DUBINSKY, VIGFUSSON LEAD THE WAY
The 2025-26 hockey season won’t soon be forgotten in Niverville.
Not after an eight-month journey turned a four-year-old Manitoba franchise into the kings of Canadian Junior A hockey.
And not after a post-season run that bordered on perfection.
And certainly not after the Niverville Nighthawks walked into a sold-out building in Summerside, PEI, stared down the hometown favourites on the biggest stage in the country, and skated away as Centennial Cup national champions.
For a franchise that only entered the Manitoba Junior Hockey League four years ago, the accomplishment feels almost surreal. Yet by the time the final horn sounded on a 4-1 victory over the Summerside Western Capitals, there was little debate left about who deserved the crown.
The Nighthawks weren’t simply champions. They were dominant.
From October to May, Niverville built one of the most impressive seasons the MJHL has ever seen. The Nighthawks posted a staggering 51-6-1 regular-season record, rolled through the playoffs at 12-1 and then completed an undefeated run at the Centennial Cup tournament.
That combination of skill, maturity and belief transformed a once-expansion franchise into the best Junior A team in Canada.
“You don’t hear of too many teams as dominant as us in a while,” forward Marlen Edwards told reporters after the club captured the Turnbull Cup. “We all had the mindset that we’re going to win every single game that we can.”
Turns out, they almost did.
The championship game itself perfectly reflected the identity the Nighthawks forged all season long — poised, disciplined and relentless.
In front of a hostile crowd at Credit Union Place, there were no signs of panic from the visitors. Hayden Wheddon opened the scoring in the first period, wiring home a shot after walking into space, with captain Adam Vigfusson and Merik Boles collecting assists.
Summerside briefly tied the contest while shorthanded, but the Nighthawks never wavered.
Goaltender Austin Dubinsky slammed the door shut.
The CJHL’s Top Goaltender delivered the best performance of his remarkable season in the biggest game of his career, turning aside 34 shots while weathering heavy early pressure from the hometown Capitals.
Wheddon struck again in the second period, scoring what would become the game-winning goal, before Edwards buried another dagger in the third. Tyler Bernier added the empty-netter that finally unleashed the celebration.
Then came the image every hockey player dreams about. The horn sounded. Players stormed off the bench.
Dubinsky disappeared beneath a mob of jubilant teammates as the Nighthawks celebrated the first national championship in franchise history.
What makes the story even more remarkable is how quickly everything has come together in Niverville.
Head coach Dwight Hirst was part of the ownership group that helped bring the franchise to town. Midway through the organization’s second season, he stepped behind the bench after a coaching change and helped alter the direction of the team.
Now he stands behind the bench of a national champion.
“We got into the playoffs and the franchise turned around right there,” Hirst told Game On Magazine’s Jim Bender.
The remarkable thing about the Nighthawks was that there never appeared to be a weak link in the lineup.
They had elite scoring, led by Wheddon, Vigfusson, Johnny Scott, Edwards and Bernier. They had a rugged and dependable blue line anchored by Aaron Krestanovich, Parker Carrier and Jase Konecsni. And behind it all stood Dubinsky, whose playoff numbers were video-game ridiculous — a 1.31 goals-against average, three shutouts and a .956 save percentage.
Still, the defining characteristic may have been something less tangible: The complete buy-in.
“The keys to our victory is just our total team buy-in,” Hirst told Bender. “These guys are probably the most unselfish kids I’ve coached in hockey in years.”
That culture was evident everywhere. Veterans embraced roles. Newcomers fit in seamlessly.
Players who had won championships elsewhere, including Edwards, Bernier and Krestanovich with the Northern Manitoba Blizzard last season, brought valuable experience into the dressing room. Interestingly, Bernier, Edwards and D-man Luke Wagner were all champions with Team Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, as well.
And at the centre of it all stood captain Adam Vigfusson, the emotional heartbeat of the franchise from Day 1.
Before the championship game, Vigfusson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after impacting virtually every game at the Centennial Cup. For a player who has been with the organization since its opening season, the ending could not have been scripted any better.
“I’m so proud of this team,” Vigfusson told reporters in Summerside. “Everyone knows what we had was special and ultimately, we got the job done.”
Special indeed.
The Canadian Junior Hockey League season began with 116 teams across nine leagues. When it finally ended, only one remained standing.
And somehow, improbably, magnificently, that team came from a Manitoba town better known for quiet streets and community spirit than national hockey champions.
At least until now.
THE 2025-26 MJHL AND CENTENNIAL CUP CHAMPIONS
NIVERVILLE NIGHTHAWKS
1. Ben Chornomydz G
2. Beckham Garchinski D
3. Jaden Mah D
5. Jake Demome D
6. Kole Mears F
7. Tyler Bernier F
8. Thomas Phillips D
9. Loik Leduc F
10. Evan Panzer F
11. Marlen Edwards F
12. Jase Konecsni D
14. Aaron Krestanowich (A) D
15. Adam Vigfusson (C) F
16. Ryken Arran F
17. Parker Carrier (A) D
18. Parker Rolston F
19. Calyb Moore F
20. John Scott F
21. Dawson Zeller (A) F
22. Luke Wagner D
25. Max Dowse F
29. Hayden Wheddon F
33. Austin Dubinsky G
37. Tegan Kurtz F
55. Merik Boles F
General Manager: Mike McAulay
Head Coach: Dwight Hirst
Assistant Coach: Tyler Anderson
Associate Coach: Jeff McGill
Physiotherapist: Justin Giesbrecht
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Rob Pambrun
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