Series Preview: Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato, Oct. 10-11, 2025

 

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

No. 20 Minnesota State-Mankato comes into town for the first series of the regular season in a battle for the Spirit of the Mavericks trophy.

On the road in Mankato last year, the “Purple Mavericks” earned the trophy with a sweep of the “Red Mavericks,” winning 4-3 on Friday night, and 1-0 on Saturday night. In the Friday night game, Omaha clawed back from a 0-3 deficit in the third period to tie it midway through the period, but MSU scored with less than a minute left to claim the victory. On Saturday night, Adam Eisele (brother of former Omaha Maverick Seth Eisele), scored the only goal of the game in the first period.

The “Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy” is awarded to the team that wins the annual series. The winner will be decided by one team winning both games, one team winning one game (with the other ending in a tie), or in the case of a series split, the winner will be determined by the total goals differential. Should the series end in a split — and both teams score the same number of goals — the trophy stays with the team that previously held the trophy. 

Former MSU-Mankato Blue Line Club President Brad Reeves and UNO Blue Line Club President Jim Semerad (now deceased) originally came up with the trophy as a way to try and spur a rivalry between the two schools (who played more frequently two decades ago). 

Fun Fact: I had the opportunity to be involved in the presentation of the Spirit of the Mavericks Trophy in February 2008. (I was the UNO Blue Line Club representative in attendance for the series finale that season.)

Interesting Tidbits:

• Both teams made the jump to Division I men's hockey in the same season (1997-98) and have competed against one another in various conference and non-conference matchups since since that season (we were in the same conference as Mankato from 2009 to 2013). 
• Omaha Coach Mike Gabinet played four games in the “Mavs vs. Mavs” series during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, recording several shots and serving one penalty.
• MSU leads the all-time series 20-16-5, although the series is 8-8-3 in home games for Omaha (UNO is 8-12-2 on the road in the overall series). 

The series will likely feature a battle of two of the best goaltenders in the nation. MSU’s goalie, Alex Tracy, was CCHA Goaltender of the Year, and was just invited to participate in the 2025 Spengler Cup, joining a squad of college hockey players representing NCAA Division I hockey in the tournament, held annually in Davos, Switzerland. This year’s tournament will be the first time a select team representing college hockey has ever competed in the event. The team is comprised of active Division I players of any nationality representing all six conferences as well as the Division I independent programs. Last season, Tracy was a Mike Richter Award finalist and Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist.

Omaha goaltender Simon Latkoczy was last season’s NCHC Goaltender of the Year. Latkoczy started 31 games in the 2024-25 season, finishing with a 14-16-1 record, including one shutout. He ranked 10th in Division I last season with 952 saves (.922 save percentage overall, .926 in the NCHC). He also has a 2.61 career goals against average. 

For Fans Attending the Game in Person: 
The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is open to donors and single-game pass holders only and parking passes are required to park in that lot. The north lot, Lot 27, offers free parking on a first-come, first-served basis, as is Lot 26 (west of the arena, across the creek). Omaha Athletics is also encouraging fans to park in one of the public garages at Aksarben Village.

NOTE: Center Street is under construction with a major resurfacing project. We recommend an alternate route (Grover or Pacific) to reach Baxter Arena this weekend.



Fans should arrive early, especially if entering via the west entrance. Have digital tickets ready to scan in the Omaha Mavericks app (or add them from your MyMavs account to your phone’s wallet app). If you have questions, stop by the box office at Baxter Arena before the game or call 402-554-MAVS.

The clear bag policy remains in effect at Baxter Arena, and metal detectors are in place at all entrances. Concession stands are card only (no cash).

Promotions: 

There will be a schedule magnet giveaway on Friday night.

When:
> Friday, 7 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)
> Saturday, 7 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Radio:
The game will be broadcast live on 1290 AM and on The Varsity Network app. Pre-game coverage begins 30 minutes prior to face off with the FNBO Pre-Game Show. “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by Terry Leahy.

TV:
The game will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($) 

Live Stats:
Game stats will be available here. 



There are TWO new episodes of the MavPuckCast this week in advance of the first regular series action of the season.

On this episode of the MavPuckCast, Jon and Jason talk about the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s season-opening exhibition win against Air Force Academy (including their picks for “Player of the Week.”) They analyze Omaha’s new hockey jerseys for the 2025-26 season. They conclude the episode with a preview of the upcoming regular season series against Minnesota State-Mankato at Baxter Arena.

And in a first for the MavPuckCast, Jon and Jason interview Omaha Hockey Coach Mike Gabinet. Gabinet is an Edmonton, Alberta, native who is in his ninth season as the head hockey coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Gabinet discusses how he decided to join the Mavericks as a player 25 years ago, how he got into coaching, what he thinks of the team’s 2025-26 roster, recruiting, his coaching philosophy, and how he has evolved during his career.

Next Weekend:

Omaha is off for a week following the MSU-Mankato series. The Mavs return to Baxter Arena with another non-conference series versus UMass. That series (Oct. 24-25) is also Homecoming weekend.

Line Chart – Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 – Omaha vs. Air Force (Exhibition at Baxter Arena)

Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Omaha vs. Air Force at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE) – Exhibition

Final: 3-2 Omaha (OT)

Scoring for Omaha:

Griffin Ludtke

Brett Hyland

Joel Plante (OT, GWG)

 

Game Preview: Omaha vs. Air Force (Exhibition), Oct. 3, 2025

It’s another season of Maverick Hockey, and there are a lot of unanswered questions to start the campaign. With 15 newcomers on the roster (8 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 1 junior, and 1 senior), there are a lot of unfamiliar faces. 

The Mavericks returned all of their eligible seniors, however, and have named four of them to leadership roles. Senior goaltender Simon Latkoczy and senior defenseman Griffin Ludtke will serve as co-captains, and senior forwards Tyler Rollwagen and Cam Mitchell will be assistant captains for the 2025-26 season. Also returning are senior forward Jacob Slipec and senior defenseman Jacob Guévin. 

Air Force returns to Baxter Arena 10 years after facing the Omaha Mavericks in the first-ever series at the new arena on Oct. 23, 2015. Omaha won the Friday night matchup 4-2, and swept the Falcons on Saturday with a 4-1 victory.

The exhibition marks the return of Air Force coach Frank Serratore to Omaha for the first time since the 2015 series. A colorful figure with strong ties to the Omaha Hockey community, Serratore was coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers in 1989-1990. In that single season, he took over a last-place team and led them to the USHL regular season and playoff championship. This feat led to Serratore being named the USHL General Manager of the Year and the Omaha Sportscasters Sportsman of the Year awards in 1990. He has been head coach of the Falcons since the 1997-98 season (which was also the Mavericks first-ever season).

Omaha has an all-time home win streak of 6-0 against Air Force, and is 1-1 in road games. The largest margin of victory was an Omaha win, 6-1, on Oct. 26, 1997 in Colorado Springs. The game was held on a Sunday due to the second game in the series being delayed by the Blizzard of 1997. A major snow storm shut down much of the Front Range; blizzard conditions in Colorado Springs lasted from Friday night through late Saturday, with significant snowfall delaying the second game in the series. The Mavericks had dropped the first game in the series 4-2. Omaha’s win was the program’s first Division 1 victory. Former Maverick head coach Mike Kemp described the bonding on that trip as one of the best things that could have happened to the team.

A rule change in 2021 allowed NCAA teams to schedule each other in exhibition contests, with the results not counting towards official season records. Previously, NCAA teams would typically schedule Canadian college teams or teams from the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for exhibition matchups. Omaha is scheduled for another exhibition later in the season on Dec. 30 against the University of Manitoba at Baxter Arena.

Another rule change affecting college hockey this season is new eligibility opportunities for players who previously played in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Beginning Aug. 1, 2025, the NCAA rule change allowed more than 1600 CHL players to play NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey without losing their eligibility. Previously, players in the CHL — comprised of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Western Hockey League (WHL) — were barred from NCAA play because they were considered “professionals.” Players are now free to play in the CHL before deciding whether to commit to a U.S. college after high school.

The 2025-26 Maverick squad features a number of players with CHL experience. Ludtke said there was a lot of anticipation leading up to this year with the rule changes and the roster additions made during the offseason. 

One of the new Mavericks affected by the change is sophomore forward Brett Hyland. Hyland, 22, played five seasons (2019-2024) for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL before enrolling at the University of Alberta, where he played 21 games in the 2024-25 season, scoring 13 goals and recording 20 assists and a +21 rating. 

“I knew as soon as the rule opened up, I had to make the move. And so the question was, just where do I go?” Hyland said about making the decision to come to Omaha.

He describes his game as bringing “hard work, physicality, and energy every night” — and “hopefully put some pucks in the net at the same time.” 

“The thing I love most about our group, especially with Brett (Hyland) and the newcomers who were coming from (U Sports) is everyone’s hungry here with something to prove,” Ludtke said. 

The Oct. 3 matchup is the annual Military Appreciation Game, sponsored by WoodmenLife. The Mavericks will wear specialty camouflage jerseys purchased by WoodmenLife and auctioned online to benefit the UNO Office of Military and Veteran Services. Previous jersey auctions have raised more than $10,000 annually. The gameworn jersey auction ends at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night. Visit https://omavs.com/Auctions/ to bid. 

WoodmenLife will also hand out 6,000 handheld American flags to fans, and members of the ROTC will display a 30-by-60 foot American flag on the ice during the national anthem.

Fans will also get the chance to experience new concession pricing and combos, featuring lower prices on water, soda, hot dogs, fries, and popcorn. The arena concession stands will also have Baxter Arena 10th anniversary souvenir cups, new kids souvenir cups, new combo deals and expanded grab-and-go options.

The Omaha Bull Market collective is selling Bull Market Bourbon at Baxter Arena this seasion. Bull Market Reserve Victory Bourbon will be available on the suite level, while Bull Market Select Pregame Bourton will be served in the Maverick Room off the lobby, in the Buildertrend Breakaway Lounge, and at concession locations around the main concourse.

Fans will also notice a new centerhung scoreboard, new ribbon boards, and updated video screens in the arena. The display system was designed, manufactured, and installed by Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota. The centerhung display features one large curved display measuring approximately 16.5 feet high by 85 feet round. It features 3.9-millimeter pixel spacing and a canvas capable of variable content zoning, allowing it to show one large image or multiple “content zones,” including live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. One of the new video walls is at the main entrance, at the top of the west stairs. The video wall is 6.5 feet high by 12 feet wide. On the north entrance, another video wall is 5.5 feet high by 10 feet wide.

Watch the full preseason press conference here:

For Fans Attending the Game in Person:
The west lot outside Baxter, Lot 25, is open to donors and single-game pass holders only and parking passes are required to park in that lot. The north lot, Lot 27, offers free parking on a first-come, first-served basis, as is Lot 26 (west of the arena, across the creek). Omaha Athletics is also encouraging fans to park in one of the public garages at Aksarben Village.

Fans should arrive early, especially if entering via the west entrance. Have digital tickets ready to scan in the Omaha Mavericks app (or add them from your MyMavs account to your phone’s wallet app). If you have questions, stop by the box office at Baxter Arena before the game or call 402-554-MAVS.

The clear bag policy remains in effect at Baxter Arena, and metal detectors are in place at all entrances. All concession stands are card only (no cash).

Promotions: 

Flag giveaway to the first 6,000 fans.

Series preview articles:
Hurrdat (Jordan McAlpine):
https://hurrdatsports.com/omavs/hockey/key-returners-and-15-newcomers-lead-omaha-hockey-into-2025-26-season/

When:
> Friday, 7:07 p.m. CT at Baxter Arena (Omaha, NE)

Radio:
The game will be broadcast live on 1290 AM and on The Varsity Network app. Pre-game coverage begins 30 minutes prior to face off with the FNBO Pre-Game Show. “Voice of the Mavs” Mike Vaillancourt will have the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by Terry Leahy.

TV:
The game will be streamed on NCHC.tv ($)

Live Stats:
Game stats will be available here. 





It’s another busy start to the MavPuckCast season, as Jon and Jason have already recorded three episodes of season 8! In the newest episode (S8, E3), the duo take a look at the new secondary logo unveiled by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) as “The National” gets ready to grow to 10 teams in the 2026-27 season. They talk about news that the NCHC will not air hockey games on the CBS Sports Network this season, and they discuss new Omaha Hockey assistant coach — and recruiting coordinator — Jamie Huffman. They also each pick a pair of Mavericks among the newcomers they are looking forward to watching this season. The episode concludes with their NCHC preseason rankings — an annual tradition on the podcast to start the season!

Next up: Omaha Hockey starts the 2025-26 season at Baxter Arena, facing the Purple Mavericks of Minnesota State University - Mankato on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Central. 

Follow MavPuck:
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/mavpuck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mavpuckpage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavpuck
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mavpuckcast 

Belfast in 2028: Omaha Hockey Selected to Participate in Friendship Four Tournament

At a Blue Line Club “Dinner with the Mavs” last fall, Coach Gabinet teased that Omaha might be one of the teams participating in a future “Friendship Four,” an annual tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

The rumor became reality today when Omaha Hockey was announced as a participant in the 2028 Friendship Four tournament. The Mavericks will compete outside of the U.S. for the first time in program history.

Omaha will join Dartmouth, Maine and Notre Dame, with dates and matchups to be determined.

The games will take place at SSE Arena in Belfast. The Mavericks will be the fourth National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) member to participate in the event.

“We are proud for Omaha Hockey to be part of the 2028 Friendship Four, a tremendous opportunity that reflects the nationally prominent program we have built,” said Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Adrian Dowell. “This tournament provides us with another opportunity to provide a unique holistic development experience for our student-athletes on an international stage. I am thankful to Mike Kemp for his hard work on this initiative which further solidifies UNO's standing as an institution with a worldwide platform through the power of sport.”

Omaha Hockey head coach Mike Gabinet said he has never been to Northern Ireland, but relishes the invitation.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our program and a chance to continue to grow the brand of Omaha Hockey on an international stage,” said head coach Mike Gabinet. “The Friendship Four is one of the premier events in college hockey and being part of it highlights the importance and relevance of our program nationally and abroad. It’s a moment our players, fans and staff will be proud of as we represent UNO in Belfast.”

Organized by the Odyssey Trust since its inception, the Friendship Four celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 and is the only NCAA Division I ice hockey competition to take place outside of North America. The tournament has become a flagship event in Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar, bringing world class collegiate hockey to Belfast while promoting education, cultural exchange and community engagement.

“The Friendship Four began as an ambitious idea and has grown into an event that embodies the values of friendship, learning and international collaboration,” said Martin McDowell, chair of the Odyssey Trust. “We are incredibly proud of the impact it has made in Belfast and beyond over the past decade, from building relationships with U.S. institutions to providing local communities with access to top-level sport. Announcing the 2026, 2027 and 2028 teams as we celebrate 10 years this year is the perfect way to look ahead with excitement and confidence.”

Representatives of the Odyssey Trust presented to NCHC teams at one of the conference's annual meetings in Florida. Omaha will be the fourth NCHC team to appear in the tournament in four years. Miami (OH) will participate this year (2025), University of Minnesota Duluth in 2026, and the University of North Dakota in 2027.

The announcement took place in Boston, celebrating the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, signed a decade ago. The agreement aims to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural exchanges and educational linkages between the two cities, as well as to increase awareness of Belfast and Boston being growth cities in the connected health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services and knowledge economy sectors.

Maverick fans interested in ticket and travel information should complete an interest form:
https://omavs.com/sb_output.aspx?form=53

(Completing the form does not guarantee access to tickets.)

Your Mavericks are headed to Northern Ireland in 2028 🌎https://t.co/TqQF5DB3kE pic.twitter.com/fLU4X33NXf

— Omaha Hockey (@OmahaHKY) September 23, 2025

You Might As Well Call It the “National Championship Hockey Conference” (NCHC Brand Update)

I joked this morning on X/Twitter that you might as well call the National Collegiate Hockey Conference the “National Championship Hockey Conference,” and I got off a work call at 1 p.m. to find out I wasn’t too off target as the NCHC is updating their brand accordingly.

 

With Arizona joining the conference last season (2024-25) and St. Thomas set to join next season (2026-27), it was time for a logo refresh. I was expecting the primary logo to be updated (since it has eight stars), but instead, the conference decided to create a secondary logo, incorporating the number “10” into the design.

The conference also added #TheNational as a social media hashtag.

I like it.

They also posted a “hype” video:

Here’s the official press release:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Coming off its second straight National Championship and seventh in a decade, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference is taking on a bold, new look. The NCHC will now be referred to as the ‘National’ on second reference going forward.

As part of the streamlined nickname and brand refresh, the National unveiled a sleek, secondary logo and wordmark on Monday that reflects elements of the primary NCHC logo while also embracing the future. In addition, the NCHC’s postseason tournament trophy, which was previously unnamed, has been named the National Cup.

Other elements of the National brand refresh include:

• A new hashtag (#theNational) used on the NCHC’s social media channels
• An update to the NCHC’s website, NCHChockey.com, which reflects the new secondary logo and hashtag

“This is an exciting next chapter for the NCHC. The addition of the National logo is a natural extension of the strong brand we’ve built since 2013,” NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems said. “The design complements our primary mark while giving us a fresh identity that reflects our national reach, championship tradition and future growth. It’s a symbol that represents both our history and the continued evolution of the NCHC.”

WHY THE NATIONAL?

• We are the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
• The NCHC membership covers a national footprint, spanning four continental U.S. time zones and seven states.
• The Conference is home to seven of the last nine NCAA Men’s Hockey National Champions, including each of the last two. Four different NCHC teams have won a National Championship since 2016.
• The NCHC has produced more than 110 National Hockey League (NHL) alumni since the conference began play in 2013, including 65 NHL players in 2024-25.
• NCHC games have been regularly broadcast on national television since its inaugural 2013-14 campaign.

SECONDARY LOGO
To accompany its new nickname, the Conference developed a secondary logo and wordmark, which represents the National’s bold identity but keeps a familiar look to the primary NCHC logo. The National worked with Adrenalin Sports Marketing in Denver to develop the new marks. Adrenalin also designed the primary NCHC logo back in 2013.

“NCHC leadership approached Adrenalin with a clear vision and an open mind for developing a new secondary logo.” said Dan Price, brand marketing director at Adrenalin. “Through concentrated discussions and collective reviews with NCHC leadership, we created a mark that honors both the conference's storied past and promising future. The final design seamlessly integrates the iconic shield and hockey sticks with a cleverly positioned "10" representing the member teams—delivering the perfect extension of their established brand identity.”

Elements of the secondary National logo include:

• Colors – The same red, white and blue color scheme is used as in the primary NCHC logo. National logos are also available in school-specific colors.
• Shield – The outline of the secondary logo is the same shape as the shield in the primary logo.
• Font – The same Colossalis font was used for ‘NATIONAL’ as was used for ‘NCHC’ in the primary logo.
• Hockey Sticks – Extending from the middle of both ‘A’s in ‘NATIONAL’ are a pair of hockey sticks in the empty space that lean toward the middle of the wordmark. The sticks resemble the hockey stick used in the primary NCHC logo.
• The Number 10 – The hockey sticks point to the ‘IO’ in ‘NATIONAL’ with the ‘IO’ a hidden number 10. The 10 represents the number of members the National will have beginning in 2026-27 when the University of St. Thomas officially joins. In the full color version of the National logo, the 10 is in a different color than the rest of the wordmark.
• Star – The single star above the 10 replaces the eight stars in the primary NCHC logo. The single star shows a unified look as one conference with 10 teams that will continue to lead the way in college hockey.

TOURNAMENT TROPHY NAME
While the NCHC has awarded the Julie and Spencer Penrose Memorial Cup (Penrose Cup) to its regular-season champion since 2014, the Conference’s tournament trophy has never had a name. That is until the 2026 NCHC Tournament. With the National moving its postseason tournament, the Frozen Faceoff, entirely to campus sites across the country this coming season, the Conference has also decided to name its postseason tournament trophy the National Cup.

The NCHC began its search for a tournament trophy name in July, when the Conference asked fans to submit suggestions through an online form. From there, the NCHC sifted through the more than 125 submissions and whittled the list down. The membership then voted and selected a final name – the National Cup. The National Cup will be awarded for the first time under its new name on March 21, 2026 at the site of the highest remaining seed in the Frozen Faceoff championship game. The tournament trophy itself will remain the same as has been awarded in years past at the Frozen Faceoff.

WEBSITE
Along with the brand refresh, the National also gave its website, NCHChockey.com, a refresh, which relaunched last week. New elements representing the National were added to NCHChockey.com on Monday, as well.

New elements on NCHChockey.com include:

• NCHC.tv video thumbnails that are more easily seen and accessible
• ‘Around the League’ section highlighting the most recent news of each NCHC team
• NCHC stat leaders will display under the standings on the home page
• The secondary National logo is now displayed in the middle of the home page
• The hashtag #TheNational is displayed over the social media section

In addition, a page with more information about the National and the logo assets is now available at NCHChockey.com/theNational.

Limited ‘National’ apparel is now available on the NCHC’s fan shop with more to be added.

The NCHC will hold virtual Media Days Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with Commissioner Weems State of the Conference address starting events on Tuesday.

About the National Collegiate Hockey Conference:
The NCHC is currently a nine-member NCAA Division I men’s hockey conference, which will begin its 13th season of competition in 2025-26. Its members are: Arizona State University, Colorado College, the University of Denver, Miami University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University. Beginning on July 1, 2026, the National will become a 10-member conference with the addition of the University of St. Thomas. Since the NCHC began play in 2013-14, 41 NCHC teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including 16 Frozen Four berths. Seven of the last nine national champions (2016-19, 2022, 2024-2025) call the National home, with Western Michigan the reigning National Champions. For more information, visit the NCHC website at www.nchchockey.com and follow the conference on social media @theNCHC on Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook.

--#theNational--  

NCHC Preseason Media Poll – Expectation vs. Reality

 

“Have we ever not finished higher than our preseason projection (in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll)?”

That was Collin Miller’s question in the MavPuck Facebook group after I posted that the Mavericks were picked to finish seventh in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll. 

Great question!

The answer is YES, it has happened three times, in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2021-22.

There have also been years when Omaha has outperformed the media’s expectations — sometimes wildly. The most notable example was the inaugural season of NCHC play, 2013-14, when the media picked Omaha to finish dead last, but the Mavericks finished third in the conference (+5 difference).

As Rick (@RedArmyOmaha) points out on Twitter, pollsters have picked Omaha, on average, about 1.25 spots lower than it finishes. 

Omaha is picked to finish 7th in the NCHC for the 2025-26 season. We’ll come back in March and update the graphic!

Sources: The NCHC website for final standings by year (https://nchchockey.com/standings.aspx?standings=18).

Finding the annual poll results was a little harder, but I did end up finding them on different news releases (for example, for 2024-25: https://nchchockey.com/news/2024/9/11/mens-ice-hockey-denver-tops-nchc-preseason-media-poll-for-third-straight-year)

Omaha Hockey Picked Seventh in NCHC Preseason Media Poll (2025-2026)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Coming off the program’s first NCAA National Championship and first Penrose Cup, Western Michigan has been selected as the favorite to win the Penrose Cup in 2026 and repeat as NCHC regular-season champions. The Broncos top the NCHC Preseason Media Poll for the first time, as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference unveiled the 2025-26 Preseason Poll on Thursday.

Western Michigan collected 19 of 30 first-place votes and totaled 252 points in the poll. Denver is picked second with 225 points and four first-place votes, while North Dakota is just behind in third with 220 points, including five first-place votes. Arizona State came in fourth in the Preseason Poll (180 points), garnering a pair of first-place votes.

Placing fifth in the Preseason Poll is Colorado College (128 points), while Minnesota Duluth was not far behind in sixth with 120 points. Omaha (110), St. Cloud State (80) and Miami (35) round out the NCHC Preseason Poll in spots seven through nine, respectively.

Last year, the Broncos became only the second NCHC team to capture both the Penrose Cup and Frozen Faceoff titles in the same season, and the first to add a national title on top of that. WMU finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-7-1 mark, including 19-4-1 in NCHC play. Western Michigan will be led by junior forward Owen Michaels, who tallied 18 goals a year ago and was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Frozen Four. The Broncos also return sophomore goaltender Hampton Slukynsky, who was named Preseason All-NCHC on Wednesday and earned Second-Team All-NCHC as a freshman.

Denver, who had topped the NCHC Preseason Poll each of the three previous seasons, placed third in the NCHC regular season last year. The Pioneers posted a 31-12-1 record overall a season ago, including 15-8-1 in conference play. DU was the runner-up at last year’s Frozen Faceoff and again fell to the Broncos in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals. The Pioneers bring back a pair of Preseason All-NCHC selections in junior forward Sam Harris and junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp.

North Dakota heads into the 2025-26 season under new leadership, with longtime assistant coach Dane Jackson taking over the reigns of his alma mater as head coach. The Fighting Hawks placed fifth in the NCHC last season with a 14-9-1 mark, while going 21-15-2 overall. UND brings back First-Team All-NCHC defenseman and Preseason All-NCHC pick Jake Livanavage, while adding a touted rookie class to the mix.

Arizona State made its NCHC debut last season and surprised many, finishing second in the regular season after being picked eighth in the NCHC Preseason Poll. The Sun Devils were 14-9-1 in NCHC play in their first season in the conference and just missed the NCAA Tournament, going 21-14-2 overall. Tabbed to place fourth this year, ASU will be paced by Preseason All-NCHC forward Cullen Potter, who earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors last year.

Western Michigan was selected sixth in last year’s NCHC Preseason Poll before going on to win the Penrose Cup. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs hold that spot in this year’s Preseason Poll.

A total of 30 ballots were submitted by local media members from each school, as well as select national media. Points were awarded on a descending scale with a first-place vote worth nine points, a second-place vote worth eight points and so on. 

While the NCHC will not hold an in-person Media Day in 2025, media will be able to speak with coaches and players from each team via video call during the NCHC’s virtual Media Days on Sept. 23-24. Commissioner Heather Weems’ State of the Conference address will be posted to NCHC.tv following virtual Media Days.

The NCHC begins its 13th season on Friday, Oct. 3 with six teams in action, while the pursuit of the Penrose Cup kicks off on Friday, Oct. 31. Fans can watch 180 games live this season on NCHC.tv, including 12 games opening weekend. 

2025-26 NCHC Preseason Media Poll

Western Michigan, 252 points (19 first-place votes)
Denver, 225 (4)
North Dakota, 220 (5)
Arizona State, 180 (2)
Colorado College, 128
Minnesota Duluth, 120
Omaha, 110
St. Cloud State, 80
Miami, 35