but instead the Capitals struck in unlikely fashion.

Alberta-born Dubinsky, who was named the national junior A goaltender of the year earlier in the week, hoping to spark a rush up the ice with the man advantage, covered the puck on a dump in and tried to throw it forward. The puck bounced right off the stick of a forechecking Jordan Shaw, who promptly popped the puck into a gaping net to make the game 1-1.

“As soon as that happened I looked at our coaches and our players and we all knew that there was not one more going past (Dubinsky) tonight,” Hirst said.

“He played unreal. Save after save after save after save in key moments, just killing their momentum.”

Wheddon would restore Niverville’s advantage with the only goal of the second period, shooting through a stick-check on a two-on-one rush to beat Kolton Bourret. Referees forced both starting goalies to head to the bench for a couple minutes of gametime in the first period to deal with equipment issues.

The Nighthawks top line of Wheddon, Centennial Cup most valuable player Adam Vigfusson and semi-final hero Merik Boles gave the Manitoba Junior Hockey League fits all season and continued their strong play into the national championships.

“They were the most dominant line in this tournament,” Hirst said.

“Those guys just kept teams on their heels.”

Boles, who is from Lorette, scored the game-winner with under two minutes remaining to finish off a three-goal comeback against Alberta champions Canmore in the tournament semi-finals May 17.

“We’ve played with each other for a while, we’re really good buddies off the ice, that helps on the ice,” Wheddon said.

“I love those two guys, they’ve helped me this whole entire year do what I do. They make it easy for me.”

The Capitals pushed to take the lead in front of their home crowd, but Dubinsky made some nice saves to deny a few rush chances to close out the first. Summerside has hosted the Centennial Cup four times, making the final each time.