For the third straight year since joining the league, the Niverville Nighthawks have reached the MJHL playoffs.
Also for the third straight year, the Nighthawks have finished fourth in their division and will go up against the top-ranked team in the league in the first round.
This year, their opponent is the Winkler Flyers, who finished the season with a record of 46–8–4, while the Nighthawks earned a 35–20–3 record.
The Nighthawks have been dumped in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, winning only one game between the two series.
This year feels a bit different, as the Nighthawks have had their strongest season to date. Although they finished fourth in their division, Niverville actually ranks fifth in the entire league, since the West Division only yields one team with more points than Niverville—that would be the division-winning Dauphin Kings, and Niverville won their series with Dauphin this year.
Dwight Hirst, the Nighthawks’ head coach, is going into this year’s playoffs feeling confident about their chances—and rightfully so, as Niverville has been one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch.
“Against Winkler, it will be about consistency and resiliency for our team,” says Hirst. “This will be a series that will have its ups and downs. It’s going to happen. So it’s all about how you react to those highs and lows.”
In order to be successful, Hirst will have to rely on his big offensive dogs in Adam Vigfusson, Merik Boles, and Matteo Speranza to carry the offence.
“We know the potential that our top players will bring, but we will also depend on our depth scoring to provide those moments of momentum and timely contributions.”
Nighthawks starting netminder Austin Dubinsky appears to be the X-factor in this series. The 19-year-old has accumulated a 22–11–1 record this regular season with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
“I think any team’s success depends on the strength of the goaltender,” says Hirst. “Austin is our team MVP for a reason, and I have no doubt he will be ready for this challenge.”
The 2024–2025 MJHL playoff format is that the winners from round one in the East and West Division will advance to a non-divisional round two best-of-seven semifinal series based on regular season points. The two winners will then advance to round three in a best of seven league championship series for the opportunity to raise the Turnbull Cup.
The first round schedule with the Winkler Flyers is as follows:
- Friday, March 21, Niverville Nighthawks at Winkler Flyers, 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, March 23, Winkler Flyers at Niverville Nighthawks 6:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 25, Niverville Nighthawks at Winkler Flyers 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 27, Winkler Flyers at Niverville Nighthawks 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 29, Niverville Nighthawks at Winkler Flyers, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
- Monday, March 31, Winkler Flyers at Niverville Nighthawks, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
- Wednesday, April 2, Niverville Nighthawks at Winkler Flyers, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
