The Niverville Nighthawks are Centennial Cup champions after defeating the Summerside Western Capitals 4-1 in Sunday’s national championship final in Summerside, P.E.I.
Hayden Wheddon receives a game star award following the Niverville Nighthawks’s 7-6 round-robin victory over the Rockland Nationals at the 2026 Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I. Wheddon scored twice and added two assists in the win
Stonewall’s Hayden Wheddon scored twice while Gimli’s Adam Vigfusson added an assist as the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions completed an unbeaten run at the 2026 Centennial Cup.
Wheddon opened the scoring at 8:07 of the first period, finishing off a setup from Vigfusson and Merik Boles.
Summerside answered with a short-handed goal by Jordan Shaw just over two minutes later to tie the game 1-1.
Wheddon restored the Nighthawks’ lead midway through the second period with his second goal of the night off an assist from Boles.
Niverville added insurance late in the third period when Marlen Edwards scored at 14:34 off assists from Evan Panzer and Jase Konecsni before Tyler Bernier sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
Niverville goaltender Austin Dubinsky turned aside 34 shots in the win as the Nighthawks were outshot 35-20.
“I think it’s just surreal right now,” said Wheddon following the championship win. “We’ve been working for this all year. This is what we’ve been talking about all year, and it’s the most amazing feeling ever.”
Wheddon, who was part of the Nighthawks during the organization’s inaugural season, said the championship was the result of years of work from the entire organization.
“It’s been a lot of work from everyone — the staff, the coaches, the players, recruiting and the hard work we put in,” he said. “It feels amazing that it finally paid off.”
Wheddon also embraced head coach Dwight Hirst’s comparison of the Nighthawks to the expansion-era Vegas Golden Knights.
“I guess so,” he said. “If teams didn’t want us or whatever it was, I think we all found our way here and bonded well over that kind of stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons why this team is so special.”
He added the celebration waiting back home in Niverville was already on the players’ minds.
“It’s going to be amazing when we get back there,” said Wheddon. “We know the fan base there is amazing. The support we have is awesome.”
Vigfusson, who was named tournament MVP following the game, said the Nighthawks embraced the pressure throughout the championship run.
“Coach Dwight says pressure’s always a privilege,” said Vigfusson during a second intermission interview. “It’s just kind of staying calm, keeping cool and focusing on the task at hand.”
He also praised Wheddon’s performance in the final.
“He was our leading point scorer all year,” said Vigfusson. “He can sure put the puck in the net. He scored two nice ones today. He brings so much to the group and he’s great in the locker room.”
Vigfusson also credited Dubinsky for another strong performance in goal.
“It goes to show why he’s the best goalie in the CJHL,” he said. “He’s always standing on his head for us and we couldn’t be happier to have a guy back there.”
The championship victory came one day after the Nighthawks rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 semifinal victory over the Toronto Patriots.
Evan Panzer, Marlen Edwards, Calyb Moore and Merik Boles scored for Niverville in the comeback win, with Boles netting the winner late in the third period.
The semifinal berth came after Niverville earned a bye by finishing first in the round-robin standings with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Nighthawks closed out the preliminary round with a pair of high-scoring victories over the Canmore Eagles and Rockland Nationals.
Niverville defeated Canmore 6-4 in its third game of the tournament.
Vigfusson led the way with a hat trick while Wheddon recorded two assists and St. Andrews product Dawson Zeller added an empty-net goal late in the third period.
The Nighthawks followed that up with a 7-6 win over Rockland in a back-and-forth contest.
Wheddon and Zeller each scored twice for Niverville while Vigfusson added a goal and two assists.
Through six games at the Centennial Cup, Vigfusson and Wheddon each finished with 12 points. Vigfusson recorded seven goals and five assists and was named tournament MVP, while Wheddon totalled six goals and six assists. Zeller finished the tournament with five goals for the Nighthawks.
