The Niverville Nighthawks have advanced to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League semi-finals for the first time in franchise history after sweeping the Winkler Flyers in four straight games. The team secured their spot in the next round with a 4-0 victory on March 28, 2026, at the Centennial Arena in Winkler.
This playoff success marks a significant turnaround for the Nighthawks, who were eliminated by the same team in last year’s opening round. Now in their fourth year of operation, the club is coming off a successful 2025-26 regular season where they finished first in the league standings with 103 points and a goal difference of plus-163.
Goaltender Austin Dubinsky led the defensive effort in the deciding game, recording a 38-save shutout. Forward Adam Vigfusson paced the Nighthawks offence throughout the series, finishing with 6 points, including 4 goals and 2 assists. The team’s performance has been guided by head coach Dwight Hirst, who was recently named the league’s Coach of the Year.
The Nighthawks will now face the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the semi-finals, a team that also moved on after a first-round sweep of the Dauphin Kings. Residents can look forward to upcoming games at the Niverville Community Resource and Recreation Centre, which has a seating capacity of 1,000 and serves as the home ice for the Nighthawks as they continue their pursuit of the Turnbull Cup.
