Kevin Pauls, the official broadcaster for Nighthawks radio and Hockey TV for the inaugural season, was born in Winnipeg in 1977 and then raised in Morden, where he continues to live with his wife and three kids.
“I grew up playing every sport, including hockey, just not organized,” says Pauls. “My dad built me rinks, and I skated and practiced there.”
Pauls has also coached at all levels of minor hockey as well as some high school and Manitoba development programs.
Prior to joining the Nighthawks, he served with the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers as their broadcaster.
“I’ve always been an avid hockey fan,” he says. “I grew up watching a lot of hockey and have been a New Jersey Devils fan since the late 1980s. Southern Manitoba had plenty of good hockey to watch at the rink, so I was always at Morden Redskins, Pembina Valley Hawks, or Winkler Flyers games whenever possible.”
Besides watching his kids play, Pauls’s favourite moment in hockey was seeing the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup in 2000.
“Jason Arnott scored in double overtime as some friends and I watched on a tiny 13-inch TV at a cabin. We went bananas. My friends and I have a tradition of watching hockey outside on the deck, weather permitting, and I’d have to say that’s my favourite thing about hockey now.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Pauls is beyond thrilled to become the team’s voice for their inaugural campaign.
“Joining the Niverville Nighthawks is a great opportunity, not just from the broadcasting perspective but to witness a hockey team being built from the ground up is pretty cool,” he says. “The people here are really great, and working with Kelvin Cech is a pleasure. I get to do what I love most with my daughter at my side. It doesn’t get any better than that. I’m beyond excited to be a part of this organization and to see what it does for the community. Let’s go!”