After more than 40 weeks of anticipation, the winning ace of spades was finally pulled at the Nighthawks’ weekly Chase the Ace fundraiser in the Smitty’s lounge. On Monday, July 28, Joe Strebly of Winnipeg walked away with the final jackpot of $46,483.
He also took home the weekly win of $3,330.
The excitement was palpable throughout the evening. Nighthawks game day announcer Kevin Dunn kept the crowd pumped as usual on these Monday evenings.
In turn, he says, he’s been buoyed by the full house of fans that have showed up week after week in their Nighthawks gear to participate.
Chase the Ace, he says, has played an integral part of the organization’s fundraising efforts in the past year.
“Not only is it building the brand of the Nighthawks, but when you get to these kinds of jackpots, [the news] starts reaching out beyond Niverville,” Dunn says.
The nearly $47,000 in single winnings amounts to 30 percent of the funds raised over the course of the fundraiser. Twenty percent of the total funds fed the weekly take-home prizes and the final 50 percent, less some fees, goes to the team.
New Sales and Marketing Hire
As the Nighthawks gear up for the 2025–26 hockey season, the team is excited to announce some changes behind the scenes. Board vice president Ray Dowse says they’re ready to reveal the hiring of a dedicated sales and marketing director.
That new hire is none other than Kevin Dunn.
According to Dowse, 25 to 30 applicants vied for the advertised position. After the board conducted interviews, it was agreed that Dunn had everything they were looking for.
“He knows the direction that the team is going and he’s just a great person,” Dowse says. “We’re really excited to have him in this role.”
Dunn, who has sat on the team’s board of directors, will step down from that position as he takes on the new paid role.
“I’ll be taking over the duties of marketing, sponsorship sales, and basically all the same duties that I have now,” Dunn says. “It’s just a great fit. I love sports, I love the team, and I love Niverville. To be able to give back to the town that I’ve been associated with for over 15 years, it’s been great to be a part of.”
A big part of his new focus will be to build deeper connections with both new and existing sponsors. As well, he hopes to broaden the scope of sponsors by soliciting businesses and individuals across the province.
The opportunity arose at a good time in Dunn’s life, as he recently retired from his full-time career. With an education and years of experience in sales and marketing, he has much to bring to the table.
He’s also very familiar with sports and sporting organizations. Dunn was himself a junior hockey player as a young man. Later, his focus turned to baseball. He coached at the university level.
“I understand this age group and the pressures they go through,” says Dunn. “You need to treat them differently than just a community team. This is almost a professional organization when you consider the operating costs that we put into making this thing work.”
These costs are what drive the need for commercial and individual sponsorships.
“You look at the growth that’s happening in Niverville right now,” Dunn says. “We’re definitely putting ourselves on the map and that makes it easier to attract [sponsors] that have an interest in hockey. It’s amazing right now, when you go out in the broader public and wear a Nighthawks hat, how many people recognize the team. That makes you feel proud.”
Currently, sponsorships comprise about 40 percent of operational funding, with ticket sales making up the other 60 percent. Eventually, Dunn hopes to flip that ratio, which will then open the door to capital improvements such as dressing rooms, a scoreboard, and digital replay technology.
It also means improving the gameday experience for fans by offering theme nights and prize giveaways on a regular basis. This, in turn, helps sell more season tickets.
Dunn has already set a goal of reaching 400 season ticket sales for the upcoming season.
“That’s going to fill probably about 40 percent of the arena,” says Dunn. “And if we can then take walk-up sales, which are generally pretty good for us, we’ll have good attendance.”
New Beer Line
Also new this season will be the introduction of a second Torque Brewing beer. Alongside the Nighthawks lager, available on tap in The Kettle, fans will have a light beer alternative.
“It’s something that’s a little easier drinking,” Dowse says. “I got to taste the beer on the weekend and it was great. For people who like something like a Bud Light with just a touch more flavour, that’s kind of what you’ll be getting.”
For the second term, Torque Brewing was awarded the Nighthawks contract when tenders were opened up. Thanks to the collaboration, 33 cents from every can sold will go to the Nighthawks.
Like sponsorships, Dowse hopes to sell the Nighthawks beer label beyond the CRRC, though. In the coming months, the organization will promote the brand to other facilities across the province.
As far as Dowse is aware, the Nighthawks is the only MJHL team with its own beer brand.
“Usually that’s reserved for larger organizations like the Jets or the Bombers,” says Dowse. “This is some of the value that Torque brings. It’s been a great partnership and we’re looking forward to what it can become over the years to come.”