The Hawks had their season end in Weyburn on Monday in game 6 of the SJHL quarterfinals. (Image Credit: Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Season over

Hawks season ends with first round loss to Weyburn

Mar 31, 2026 | 12:30 PM

The Nipawin Hawks Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season ended on Monday with a 5-2 loss to Weyburn giving the Red Wings a four games to two first round series victory.

After trading wins over the first four games, Weyburn won games five and six on route to the final four and eliminating Nipawin. The Hawks demise in the series was playing from behind; the Red Wings scored the first goal(s) in five of the six games in the series. Head Coach Tad Kozun said his inexperienced group was forced with a painful lesson against one of last seasons SJHL championship finalists.

“Looking back the biggest thing you’ve got to takeaway is what it takes to get to the top,” he said on the final postgame show on 750 Beach Radio of the season. “The nerves in the first five minutes were definitely there.”

Weyburn went up 2-0 on Monday before Finley Radloff scored the final goal of his four-plus season Hawks career which included two seasons as captain. The Red Wings scored an insurance marker in the second restoring a two goal lead going to the third period.

The Hawks drew back within one again courtesy Noah Heinrich, another graduating Hawk.

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Nipawin could not find the equalizer and Weyburn scored twice into an empty net to seal the series. The Hawks returned to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons after finishing in 11th place last year. Kozun said he’s pleased with how far the core of the team has come over the past couple years.

“I am proud of this group for how much they have battled, in the last two years they have come a long ways. Obviously, this one is going to sting but we just need to come back stronger,” he said.

Radloff will conclude his Hawks’ career with a remarkable 216 career games played. Eric Hoiness, a two-time team most valuable player was scratched his first game as an 18-year-old, the Saskatoon, Sask. product never missed another game in his three year career and will age out with 176 career SJHL games.

Other Hawks having careers end were Brady Seabrook, Heinrich, Brendan Olson, Carter Anderson and Braeden Jockims.

Weyburn will move on to face Flin Flon in the semi finals for the second straight season. The Battlefords will meet Yorkton in the other series both starting Friday.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com