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.
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:
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.
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.
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!
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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment