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.”
Associate Coach | Jeff McGill
Born and raised in Carman, MB. Jeff got into hockey because his Grandpa would flood an old mink shed for ice where Jeff’s Grandpa taught skating and hockey since the age of two. Some favourite hockey moments of Jeff’s would be winning the MJHL championship as a player with the Winkler Flyers in 1998 and then another MJHL championship as an assistant coach with Winnipeg South Blues in 2006, as well as Jeff’s first game with Bemidji State University.
“Joining the Nighthawks was important to me because I have always enjoyed coaching at a higher level and love the competitiveness of hockey. Niverville has such strong community support and the right pieces in place for this to be a successful organization moving forward which was important to me.”
Jeff was the MJHL MVP for the 1998-99 season and played four years at Bemidji State from 1999-2003.
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.”
Goal Tending Coach | Tim Morison
Tim, a resident of Starbuck, Manitoba, and a dedicated educator at Starbuck School and Hockey Academy, developed his passion for hockey through years of competitive play at the AAA Midget level, followed by experience in both the MMJHL and MJHL. Upon concluding his playing career, he refined his expertise over a decade of mentorship under esteemed goaltending coach Rick St. Croix, before founding TMGoaltending, an elite training program for aspiring goaltenders.
Tim has distinguished himself as a coach for over 17 years, working extensively with goaltenders across rural Manitoba. His contributions have been instrumental in numerous championship campaigns with the Pembina Valley Hawks and Winnipeg Hawks organizations. Serving as both an assistant and goaltending coach, he has helped guide teams to multiple AAA Bantam and Midget titles, including silver and bronze medal finishes at the Western Canadian Championships. He also spent two seasons coaching within the MJHL with the Winkler Flyers organization.
Throughout his career, Tim has developed high-calibre goaltenders who have earned scholarships and prestigious individual awards. Students of his have gone on to play NCAA, WHL and some to sign NHL contracts, while others have been selected in the NHL Drafts. In recognition of his impact and excellence, Tim has been named a finalist for the Coaching Manitoba Excellence Award on multiple occasions.
Central to Tim’s training philosophy is the integration of advanced video analysis and a progressive, repetition-based methodology. Drawing on his background in education, including a minor in psychology, he delivers a structured and innovative approach that equips athletes with the technical foundation and mental acuity necessary for sustained success.
