Former Omaha defenseman and Menke Family Co-Captain Griffin Ludtke has signed his first professional contract with the Cincinnati Cyclones, joining the ECHL club for the remainder of the season.
It’s the next step for one of Omaha’s most steady and trusted blueliners over the past four years.
Ludtke leaves Omaha having appeared in 126 career games, finishing with 57 points (6 goals, 51 assists).
In his final season, he continued to play a key role on the blue line.
This year, Ludtke led Omaha in assists with 17 and finished with a +5 rating.
In 2023-24, he put together his most productive offensive season with 27 points (4 goals, 23 assists), showing he could contribute on both sides of the puck when needed.
What stands out about Ludtke’s time in Omaha isn’t just the stats — it’s the role he played inside the program.
Omaha head coach Mike Gabinet put it simply: “He has been a great ambassador and leader for the program both on and off the ice.”
Now, he heads to Cincinnati — a team that’s been active in adding young college talent late in the season.
Ludtke won’t be the only familiar NCAA name joining the Cyclones either. Recently, Kaidan Mbereko signed with Cincinnati as well.
For Ludtke, the transition should suit his game.
The pro level rewards defensemen who can think the game, move the puck efficiently, and stay reliable under pressure — all things he’s shown consistently at Omaha.
Before Omaha, Ludtke developed in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers, where he was part of a Clark Cup championship team and wore an “A” as an alternate captain.
That experience — combined with four years at Omaha — has him well positioned as he begins his professional career.
With “preseason” upon us (“There is no offseason, only preseason,”) we’ll be tracking Mavericks leaving for the pro ranks, players going into the portal, and incoming Mavericks from the transfer portal. I’ll do a separate blog post for commits, since we don’t always know which season they’re coming in.
So here is your “Mavs on the Move” player watch...
Incoming Mavericks (from the transfer portal):
None yet. Portal opens April 13, 2026 and closes April 28, 2026. Graduating students may be eligible to enter the portal outside these dates, as are players whose head coach leaves their program.
Mavericks in the transfer portal:
None yet.
We will provide links to transfer portal trackers once they are up and running.
Players who have exhausted their playing eligibility include:
Senior defenseman Griffin Ludtke (signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL on 3/19/26)
Senior defenseman Jacob Guevin
Senior forward Sam Huo (signed an ATO with Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL on 3/12/26)
Senior forward Jacob Slipec (signed with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL on 3/20/26)
Senior forward Tyler Rollwagen
Senior forward Cam Mitchell (signed with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL on 3/11/26), where yes, he is playing with #oldbull Kirby Proctor
Former Omaha forward Cameron Mitchell has signed with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL, the team announced Thursday, beginning the next chapter of his hockey career following four seasons with the Mavericks.
Mitchell appeared in 93 career games at Omaha, recording 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points during his time with the program. Known for his work ethic and steady presence in the lineup, the Stony Plain, Alberta native earned the respect of teammates and coaches alike while serving as an alternate captain during the 2025-26 season.
Head coach Mike Gabinet praised Mitchell’s approach to the game as he makes the jump to the professional level.
“So happy to see Cam move onto the pro level. He is a player that does the right things day in and day out,” Gabinet said. “He has a bright future and I am excited to watch him play.”
Mitchell’s most productive collegiate season came in 2024-25, when he posted eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 32 games. He also scored a pair of shorthanded goals that season and added a game-winning goal.
During his senior campaign in 2025-26, Mitchell recorded two goals and four assists for six points in 34 games while continuing to play an important role in Omaha’s forward group.
Now he begins his professional career with the Wichita Thunder, an ECHL club affiliated with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.
The signing also reunites Mitchell with a familiar face from Omaha. Former Maverick defenseman Kirby Proctor, who played for the Mavericks from 2019-24, is currently on Wichita’s roster — giving the Thunder a pair of players with recent ties to the program.
Wichita announced Mitchell’s signing alongside forward Gavin Best as the team continues a lengthy road trip before returning home to INTRUST Bank Arena later this season.
For Mitchell, the move marks the next step after four years of development in the NCHC — and another Maverick alumnus continuing the program’s pipeline to professional hockey.
Graphic courtesy of Tahoe Knight Monsters; photo by Emma Goldstein, Omaha Athletics
Another Maverick is heading to the professional ranks.
Former Omaha forward Samuel Huo has signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) with the Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL, the team announced March 11. Tahoe is the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Huo joins Tahoe after completing the 2025-26 season at Omaha, where the 6-foot-5 center recorded 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 30 games for the Mavericks.
His final collegiate goal came in Omaha’s NCHC Quarterfinal series at North Dakota on March 6, when he scored in the Mavericks’ 5-3 Game 1 loss at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Tahoe announced that Huo will wear No. 26 and joined the team ahead of its St. Patrick’s Weekend series at Tahoe Blue Event Center.
A Unique Path to Omaha Huo arrived in Omaha with a strong track record at the Canadian university level.
Before joining the Mavericks, he played four seasons at the University of British Columbia, totaling 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists) in 92 games. During that time, he helped UBC capture the 2024 U Sports (West) Championship and was named a USports (West) First-Team All-Star in 2023-24.
Internationally, Huo also earned gold with Team Canada at the FISU World University Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
Prior to his college career, the Richmond, British Columbia native played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans.
Pro Opportunity At 24 years old, Huo now gets his first opportunity at the professional level with Tahoe.
Amateur tryout agreements are a common path for players finishing their NCAA eligibility, allowing them to join a pro roster late in the season and gain experience while teams evaluate them for potential contracts.
For Huo, the move represents the next step in a hockey career that has already included junior, Canadian university hockey, NCAA competition, and international play.
For Omaha Hockey, the postseason begins with a familiar challenge — and a familiar destination.
The Mavericks head to Grand Forks this weekend for a best-of-three National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinal series against No. 2/3 North Dakota, the Penrose Cup champion and the league’s No. 1 seed. The series opens Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, with Game 2 on Saturday and a potential Game 3 on Sunday.
Omaha enters the weekend as the No. 8 seed after finishing the regular season 12-22-0 overall and 8-16-0 in NCHC play. North Dakota closed the regular season at 25-8-1 and 17-6-1 in conference, capturing the Penrose Cup as the NCHC’s regular-season champion.
The Fighting Hawks also swept the regular-season series, winning all four meetings with an 18-5 scoring advantage.
But once the playoffs begin, the regular season matters less.
Senior goaltender and co-captain Simon Latkoczy made that clear when asked about the upcoming matchup.
“I wouldn’t say a new season, but it is definitely a new competition,” Latkoczy said. “We can kind of close the door behind what we have done. But also, I think that we have done a lot of good things this season.”
For Omaha, simply reaching the postseason required a sustained push. The Mavericks spent much of the final six weeks battling to stay in playoff position and ultimately secured the final berth with a split against Miami in the regular-season finale at Baxter Arena. (And helped out by a sweep of Arizona State by Denver, which left the Sun Devils in ninth place in the NCHC, and out of the playoffs.)
Head coach Mike Gabinet said that stretch of high-stakes games helped prepare his team for what lies ahead.
“First off, just want to give our team a lot of credit,” Gabinet said. “We’ve been playing pretty intense games right down the last six weeks here and found ways to get some big wins every weekend. Now we’re excited. You want to keep playing. You never want your season to end.”
Despite the eighth-place finish, Omaha’s season has included flashes of the team’s potential. The Mavericks recorded six wins against ranked opponents during the regular season and saw several young players take significant steps forward as the year progressed.
One of the biggest developments has been the emergence of freshman forward Jérémy Loranger, who was named the NCHC Rookie of the Month for February after posting seven points in five games.
Gabinet said the award reflects the growth he has seen from the young forward — and from several of Omaha’s newcomers.
“It takes time,” Gabinet said. “It’s a big step when you come from a different league to this league. You can see it in his game. When you stick with it, and you’re coachable and you take personal responsibility, you get better. We’re seeing that.”
While Omaha’s roster includes many new faces, the Mavericks will lean heavily on their experienced core this weekend, beginning with Latkoczy.
The senior goaltender has appeared in 23 games this season, recording a 3.23 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.
Latkoczy believes his game is peaking at the right moment.
“All four years, the whole development that I have had here, I think it’s all coming together,” he said. “And I think that it’s coming together at the right time.”
As a veteran and team captain, Latkoczy also understands the role he may need to play in a series where Omaha enters as the underdog.
“Goalies usually need to carry the team if you are the underdog in the series like this,” he said. “And I’ve been in this position before.”
Latkoczy referenced his time in the USHL with the Madison Capitols, when his lower-seeded team made an unexpected run to the league finals.
“I know that I’ve done it before, and I know that I can do it again,” he said.
Playing at Ralph Engelstad Arena will provide another challenge. North Dakota routinely draws one of the largest and most passionate crowds in college hockey, creating a difficult environment for visiting teams.
Latkoczy welcomes it.
“They have a good crowd and good fans,” he said. “But sometimes that gives you energy. And I don’t have a problem playing in front of big crowds.”
Omaha has become accustomed to facing North Dakota in the postseason. This weekend marks the fourth straight year the two teams have met in the NCHC tournament (the two teams met in the NCHC semifinal game in St. Paul in 2023-24; the other matchups were quarterfinal games), though this will be the first time in that stretch that the series is played in Grand Forks.
Gabinet said the time since the teams last met — before Christmas — adds an interesting element.
“I like it,” Gabinet said. “We’ve almost had each other down the stretch here in the past. So it’s fun for a new opponent and a chance to play them again. They’ve improved, we’ve improved.”
For Omaha, discipline will also be a key factor in the series. When asked about avoiding a special-teams battle, Gabinet emphasized the importance of staying out of the penalty box.
“I think playoff hockey — I think the fans… I think everybody wants to see some five-on-five hockey,” he said. “I don’t think anybody wants to see the officials take over a series. That’s up to the players to make sure you’re playing with your stick on the ice and checking with your legs.”
While North Dakota enters the series as the favorite, Latkoczy believes the Mavericks can use that dynamic to their advantage.
“Even though we are underdogs, it’s kind of good,” he said. “I think that’s going to fit us well.”
And in a best-of-three playoff series, momentum can shift quickly.
“You win one game, and you are on the horse there,” Latkoczy said. “That’s all that matters.”
For Omaha, the formula is simple: win two games, and the season continues.
The Mavericks believe they have a chance to do exactly that.
“I believe in this group,” Gabinet said. “We’ve got a lot of good kids in there that are working their butts off to get better. I believe we’re going to step up and do the right things when it matters the most.”
When (Best-of-Three Series):
> Friday, March 6 – 7:07 p.m. CT at Ralph Engelstad Arena (Grand Forks, ND)
> Saturday, March 7 – 6:07 p.m. CT at Ralph Engelstad Arena (Grand Forks, ND)
> If necessary, Sunday, March 8 – 6:07 p.m. CT at Ralph Engelstad Arena (Grand Forks, ND)
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.
Live stats for Sunday (if necessary), can be found here.
On this episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason talk about the University of Nebraska-Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s recent regular season finale against Miami (OH) at Baxter Arena (includes their picks for “Player of the Week”). They talk about some “Things You Missed at Baxter Arena,” specifically the athletic department’s latest attempt at a white out. They talk about Omaha being the first D-1 men’s ice hockey program to sell a sponsorship for its hockey jerseys. They wrap up the episode with their preview and predictions for Omaha’s NCHC quarterfinal matchup against North Dakota Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.
What’s Next:
The Mavs must win 2 of 3 games to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semi-finals. Anything less and the season is over. (They will not make the NCAA Tournament unless they advance as the NCHC tournament winner.)
