From Grand Forks to Prince Edward Island, Evan Panzer is about to embark on the hockey trip of a lifetime. The Grand Forks Central graduate has never ventured anywhere near Canada's easternmost province, but next week, he'll have the perfect reason to make the journey.

Panzer and his Niverville Nighthawks teammates captured the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Turnbull Cup last week, earning an automatic berth into the Centennial Cup—Canada's Junior A national championship. The tournament runs from May 7-17 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, bringing together the best junior teams from across the country.

"It's going to be an awesome experience," Panzer said. "I've never been anywhere out East, and going with this group of guys is awesome. I think we're going to have a lot of fun. We're going to try to win the whole thing, but I think it's just going to be a good experience."

Ten teams will compete for the title: Niverville, Flin Flon (SJHL), Canmore (AJHL), Thunder Bay (SIJHL), Rockland (CCHL), Longueuil Collège-Français (LHJAAAQ), Greater Sudbury (NOJHL), Truro (MHL), Toronto (OJHL), and host Summerside Western Capitals. The Calgary Canucks of the AJHL enter as defending champions.

The Nighthawks dominated this season, posting a remarkable 51-6-1 regular-season record before going 12-1 in the playoffs. In the finals, they swept Virden—a team featuring Grand Forks Red River grad Tyson Ulmer. Panzer made his mark in the postseason, notching six goals and 12 points in 13 games, including two goals in the championship-clinching victory.

"It was unbelievable," Panzer said. "All the guys that came back after losing (in the first round) last year, we all wanted it badly. To have a lot of those guys back, it was a lot of fun."

Panzer's journey to this moment has been steady. After playing three varsity seasons at Central from 2022-24—including a run to the state final in his senior year—he joined Niverville as a rookie last season, tallying six goals and 16 points in 44 games. This year, his production soared: 55 points in 57 regular-season games.

"I feel like I played pretty well this year," Panzer said. "I really felt good, especially from last year, moving up and playing in a higher role. That was good for me. Winning the championship has been awesome. We've played so well as a team all year."

The Nighthawks open the Centennial Cup on Thursday against the host Summerside Western Capitals. They'll also face Thunder Bay (May 9), Canmore (May 12), and Rockland (May 13) in the preliminary round. For a team used to scouting opponents extensively, the national stage presents a new challenge.

"We did a lot of film this year, studying teams and learning their power plays and breakouts," Panzer said. "We'll still do a little bit of that, but you don't know as much about the teams you're playing. It's going to be a little bit of a challenge."