Jan. 13, 2026 Press Conference Transcript
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
So, Sam, you scored in both games this past weekend, and were involved in some really key moments. How did the flow of that series feel for you from a forward’s perspective?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think, uh, I think, yeah, just playing with, uh, Trevor (Wong) and “Junior,” Jérémy (Loranger) there. Uh, we had some good chemistry that built off from Cornell, and then, um, I think just carried some of that, um, experience from playing together over that weekend into this weekend. And then, uh, obviously, uh, (I) had some good looks on the power play there.
So, um, yeah, I think just trying to keep building off that and, yeah, staying, staying familiar with those guys and, yeah, building that chemistry.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
St. Cloud plays kind of a heavy and physical game. You’re gonna see a lot of that throughout this season. How does playing St. Cloud prepare you for the NCHC grind that’s coming the rest of the season?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think, yeah, I mean, every NCHC team (plays) fast and physical. So I think, uh, just it’s good for our group. Um, and another close one-goal loss on Saturday. So it’s just, we, we know we’re right there. And, uh, those tough games, I know those are really good learning opportunities for our group, just ‘cause there’s so many new, uh, new guys here.
So just these, these games where we’re so close, we know we just gotta come in this week, do the work, um, throughout the week just so we can get better and, uh, come out on the other side of it coming up.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What’s the biggest adjustment that you guys are gonna make going into, uh, Miami this weekend after last weekend?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think, uh, just some of our — we’ve been talking this week — probably won’t give away too many of our, of our details, but, uh, I think just, uh, just ‘cause we know we’re, we’re, we’re right there, even Cornell, those, those close games. But, uh, just our start, I think that Friday in Cornell, we went down three-nothing in the first (period). And then even Friday against St. Cloud, go down two-nothing. Um, I think it’s really good for our group to be able to come back from those situations. But I think we can put ourselves in a better spot to, um, just for the whole weekend where we’re, we’re right from the stop, uh,right from the start, just on top of them playing, uh, Maverick hockey.
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
So, uh, the, uh, (it) sounds like you’ve got a lot of confidence, you know, optimism despite, you know, going splitting those two games. There’s still a lot of optimism for the rest of the season then for the on the team?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, of course. I mean, they’re such a close game, even though obviously it’s very disappointing we didn’t get that win. But, um, just the, the coaches, the players, we all, we all know in there what we’re capable of. Um, I mean, we compete so hard against each other every day in practice. Um, we know how good we can be. But, uh, I think just bringing that for the full two games on the weekend, I just, I think just goes with, uh, the belief in our group. We know we can do it. Um, but yeah, we’re just gonna keep working to get better.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Sam, you’ve played at a lot of different levels: junior, university, international competition. How has that journey shaped you as a player?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think it’s, uh, yeah, it’s been really helpful. I mean, uh, yeah, playing in the Western League (WHL), obviously I wasn’t drafted there, so kind of working my way up that league. And then going to USports, it’s a bit of a older league, uh, compared to here. But, uh, I think, yeah, coming here, it’s, uh, a lot fast, physical, probably closer to some of those high-end talents you saw in junior, but with the physical aspect that university brought. So I think it definitely, definitely helped me prepare, uh, coming here and just trying to take, um, some of those lessons I learned at kind of every level I played to help, help this team win when I’m here.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
You uprooted your life to come to Omaha for one season. What do you want this season to say about you as a player?
Sam Huo (Senior Forward, Omaha Hockey):
Um, yeah, as a player, I think just, just knowing that, uh, I came here to just really give my all for one year for this program. I mean, um, when that (CHL) rule changed, I know I was in a pretty unique situation with only one year of eligibility. But, uh, when I started talking to Coach Gabinet and just seeing this program, um, the facilities, the atmosphere, um, the players they’ve developed, and I obviously knew a lot of those USports guys that were coming over here. So I knew, uh, how good, uh, the level of play was gonna be here. So, um, yeah, I just wanna be remembered as someone who came in, uh, worked hard, got better, uh, as the season went on, and just hopefully help this team, uh, go for a really long run here — (and) win a, win a championship.
Emma Goldstein (Sports Information, Omaha Athletics):
Questions for head coach Mike Gabinet.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, just sorry, just before we get started here, just wanna just, uh, just recognize Colleen Barstow just passed away recently there and just obviously a very near and dear friend of the program there and someone that gave a lot of her time and energy to helping support, you know, not only our players, but the community around it too. So just wanna just acknowledge her and, uh, obviously we’ll miss her a lot here.
You know, she has her funeral coming up here this weekend there. So, definitely pass along our condolences to her family and was just a huge part. Reminds me a lot of my mom, to be honest, just really a giver — always helping out, always, you know, the Children’s Hospital (she) did a ton of stuff for that and Christmas for the kids, underprivileged kids. Anyways, just, uh, super sad time right now, but just wanted to make sure we recognize her. Thanks.
Eddie Messel, KETV:
Coach, just, uh, since you started with that, just a quick question off of that, just the, I guess, just a little more on the impact that she, she had, uh, on the program and, uh, the legacy that she, she left, uh, here on UNO.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, I think she kind of just exemplifies what Omaha’s about a little bit. Just people are always willing to help. And I think it’s really nice when you see our guys get to see and be around people like that and, um, you know, just how much they give the program. They’re not looking for anything in return. They’re just honestly trying to help the players out, helping the community out. And I think it’s something we try to talk about a lot with our players.
Sometimes you don’t recognize that stuff when you’re in your early 20s as much. And, uh, it’s really important to acknowledge those types of people. And, and, uh, they change, they change, they change, uh, they change people, right, for the better, right? They help out a lot of families and, and our guys and make a lot of lifelong friends. And, uh, obviously I’m very close with her husband, Bill, and, and their three kids.
And so, um, just a tremendous impact on, on not only us, but the community as well.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
So looking back at St. Cloud series, you saw two very different games this weekend. What changed Saturday, especially in terms of, like, puck possession and execution?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, again, again, I think the score changed a little bit. And I think you need to look back at the games closely there. There’s, uh, you know, (I) didn’t like our start on Friday there, got rolling there, then obviously, you know, went to work offensively there and came away with a big win. And then, on Saturday, they actually thought we were a little bit better at times with some pretty lot of chances there and just couldn’t capitalize there.
I didn’t like our start on Saturday. Again, I thought the first 10 minutes, that’s where we really gotta take that next step and just not even giving teams an option to stay in the game. Um, but again, it’s, uh, there’s some really good things that we’re doing now. You’re seeing the growth in the players. Um, and then there’s the things that we just, like Sam mentioned, we just gotta clean up and keep improving on.
And, and I think one of those big things is possessing the puck and taking care of the puck. If you look at right now, a lot of teams’ offense is coming off of our turnovers. And, uh, you gotta clean that up to be successful consistently.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
When you look at the (Miami) RedHawks, what, what are the biggest challenges that they present, especially compared to what you saw against St. Cloud?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, uh, um, you know, they’re a good team. They’ve, they’ve won some, won some big games this season. They’re, uh, I think their forward group’s really impressive to watch. You can tell they can put the puck in the net. They’re a pretty, uh, a couple of their lines are very big, very physical team. They like to get to the net hard. So again, just they’re gonna be another strong opponent there. So the good news is we’re, we’re pretty seasoned at playing good, good competition here. So have to be, we’ll be prepared for that.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
What can you say about, uh, Big Sam? He came into the program with a long development path: WHL, USports, international competition. How have you seen that background show up for him on a day-to-day basis?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, again, he’s just, uh, you know, went through training camp. I thought he’d be one of our, our, our kind of better players there, and then obviously (he) suffered, uh, the, the lower body injury there that I think really set him back. When you’re 6’5” and you have a lower body injury, sometimes it takes a while to get your mobility back and you’re already long and lanky, etc. So, um, and I think you’re seeing that the last, I don’t know if we got three (games), maybe in the last four games here. And, and I think you’re just seeing that, you know, that pace, that the game slowing down from a little bit. He’s able to use his size and strength. He’s learning to play the right way consistently. He’s just doing a lot of really good things.
And, uh, um, you know, I think he’s gonna just continue to impact the game more and more as he gets more and more comfortable with the level (of play). Um, so (we’re) really happy with him and, uh, and his progression here in the second half.
Timothy Rohwer, UNO Blue Line Club Newsletter:
So the team seems to be improving, say, from a few weeks ago or, I mean, you’re getting, the team’s getting better.
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Team’s growing. And, and like you said, I think the, the locker room doesn’t really feel like our record. It is what it is. And there’s some truth in our record, you know. But I think it’s also, like you said, when you’re in so many tight games and you’re one mistake away or one play away from coming out of the wrong end of that, you know you’re, you know, one play or one good play away from coming out of the right end of that.
So again, I really think the group’s got a lot of belief, and (we) just have to keep focusing on doing the right things and growing. And I think as a coach, sometimes it’s, you never wanna go through it, but it makes you better too ‘cause we are hammering home how to get better right now. We’re definitely not going, “Well, let’s get it next time.” We’re finding ways to make improvements in the areas we need to improve at, which makes you better.
So that’s what I’m excited about. We’re getting better and, uh, we’re gonna continue to do that.
Bridget Brooks, MavPuck.com:
Where are things at injury-wise right now? Do you have an update on (goaltender) Simon (Latkoczy) for this weekend?
Mike Gabinet (Head Coach, Omaha Hockey):
Yeah, Simon’s back skating here, which is great. So, um, to be honest, I haven’t, uh, we just got done (with) practice here and I haven’t, uh, talked to our trainer there just on how he’s feeling after today and yesterday. But we’re definitely seeing him start to increase his workload here and, uh, he’s looking, uh, looking better and better every day here. So, um, hopefully we can get him back here in the near future.
