The Niverville Nighthawks are officially the top junior hockey team in Canada.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Junior Hockey League released its national rankings, with the Nighthawks overtaking Collège Français de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ) to claim the number one spot in the weekly CJHL Top 20.

Entering the week, Niverville held an impressive 23–1–1 record, highlighted by an 18-game streak of earning at least one point. Their 16-game winning streak was halted by the Steinbach Pistons in a 4–3 overtime loss, but the single point gained in that defeat pushed their winning percentage to .940, the highest in the entire CJHL.

The CJHL is a national organization consisting of nine Junior A leagues from Alberta to the Maritimes, representing 118 teams across the country.

Head coach Dwight Hirst says that he’s proud of how far the program has come.

“You enjoy those moments when you get them, because I’ve seen this program come a long way in my two and a half years behind the bench,” Hirst said. “It’s something you take some homage in and look back at what you’ve done over the last couple of years to get this program to this point.”

He added that national recognition pays dividends beyond the standings.

“This also helps with the recruitment process. With no more draft, it’s a bit of an enticement to come to a program that’s doing well right now.”

But with the top ranking comes added pressure.

“At the end of the day, when you’re ranked number one in the league, or in Canada, you’re going to get everyone’s best,” Hirst said. “I always say it’s harder to maintain that position than to get to it.”

The MJHL had two other teams appear in the latest Top 20 rankings. The Portage Terriers climbed from eleventh to eighth, while the Steinbach Pistons slipped from seventh down to eleventh.