Casino Royale was the theme for the 2025 Niverville Nighthawks fundraising gala held at the Heritage Centre on January 25. And from a poker player’s perspective, this year’s event was a royal flush.
The sellout event brought in nearly 330 well-dressed guests to be wined, dined, and entertained. From beginning to end, the evening was alive with energy.
Attendees had an opportunity to meet the local players, coaches, and support staff and cozy up for a photo op with a real live nighthawk.
Big ticket items were live auctioned, including a diamond pendant going for $5,000, a diamond tennis bracelet for $2,700, a Tag Heuer watch for $3,350, and a full kitchen renovation package for $7,600. All these items were generously donated by local businesses and individuals.
The evening closed with live music from The Disruptors and an opportunity at the poker, roulette, and blackjack gaming tables.
By the end of the night, around $32,000 of the anticipated $45,000 had been received.
This year’s Nighthawks lineup includes 24 talented young players. While some are born and bred Manitoban, others hail from places like Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
This is the first year, as well, for Nighthawks head coach Dwight Hirst. The Manitoba native has his own long career playing hockey with Minnesota State, North Dakota, and the USHL’s Fargo-Moorehead Ice Sharks.
Prior to minding the Nighthawks bench, Hirst coached the U18AAA Eastman Selects.
Mike McAulay, the team’s general manager, regaled the audience on the Nighthawks’ brief but illustrious accomplishments over the past three years.
“In our early existence, we’ve had three Division 1 college commitments and have had three players go through Niverville and commit to a Division 1 school while playing with another team,” McAulay said. “This season marks the first Niverville Nighthawk to play Division 1 college hockey, with Carson Reed playing for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. We’ve also had two players move on to the WHL and one player reach the USHL. Thirteen of the fifteen players that have aged out of our program are currently playing hockey at the next level, be it NCAA Division 3, ACHA club hockey, or USports.”
Additionally, he added, two of Niverville’s players have been sent to represent at the World Junior A Championships. One has participated in an NHL development camp and two players made an appearance on an NHL central scouting list.
“Acquiring, scouting, and developing Manitoba talent is a priority for us,” McAulay concluded. “We currently have 12 Manitoba players rostered with the Nighthawks. Now remember, when we came into the league, we weren’t granted an expansion draft and 12 teams had 50 player protected lists. Six hundred hockey players were spoken for. For context and comparison, the other playoff teams in our division have an average of six and a half Manitoba players on their roster.”
Clarence Braun, president of the Nighthawks board of directors, stepped up to acknowledge the many dedicated locals who show support in a variety of ways throughout the year. These include the billet families who host out-of-town players, the dozens of Nighthawks volunteers, as well as administrative staff, not to mention the fans.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a Nighthawks team without the talented young players.
“To each of the players who are a part of the 2024–2025 Niverville Nighthawks, we’re looking forward to the last seven weeks of the season,” Braun said. “We have every belief that every one of you, bringing your best every day, will enable this team to succeed.”
