The Niverville Nighthawks have reached the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Championship Final for the first time in franchise history after a dominant 7-0 victory over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on April 10, 2026. This win clinched the best-of-seven semi-final series with a 4-1 record, marking a significant milestone for the junior hockey club based in Niverville, Manitoba.
The decisive Game 5 saw the Nighthawks control the ice from the start. Defenceman Calyb Moore scored his first career playoff goals, netting two in the game just 15 seconds apart in the second period, with his opening goal coming only 30 seconds into the first period. The team’s offence continued to roll as forward Dawson Zeller added a power-play goal in the second period to extend the lead to 5-0. Team captain Adam Vigfusson, who currently leads the club in playoff scoring with nine goals, also contributed to the high-scoring performance.
Defensively, the Nighthawks were bolstered by the play of goaltender Austin Dubinsky, who secured back-to-back shutouts in Games 4 and 5 of the series. Dubinsky, who was recently awarded the Ed Belfour Award as the league’s top goaltender, stopped all 18 shots he faced in the final game. The team’s performance was supported by a strong special teams showing, with a 2-for-4 record on the power play and a perfect penalty kill.
This achievement follows a historic regular season where the Niverville Nighthawks finished with 51 wins, six losses, and one overtime loss for 101 points. The total represents the highest number of wins by a team in the league since the 2017-18 season. The successful year was led by head coach Dwight Hirst, who was named the league’s Coach of the Year, and included recognition for forward Merik Boles, who received the league’s sportsmanship award.
Before the 2026 postseason, neither the Nighthawks nor the Wolverines had ever won a playoff series. The Nighthawks now look ahead to the final round, where they will face the winner of the series between the Virden Oil Capitals and the Steinbach Pistons.
