No. 22, freshman forward Lincoln Hjelm
Photo credit: Omaha Hockey
MavPuck is profiling the 11 newcomers on Omaha’s 2026-27 roster. Links to the previous profiles are at the bottom of the blog post.
Lincoln Hjelm remembers going to his first Omaha Hockey game when he was 4 years old.
More than 15 years later, the Omaha native will get to put on the jersey himself.
Hjelm grew up playing hockey in Omaha before leaving home to continue his development in Minnesota, British Columbia, and Kearney.
Now the 20-year-old forward is coming home.
Growing Up in Omaha
Hjelm grew up playing hockey with his older brother, Kaden. Neither of their parents played hockey, making the brothers the first generation of hockey players in their family.
Lincoln played for the Omaha AAA Hockey Club before leaving home to attend Northstar Christian Academy in Alexandria, Minnesota.
He spent two seasons with Northstar's 16U AAA team. In 2022-23, Hjelm recorded 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points in 46 games.
But Omaha remained the place he wanted to come back to.
“Attending my first hockey game at the age of 4 sparked my love for the game,” Hjelm wrote in his letter to Maverick fans. “The Omaha youth hockey community is something I will forever be grateful for.”
Committing to Omaha
Hjelm committed to Omaha in November 2022, during his second season at Northstar. He was 16.
Hjelm wrote in a letter to Maverick fans that he would “never forget the text message from the late Coach PJ (Jerrard) saying the Mavs were interested in me.”
He had already told The Rink Live what playing for Omaha would mean to him.
“Growing up I told myself that I wanted to play Division I hockey,” Hjelm said in 2022. “It's always been a dream of mine to go there.”
The Road Back Home
Hjelm still had several years of junior hockey ahead of him after committing to Omaha.
He spent the 2023-24 season with the Langley Rivermen of the BCHL, recording two goals and four assists in 48 games.
Hjelm then moved a lot closer to home.
He joined the Tri-City Storm in Kearney for the 2024-25 season and played two seasons in the USHL.
Hjelm appeared in 102 games for the Storm, recording nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points.
What He Brings to Omaha
Hjelm described his game himself not long after committing to Omaha.
“When I'm playing my best hockey I'm winning faceoffs, pressing the puck hard, forechecking, throwing the body, and setting up my teammates for success whether that's playing defense or getting the puck up and scoring goals,” he told The Rink Live in 2022.
At 6-foot and 185 pounds, Hjelm will arrive at Omaha with 150 games of experience between the BCHL and USHL.
One Thing to Know
Hjelm is from Omaha.
Yes, Omaha. (Technically, Gretna.)
Nebraska-born players have been pretty rare in the history of Omaha Hockey, and Hjelm grew up watching the Mavericks before spending the past several years playing elsewhere.
In his letter to Maverick fans, he wrote about leaving the area at a young age because he knew it was necessary to pursue his goal of playing at UNO.
What We’ll Be Watching
Hjelm committed to Omaha before he had played a game in either the BCHL or USHL.
Almost four years later, the player arriving on campus has a lot more hockey experience than the 16-year-old the Mavericks originally recruited.
Lincoln Hjelm at a Glance:
Number: 22
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-0 / 185
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Shoots: Right
Previous Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Tri-City Career: 102 games, 9 goals, 18 assists, 27 points
Lincoln Hjelm at a Glance:
Number: 22
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-0 / 185
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Shoots: Right
Previous Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Tri-City Career: 102 games, 9 goals, 18 assists, 27 points
Previous Meet the New Mavericks profiles:
Hometown Hero🦸#ForThe402 pic.twitter.com/bgGZEbbhBT
— Omaha Hockey (@OmahaHKY) July 28, 2026
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