No. 35, freshman goaltender William Lacelle
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.
William Lacelle has spent most of his hockey career finding ways to adapt.
The 18-year-old goaltender is completely deaf in his left ear and has 50 percent hearing in his right.
That didn’t stop him from becoming one of the top goaltenders in the QMJHL.
Last season, Lacelle led the QMJHL with seven shutouts, helped the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada reach the league semifinals, and was ranked seventh among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft.
From Rimouski to Blainville-Boisbriand
Lacelle, a native of Gatineau, Quebec, was selected 10th overall by the Rimouski Océanic in the 2023 QMJHL Draft.
He appeared in seven games as a 15-year-old in 2023-24 before taking on a larger role the next season.
In 2024-25, Lacelle went 27-5-3 with a 2.38 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and three shutouts in 36 games for Rimouski.
He began the 2025-26 season with the Océanic before being traded to Blainville-Boisbriand in January. There, he joined future Maverick teammates Maël Lavigne and Vincent Desjardins.
Lacelle went 14-8-1 with a .919 save percentage and two shutouts in 24 games for Rimouski. After the trade, he went 13-7-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and five shutouts in 21 games for the Armada.
Combined, his seven shutouts led the QMJHL.
Lacelle then went 10-5 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in 15 playoff games as Blainville-Boisbriand reached the QMJHL semifinals.
Playing Without Hearing the Game
Lacelle was diagnosed with hearing loss when he was 3 years old.
He started playing hockey as a defenseman before moving to goalie at 8.
“The one thing my dad said that led me to playing the position was that you don’t need to hear the puck to stop it,” Lacelle told NHL.com. “You don’t need to hear the puck, you need to see the puck.”
Lacelle has developed other ways to communicate with his teammates on the ice. He reads lips and uses eye contact, stick taps, and other signals with his defensemen.
“With eye contact, I’m able to establish with my defensemen who should play the puck,” Lacelle told NHL.com.
Lacelle has called his hearing loss his “superpower.”
World Junior Summer Showcase
Lacelle entered the 2026 NHL Draft ranked no. 7 among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting, although he ultimately went undrafted.
His summer wasn’t over.
Lacelle was invited to Canada’s 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase as part of the evaluation process for the 2027 World Junior Championship.
He stopped 23 shots in Canada’s 5-3 comeback win over Finland on July 30.
What He Brings to Omaha
Lacelle arrives at Omaha after three seasons in the QMJHL.
NHL Central Scouting senior eastern scout Jean-François Damphousse praised Lacelle’s hockey sense and puck tracking before the draft, describing his hockey sense as “elite.”
One Thing to Know
Lacelle takes pride in being deaf.
“I always told myself I can do anything I put my mind to,” he told NHL.com.
He has also talked with families of children with hearing loss about his experiences.
“I’m super open to [discussing anything to help] and I’m not ashamed of it,” Lacelle said.
What We’ll Be Watching
Lacelle joins a goalie room that looks different without Simon Latkoczy, who appeared in 103 games for Omaha over the past four seasons.
At NCHC Media Day, Coach Mike Gabinet pointed to returning sophomore Dawson Cowan’s experience last season and Lacelle’s talent when discussing Omaha’s options in net.
“We’re going to have some really good options in the net this season,” Gabinet said.
He described Lacelle as “a really good young goalie” and said the competition between Cowan, Lacelle, and Will Craig has been strong in practice.
William Lacelle at a Glance:
Number: 35
Position: Goaltender
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-1 / 185
Hometown: Gatineau, Quebec
Catches: Left
Previous Team: Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
2025-26 QMJHL: 45 games, 27-15-2, 2.49 GAA, .917 save percentage, 7 shutouts
Previous Meet the New Mavericks profiles:
Lincoln Hjelm
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