Edwards, Nighthawks capture Turnbull Cup

Sometimes a hug says a whole lot more than words ever could.

Marlen Edwards knows the feeling.

That’s why after he and the Niverville Nighthawks earned their first Turnbull Cup championship in franchise history with a 6-2 victory over the Virden Oil Capitals to sweep the championship 4-0 at Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Thursday evening, all Edwards could do was lean in and hang on.

The 19-year-old Winnipeg native didn’t exchange any words with his father, Tim, mother Emma or the 38 other family and friends in attendance who joined him on the ice to celebrate his second-consecutive Manitoba Junior Hockey League title. Instead, he hugged them one-by-one, starting with his parents.

“The first thing I thought about as the clock was running down was my parents,” said Edwards, who buried two goals, including the game winner. “You honestly just can’t put it into words. They’ve put their whole life into this moment, all that money, all that time spent at the rink, I really just thought about them to start off and they’ve done everything they can to help put me in this situation.

“After accomplishing back-to-back and then seeing them out in the stands, I just wanted to go hug my parents and thank them for everything that they’ve done for me.”

Edwards clenched onto his mom and dad for a good minute before he finally let go and shared a few tears with them. His parents, along with the rest of their crew, never missed a second of action this post-season. They made the trek out to Virden for Games 2 and 4 and all of Niverville’s other away games this playoffs, which included stops in Winkler and Waywayseecappo.

Edwards said he was and continues to be overwhelmed by the support he’s gotten not just this year, but ever since he first took to the ice as a youngster.

“It literally means the world to me,” he said. “Just having my family, my friends behind my back and cheering me on every step of the way., it’s just a feeling that warms your heart. It’s just an amazing feeling to have that much support. I know I’m super lucky to have it.”

And his dad made it loud and clear that support will never waiver.

“It’s been an amazing ride and he knows we’ll support him as long as he wants to skate, we’re fine with that,” Tim said from the stands while watching his son lift the trophy. “You can’t ask for any more than what I see right in front of me. It’s been a big investment, but you know what, this is the end result of it. No matter how much money I put into it, it doesn’t matter because this is the end result. This is it right here.

“It’s always a good time watching our kid play hockey and this is what he loves to do. He’s spent all his 19 years on the ice, so it’s always a good time.”

Edwards’ hockey journey has been marked by many adventures and successes.

He captured his first championship with the U18 Winnipeg Wild after they defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings in the final in 2022-23, a season where Edwards racked up 25 goals and 47 points during the regular season and eight more goals and 16 points in 12 post-season games.

A few months later he also reeled in a gold medal with Team Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Winnipeg and was named the tournament MVP after tallying nine goals and 17 points in just six contests.

Edwards then propelled the OCN Blizzard to a second-place finish in the West Division thanks to a 12-goal and 35-point campaign in his first season of junior. His four goals and nine points during the playoffs pushed them past the Dauphin Kings in round one before taking a talented Steinbach Pistons squad to seven games in the semis.

He would get his third piece of hardware the following year, though.

Edwards chalked up 24 goals and 44 points in 51 games for the Blizzard last season and then added five goals and 15 points in the post-season, helping his team collect their sixth Turnbull Cup win series wins against the Neepawa Titans, Winkler Flyers and Dauphin Kings, who they edged in triple overtime of Game 7.

After claiming his first Turnbull Cup, Edwards decided to play elsewhere in the fall.

He chose to play for the Minot Minotauros of the North American Hockey League instead of running it back with Northern Manitoba.

“I wanted to go to a different league other than the MJ(HL) and Minot was showing a lot of interest and I really liked what the coaches were saying about me and stuff like that, so at the time it felt like the right decision,” he said.

Through 26 games with Minot, Edwards posted three goals and seven points, struggling to produce at the rate he normally does, albeit in a tougher league. The biggest problems he faced, however, weren’t happening on the ice.

“I was just really missing home,” said Edwards. “It’s always hard leaving my parents and being in another country just kind of made it harder on me. I just really missed home and my family, my friends from back home.

“I made a bond over there with the guys in Minot and my billets, so I didn’t want to leave the guys behind and my billets too, but I had to man up and make that decision for myself, so it really does feel rewarding at the end of the day that I chose to come here in Niverville. Ever since I got the opportunity to come here, I just thought it was a perfect spot.”

An already stacked Nighthawks acquired the five-foot-11, 190-pound robust, yet skilled forward at the trade deadline from the Blizzard in exchange for forward Renat Nahnieiev, defenceman Seth Quayle and future considerations.

Edwards notched 19 goals and 39 points in just 26 games for Niverville as the team conquered its competition left and right, earning itself tops in the league with only six regulation losses in a 58-game season. He and the Nighthawks swept the Flyers in four, downed the Wolverines in five, and of course, took care of business with ease in the final with four straight wins against a strong Oil Capitals squad.

Edwards, who recorded four goals and 12 post-season points en route to his second MJHL championship, said the sequel is even better than the original.

“It feels way better winning it for the second time,” he said. “Just going back-to-back, I don’t think there’s anything I’d like better.

“I think everyone had it in their minds that this is our year. Everyone just had a mindset where we’re winning every single game that we play, no matter what.”

Niverville showed it was far and away the best team during the season and proved it again in the playoffs. Edwards said he hasn’t decided what his future holds for next season, but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s with the reigning champs.

“I’m still thinking about it, but I think my head’s here in Niverville. This place is my home now, and I like it here a lot.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com