Nighthawks’ Laliberte named to NHL draft list

For the second consecutive year, a player on the Niverville Nighthawks is getting noticed at the highest level.

Lorette’s Avery Laliberte was named to NHL Central Scouting’s “players to watch” list in advance of the 2025 NHL draft.

Laliberte and Selkirk’s Owen Warnick were both named to the list, and are projected as potential late-round picks. The two players are both committed to play NCAA hockey at Northern Michigan University.

Last year, Niverville’s Nathan Brown was named to the same list early in the season. Brown is now playing with the Brooks Bandits in the non-Hockey Canada affiliated B.C. Hockey League.

The last player from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League to be drafted directly to the NHL was Steinbach defenseman Warren Clark, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning late in the 2023 draft.