General Manager & Director of Scouting | Mike McAulay
Mike has been with the Nighthawks since their inaugural season in 2022-2023 serving as their Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting after spending 3 seasons with the Winkler Flyers in the same capacity. Together with his scouting team, they’ve had success in finding and recruiting players to the MJHL who have gone on to make impressive contributions in their junior days and beyond.
Mike graduated from the University of Minnesota Crookston with a Marketing and Management degree in 2001 where his playing career wrapped up with the Golden Eagles. He considers his career to have come full circle after winning an MCHA championship and being named to the All Academic team.
Mike currently resides in La Salle with his wife Leah and their three children.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the Niverville Nighthawks organization and the community of Niverville. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors and the Hockey Operations staff to continue to build a program that is successful on and off the ice.”
Head Coach | Dwight Hirst
Dwight Hirst was born and raised in Lac du Bonnet,MB where he currently resides with his wife Kristy, two boys Benson and Owen. Hirst’s extensive career in Junior A hockey as a Forward began with the MJHL Neepawa Natives for 2 seasons, earning All Star nominations in final season. He moved on to play NCAA Division 1 with Minnesota State University Mavericks leading freshman in goals and than red shirted the following season with the Fargo Ice Sharks in the USHL, while again earning All Star nomination and playing in the 4 Nations Cup. Hirst returned to finish his NCAA career with the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Upon returning home to Manitoba, Hirst played Senior Hockey with the Lac du Bonnet Blues, winning multiple championships, along as competing for the Alan Cup.His coaching career started with his young boys and than grew into coaching the Eastman Selects in the Manitoba AAA U18 league for 4 seasons, before joining the MJHL Niverville Nighthawks as Head Coach.
Being the Head Coach of the Niverville Nighthawks in the MJHL is a surreal experience, having success within the league as a player has always been of apart what drives me to coach the next generation of players that call Niverville home. My playing career has given me such valuable experience and currently running my own construction company has been built on relationships, team work and quality craftsmanship.
Coming into the season we are excited to start a fresh chapter for this Nighthawks organization!!
Assistant Coach | Tyler Anderson
Tyler Anderson was born and raised in Niverville. The chance to contribute to the new team and his community is one he’s not taking for granted. Anderson played for the Eastman Selects when he was growing up and now he gets to help usher in the next wave of young players moving into their junior hockey years.
“I’m looking forward to grow the player development side of the game, especially in young defensemen.”
A defenseman himself, Anderson graduated from Eastman and moved on to Junior A with stops in the SJHL with the Kindersley Klippers and the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings and West Kelowna Warriors, a team with which he won a national championship.
Following junior hockey, Anderson attended a Washington Capitals development camp before embarking on a Division 1 college career with the Lake Superior State Lakers, a team that won the GLI Cup.
“It is awesome to finally have a team here in Niverville. As a local, it’s something I wish we would have had back in my junior days. I think it will really bring the community together and it will be a fun night out on the town for local families. It’s especially important for the younger kids to see this quality of hockey and look up to it. Billets will have a player move in, who will turn into an older brother for the young kids living in the house, and you’ll have a friend for life. This will help put Niverville on the map.”
Equipment Manager | Mitch David
Mitch David grew up in Île-des-Chênes and started playing hockey in his town’s minor hockey program at eight years old. The following year, he became a goalie and has been one ever since.
After his second year of bantam, he went on to play three years at the AAA level through the U17 and U18 Eastman Selects program. Through those years, he attended two WHL camps with the Prince Albert Raiders and Everett Silvertips.
After U18, David went on to play for the Portage Terriers, Winnipeg South Blues, and Steinbach Pistons in the MJHL. He then played one and a half seasons with the Charleswood Hawks in the MMJHL, capturing back-to-back championships with a 24–0 playoff record. That record has yet to be broken.
He also captured Playoff MVP and Goaltender of the Year awards in his final season of junior hockey (2010–11).
David is a current Niverville resident and is very passionate about his town’s newest hockey team.
“Creating a unique and driven culture is crucial to attracting current and new players. Things like team values and traditions, good billets, having a ton of fans at games, being role models for younger hockey players, a dressing room stall that has your name on it, a solid rink to play in, etc. These are all the little things that make the biggest difference in enjoying your career and make you want to be where you are. As a goaltending scout, I don’t often get to hit the ice with the athletes. But finding individuals who share this aspect of their Junior A career dreams is what I will aim to bring to this organization and the community of Niverville.”
Head Physiotherapist | Justin Giesbrecht
Justin Giesbrecht was born and raised in Niverville. He grew up playing for the Eastman Selects and then played four years of Junior A hockey in the MJHL for the Winkler Flyers and Swan Valley Stampeders, as well as in the SJHL for the Yorkton Terriers. Giesbrecht then played two years at Briercrest College in the ACAC and then some semi-professional hockey in the SPHL (Mississippi) and FHL (Connecticut and New York).
“On my return home, I began coaching in the Niverville/Eastman area, coaching the U18 Eastman Selects and most recently with the U15 Female Eastman Selects team.”
Giesbrecht is excited at getting things going this season as the Nighthawks’ physiotherapist.
“To me it’s very important to give back to the community that raised me as a young hockey player. I’m very excited that Niverville has this opportunity to become a Junior A hockey community and put us on the map as a hockey town. I also get the chance to share some of my knowledge, skills, and experiences as a former professional hockey player as well as help with my skills in the medical field as a physiotherapist.”
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach | Rob Pambrun
Rob Pambrun was born and raised in Winnipeg. He played AAA hockey for the Winnipeg Warriors and the U18 Winnipeg Wild. From there, he moved on to playing junior hockey in the MJHL for the Portage Terriers, the Southeast Blades (now called the Steinbach Pistons), and the Winnipeg Saints (now called the Virden Oil Capitals).
“One of my main goals as a player was to play junior hockey at a young age. When I managed to crack the line-up as a teenager, I was extremely proud, and this was hands down my favourite moment in hockey.”
Due to an unforeseen knee injury, Pambrun’s hockey career was cut short. Since then, he has become a fitness professional—a performance and physique specialist, to be exact—and he currently owns a global fitness consulting corporation named Team Prep Starz.
“Joining the Nighthawks organization was important for me because. The knowledge and skills I’ve gained in the fitness industry have allowed me to find my way back into the hockey world. The Nighthawks organization values the knowledge and experience that I bring to the table, and I’m extremely excited for this opportunity. As the player development and sports science coach, I’m looking forward to working with all the players and becoming a member of the community.”
Skills Coach | Jarrett Oster
Jarrett played his junior hockey career for the Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league (SJHL) from 1998–2001. In his rookie season, Jarrett was awarded Rookie of the Year honours with the club. Throughout his junior hockey career, Jarrett was lucky enough to play in many championships, including The Royal Bank Cup. It was an injury during his final season with the Terriers that ended Jarrett’s career and brought him back to Winnipeg.
Jarrett has been part of the RINK Team for 12 years and is Hockey Canada certified with a wealth of coaching experience in Skill Development and Power Skating with players of all ages and capabilities.
Prior to joining our team, Jarrett has had experience coaching at the Edge of Excellence hockey school as well as other hockey camps. You will see Jarrett in Winnipeg, MB at the RINK Training Centre. During the summer months he will be leading our R1 Summer Programming and EDGE Skating Camps!
Goalie Coach | Tyler Oswald
Tyler Oswald was born and raised in Sanford. He grew up playing minor hockey in the MacDonald hockey system. He played U18AAA as a goaltender for the Pembina Valley Hawks before playing junior hockey with the Winkler Flyers. His favourite hockey memory was winning the Manitoba Midget AAA Hockey Championship with Pembina Valley.
Oswald has been coaching ever since he stopped playing around ten years ago. He coached for GDI in Winnipeg for four years before moving to Calgary to pursue a degree in Sports and Recreation Management.
“While in Calgary, I worked for GDI as well as being an assistant/goalie coach for the Calgary Northstars U18AAA team for three years. After completing my schooling, I moved back to Winnipeg to rejoin RINK Goalie Development, formerly known as GDI.”
Oswald has been at the RINK for over three years now and have been coaching the RHA U18 prep team as the goalie coach. He has also worked with the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues in 2019–20 as their goalie coach.
“I’m really looking forward to the being involved in the inaugural season for the Niverville Nighthawks. Being part of a team in the MJHL is an exciting opportunity for myself. It’s even more of an exciting challenge to be part of growing a brand-new team and culture.”