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

Omaha Hockey #Oldbulls at NHL Training Camps (2025)

It’s always nice to see #oldbulls succeeding in pro hockey. (For the uninitiated, the term “oldbulls” was coined by Omaha Hockey Hobey Baker candidate Ryan Walters a number of years ago.)

Here is a list of former Omaha Hockey players participating in NHL fall training camps.

Boston Bruins: 

Joey Abate

Colorado Avalanche: 

Jayson Megna

LA Kings: 

Isaiah Saville 

Taylor Ward

New York Rangers: 

Brandon Scanlin 

Pittsburgh Penguins: 

Zach Urdahl 

St. Louis Blues: 

Sam Stange 

Vancouver Canucks: 

Victor Mancini

Ty Mueller 

Washington Capitals: 

Seth Eisele 

Did I miss anyone???

Omaha Hockey Open House Set for Saturday, Sept. 27

 

The Omaha Hockey Open House will be Saturday, Sept. 27 at 11:30 a.m. Baxter Arena. There will be a one-period hockey scrimmage, Skate with the Mavs, and autographs. (If they do it like they did in previous years, they’ll divide the team in half, with half on the ice, and half at a table in the concourse signing autographs.)

There is NO COST to attend, and no reservations are required. Free parking is available in the west lot. 

Fans are welcome to bring their own skates. A limited number of skates are available to borrow from the Baxter Arena Skate Shop (however, waiting in line for skates will reduce the amount of time available to skate with the players). All skaters must sign a waiver form. (And, if it’s like previous years, no one without skates will be allowed on the ice.)

Omaha Hockey will provide photos for autographs, or you are welcome to bring your own photos or merchandise to be autographed. Players have black Sharpie pens, so if you have a puck or something that requires a different color Sharpie, you must supply your own.

The event is scheduled to end at 2 p.m. 

Omaha Hockey Announces 2025-26 Leadership Group

Omaha hockey head coach Mike Gabinet announced Tuesday senior goaltender Simon Latkoczy and senior defenseman Griffin Ludtke will serve as the program’s 26th and 27th Menke Family Captains in program history, respectively, alongside senior forwards Tyler Rollwagen and Cam Mitchell, who the Mavericks have named as assistant captains for the 2025-26 campaign.

This is the fifth time that the Mavericks have had co-captains in a single season, the first since 2015-16, when defenseman Brian Cooper and forward Jake Guentzel both donned a “C” on their sweater.

“We are proud to name Simon Latkoczy and Griffin Ludtke as our captains, with Tyler Rollwagen and Cam Mitchell serving as our assistant captains this season,” Gabinet said. “Simon has earned the trust of our group with his relentless dedication, discipline and preparation, lifting the standard in every environment he’s in. Griffin has a unique ability to know each player and connect with our group. He leads with a natural positivity and care for this program that sets the tone for how we want to operate every day.”

Latkoczy is coming off a 2024-25 campaign in which he cemented himself as the NCHC Goaltender of the Year, the first in Omaha history. The Trencin, Slovakia native recorded a 2.71 goals against average, a .922 save percentage and 952 saves (second-most in the NCHC).

The 5-foot-11, 177-pound netminder enters the 2025-26 season with 44 wins, the fourth-most in program history.

Ludtke enters his senior season with Omaha after playing in all 36 games and recording 13 points (2G-11A) just a season ago. Ludtke buried his second career game-winning goal on March 1, 2025, against then-No. 12 Arizona State.

During the Elko, Minn., native’s 2023-24 campaign, Ludtke finished second among all Mavericks with 27 points (4G-23A).

Both of Omaha’s incoming assistant captains are coming off career-high seasons in points.

Rollwagen tallied 15 points (3G-12A) through 36 games in 2024-25 and has skated in 107 games since his freshman season in 2022-23. The Bloomington, Minn., native netted three power play goals last season.

Mitchell enters his senior season with the Mavericks after setting career highs across the board with 33 games played, eight goals, 12 assists and 20 points. The Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada native led Omaha with two shorthanded goals and had a highlight reel game-winner on Jan. 3, 2025, when he scored in overtime against Holy Cross in the inaugural Cactus Cup in Palm Desert, Calif.

“Tyler is a highly competitive, vocal leader with a great work ethic who holds himself and others to a high standard daily,” Gabinet added. “Cam does the right things day in and day out, and his professionalism and consistency make him a steady presence and a natural leader in our locker room. We also have a locker room full of players who lead in different ways, even if they aren’t wearing a letter. These individuals could easily wear one, and that collective leadership will drive us forward this season.” 

Four Mavericks Named to CSC Academic All-District Team

Krenzen, Glynn, Bremer, and Ludtke Named to College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team

Omaha hockey alumni Nolan Krenzen, Jimmy Glynn and Brock Bremer — along with junior Griffin Ludtke — were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team®, it was announced Tuesday.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

The trio of Omaha alumni were all working towards their Master's in Business Administration (MBA). Glynn finished his time as a Maverick with a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing his MBA. Krenzen, the 25th captain in Omaha history, finished his final season with Omaha, boasting a 3.88 GPA while also working toward an MBA. Bremer concluded his time in the program with a 3.59 GPA.

Ludtke heads into his senior season with the Mavericks carrying a 3.76 GPA while working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.

This is the first Academic All-District® honor for all four Mavericks.

2025-26 Omaha Hockey Schedule

We’re starting to put together the pieces of the 2025-26 Omaha Hockey schedule. (Let us know if you hear of any games/series! Email MavpuckEvents(at)gmail.com)

Updated 5/20/25

** Note: The NCAA Official Start Date is Friday, Oct. 3 – No games before that date **

Friday, Oct. 3

Exhibition vs. Air Force at Baxter Arena

Friday, Oct. 10-Saturday, Oct. 11 (thanks @Penguins59 on Instagram)

Minnesota State-Mankato at Omaha (non-conference)

Friday, Oct. 24-Saturday, Oct. 25

UMass at Omaha (non-conference) • HOMECOMING

Friday, Oct. 31-Saturday, Nov. 1

Omaha at Colorado College (Colo. Springs, CO)

Friday, Nov. 7-Saturday, Nov. 8

North Dakota at Omaha

Friday, Nov. 14-Saturday, Nov. 15

Omaha at Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, MN)

Friday, Nov. 21-Saturday, Nov. 22

Western Michigan at Omaha

Friday, Nov. 28-Saturday, Nov. 29

Omaha at Yale (non-conference)

Friday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 6

BYE

Friday, Dec. 12-Saturday, Dec. 13

Omaha at North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)

Friday, Dec. 19-Saturday, Dec. 20

Omaha at Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD) (non-conference)

** WINTER BREAK **

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Manitoba Exhibition at Omaha (Season Ticket Member Appreciation)

Friday, Jan. 2-Saturday, Jan. 3

Omaha at Cornell (Ithaca, NY)  (non-conference)

Friday, Jan. 9-Saturday, Jan. 10

St. Cloud State at Omaha

Friday, Jan. 16-Saturday, Jan. 17

Omaha at Miami (Oxford, OH)

Friday, Jan. 23-Saturday, Jan. 24

Colorado College at Omaha

Friday, Jan. 30-Saturday, Jan. 31

Omaha at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, MI)

Friday, Feb. 6-Saturday, Feb. 7 

BYE

Friday, Feb. 13-Saturday, Feb. 14

Denver at Omaha

Friday, Feb. 20-Saturday, Feb. 21

Omaha at Arizona State

Friday, Feb. 27-Saturday, Feb. 28

Miami at Omaha

** NCHC REGULAR SEASON CONCLUDES ** 

Friday, March 6 / Saturday, March 7 / Sunday, March 8

NCHC Quarterfinals (campus sites)

Saturday, March 14

NCHC Semifinals (campus site, higher seed)

Saturday, March 21

NCHC Championship (campus site, higher seed)

MavPuckCast Podcast – S8 Ep 1: An Interview with Harrison Israels

Season 8, Episode 1:

Interview with Omaha Maverick Hockey #oldbull Forward Harrison Israels

On this special episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason have a wide-ranging chat with former Omaha Maverick Hockey forward Harrison Israels (now playing professional hockey in the ECHL for the Florida Everblades). Israels (a native of Mississauga, Ontario) talks about his career, how he ended up choosing the Mavericks in the transfer portal (after four seasons with Alaska-Fairbanks), how he prepares for games, his favorite road venue to play in, his love for travel, hobbies, and goals. Special thanks for your support of the podcast and MavPuck.com. Your support is greatly appreciated!! Support the MavPuckCast: https://mavpuck.com/donate Follow MavPuck.com online! https://www.mavpuck.com   / mavpuckpage     / mavpuck     / mavpuck     / mavpuckcast  

Transfer Portal Opens Sunday: "Crazy Environment" is the New Norm

The transfer portal opens on Sunday and the “absolute chaos” of the 2025 “preseason” (“there is no offseason, only preseason™”) is here.

Omaha Hockey went 18-17-1 (14-9-1 in the NCHC) in 2024-25. The Mavericks were swept by North Dakota in the NCHC quarterfinals at Baxter Arena on March 14-15, ending the season.

Omaha welcomed 14 new players in the 2024-25 season, including eight freshmen (Joe Gramer, Marcus Broberg, Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero, Myles Hilman, Liam Watkins, Chase LaPinta, Kevin Reidler, and Isaiah Norlin) and six transfer student-athletes (Aiden Gallacher, Sam Stange, Brady Risk, Garrett Pinoniemi, Harrison Israels, and Dylan Gratton). 

More change is underway for 2025-26, as eight Omaha players have exhausted their playing eligibility: Gallacher, Stange, Urdahl, Risk, Nolan Krenzen, Jimmy Glynn, Harrison Israels, and Brock Bremer.

That means at least eight new names and faces on the roster for the next season. There will likely be more.

With the changing nature of college athletics — and the NCAA’s decision to lift the ban on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players, allowing them to play in NCAA Division I hockey starting Aug. 1, 2025 (provided they aren’t compensated “beyond necessary expenses” while in the CHL), change is going to be the new constant.

Players have more opportunities to change their playing situation than in the past. In April 2024, the NCAA eliminated the “year-in-residence” rule, allowing Division I student-athletes to transfer and be immediately eligible to play, regardless of how many times they have transferred, as long as they are academically eligible (“in good standing in accordance with their previous institutions standard; and meet the applicable ‘progress-toward-degree’ requirements at their new institution”).

Student-athletes seeking to transfer must enter the transfer portal during the prescribed “windows,” unless there are certain circumstances, such as the departure of the head coach. This year, the hockey transfer portal window is March 30 to May 13, 2025.

Coach Gabinet said his two main priorities in recruiting are “Making the roster better and maintaining the culture.”

“The new reality of college athletics is there is a lot of movement — and there will be movement every year,” Gabinet said. “Nobody likes it.” 

There will be Omaha players whose names are in the transfer portal tomorrow. 

Gabinet said this is the new normal for college hockey — it will be more like the pro ranks each year. “The team is made up of 28 free agents at the end of each season” — they are free to move on if they choose to. 

But Gabinet said the future is bright. “We have some really good guys coming in.” 

He promises several “big pieces are coming back” from last year’s team, and they hope to announce the returning players soon.
 

MavPuckCast Podcast – S7 E23: Swept, Favorite Memories, Key Takeaways This Season

Season 7, Episode 23:

Swept, Favorite Memories, Key Takeaways This Season

On this episode of the MavPuckCast, Jon, Bridget, and special guest Brent Bean discuss the Omaha Maverick Hockey team’s recent conference playoff series against North Dakota — including video clips and their picks for “Player of the Week.” They make their picks for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. Each shares their favorite memory of the 2024-25 season. And the three offer their key takeaways this season.

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Chapters: 00:00 - North Dakota Playoff Series Recap 26:25 - Players of the Week 32:20 - NCHC Frozen Faceoff 48:45 - Favorite Memory This Season 56:07 - Key Takeaways This Season