Niverville Clippers drop out of HTJHL

While the puck officially dropped on the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League season last weekend, there was a missing spot on the schedule.

The Niverville Clippers announced they were taking a one-year leave of absence from the league in a social media post Sept. 24, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors and fans for your unwavering support over the years and to our players for choosing to wear the Jr Clippers jersey,” the post reads.

The Clippers won the league championship in 2025, upsetting the top-seeded Springfield Xtreme 4-2 in the league championships. The Xtreme had lost just three games before the finals.

With the Clippers departure, the league is down to 10 teams.

The Grunthal Red Wings launched their 2026/2027 season in style, nabbing a pair of wins in the opening weekend. They scored 11 goals while conceding only three in victories over Warren and East St Paul.

Goaltender Hayden Janzen was named the league’s top goaltender for the opening week, with Steinbach’s Seth Bergman (3G 2A) and Springfield’s David Hazlett (2G 4A) earning top forward and top defenseman honours.

For a full schedule of upcoming HTJHL games, be sure to check out the Carillon Sports Scoreboard on page 4B.