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.”
“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
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