The Origins of UNO Hockey

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

One of the things that has fascinated me about UNO Hockey over the course of the past 22 years has been the nascent beginnings for the sport at the university in the 1970s. 

Before I go any further, I want to thank the talented team of archivists at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Criss Library for directing me to digitized yearbooks and providing rare photographs of UNO’s club hockey team during the 1970s. 

I touched on this topic a bit in a 2015 blog titled “The Arena Origin Story (Part 1).”

In that post, I talked about the Omaha Knights minor league team folding in the early 1970s. Fans of the sport were left to wonder if they’d get to watch high-level hockey in Omaha again. 

UNO Athletics was under the direction of Don Leahy at the time. 

The school had fielded a club team since 1972 (research from the Omaha World-Herald archives also uncovered that Omaha University played club hockey during the 1940s).

According to UNO’s 1975 yearbook, a student named Tim Rock decided to organize a club team in January 1972. 

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

The UNO Athletic Department took over some of the costs of fielding a team during that era — providing uniforms and ice time at Ak-Sar-Ben. 

The department’s business manager at the time, Russ Baldwin, said college hockey was a “growing sport” and that professional teams were relying “more and more on college students for talent.”

This image of UNO playing Creighton appeared in the school’s 1975 yearbook:

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

During my research for this article, I began to realize what a terrific opportunity the university had to fill the void left by the departed Knights organization (which played to packed houses at Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum).

A familiar face to UNO Hockey fans took over the fledgling club operation in the 1975-76 season — Duluth, Minnesota native Mike Kemp (who was only 23 at the time). 

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

(Kemp’s current title is “Associate Athletic Director — Events & Facilities” at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Prior to being elevated to an associate athletic director position, he coached the UNO Hockey program from 1996 thru 2009.)

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

Omaha World-Herald reporter Jerry Fricke addressed the state of hockey in Omaha in a column published on April 21, 1976: 

“Coach Kemp, whose club team finished with an 11-14-2 record, has been recruiting and arranging a schedule with the idea that UNO will go varsity. ‘If we don’t go varsity, I won’t be here,’ Kemp said. ‘Most of the games I’ve arranged are with varsity teams, and they won’t play us unless we have a varsity team.’”

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

Further research in the Omaha World-Herald shows that a non-profit group had been set up to help raise money for scholarships for the club players. 

A recent profile of Mike Kemp — written by Ryan Jaeckel for The Gateway on Oct. 30, 2018 — unearths a few more details about Kemp’s season with UNO’s club program in 1975-76. 

According to the article, Kemp had earned a degree in public relations from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1975. He was working in the family business in Duluth when he received a call from his old hockey coach informing him that UNO was “looking for a club hockey coach.”

Kemp told The Gateway that his experience coaching UNO's club team was “interesting.”

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

There were players from a variety of backgrounds, Jaeckel wrote. "A 38-year-old from North Dakota working at Kellogg’s. Another, from Michigan State, was in their mid-30s and worked as a salesman for a major corporation. There were Creighton Prep seniors. Even Kemp’s closest friend, who had just returned from Vietnam, joined in the fun.” 

According to Jaeckel's article, the "friend who had just returned from the Vietnam War" would eventually be involved in starting UNO's Division 1 program in 1996.

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

Kemp referred to that club team, "lovingly," as “the largest collection of human debris ever assembled.”

As I alluded to earlier, there was talk that UNO would move up to the varsity level for hockey in the 1976-77 season. “Kemp began recruiting immediately,” writes Jaeckel, “going as far north as Canada.” 

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

UNO ended its efforts early, citing financial constraints at the time. Kemp left the university shortly thereafter, and the school’s hockey prospects remained largely dormant for another two decades. 

There were other iterations of UNO’s club team between the 1970s era club teams and the NCAA Division I program started in 1996. 

For example, the 1981 flavor of club hockey at UNO was led by a player/coach named Tak Soto — who played on the Japanese Olympic hockey team (according to the March 4, 1981, issue of The Gateway):

Photo credit: UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections

When UNO Hockey finally took hold as a varsity sport in May 1996, Bridget and I (both newly-minted graduates of the university) put down our deposit on a pair of seats. I sent her over to Sapp Fieldhouse to wait in line the morning tickets first went on sale. 

The reason I did is because I liked the idea that UNO was doing something interesting as it regarded athletics, and because I thought it would help UNO build its own identity in the lexicon of local sports. 

But I’ve always wondered “what if?”

Had UNO started varsity-level hockey in the 1970s, would it have survived? Would it be a program with dozens of banners and hardware from decades of NCAA tournament appearances and championships? 

We’ll never know, but it is fun to think about. 

Like this blog post? Check out more photos from the UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections here.

The Arena Origin Story (Part 2)

By Jon Brooks

In Part 1 of "The Arena Origin Story" we touched on the nascent days of hockey in Omaha, looking at how the The Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum became the hub for pucks in the area.

Whether or not that piece of property -- nestled in the middle of Omaha -- is "hallowed ground" for the sport is yet to be seen. But there is no denying that the area holds an important place in the city's sports landscape.

The Spokes on the Wheel
With the Omaha Lancers finding a foothold at Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum in the late 80s, hockey's passionate fans came roaring to the fore. A rough start to the franchise's history was succeeded by teams with excellent records, and capacity crowds to cheer on the boys.

It only stood to reason that other interested parties would stand up and take notice.

Not only would rumblings once again surface regarding the possibility of UNO Hockey, but a minor league hockey team's owner would even propose building a 10,000-seat arena in Omaha.

The Land of Our Dreams
In November of 1990, the Ak-Sar-Ben board of governors decided to put its 340 acres of property up for sale.

As I mentioned in Part I, the proceeds from horse racing on the property had declined throughout the 1980s, and those charged with its care started looking for other opportunities.

When the decision was made to sell, it was done with the idea that only select civic entities would even be considered.

An Omaha World-Herald article on Nov. 20, 1990 stated: "A new owner would be prohibited from using the land and buildings for any commercial activity..."

Obviously, that didn't quite end up being the case, and the Aksarben property is today a vibrant "mixed-use" development with commercial, residential, and educational facilities.

UNO was one of the educational entities on the short list for the sale. Local leaders felt there was merit in the idea that the property would allow for UNO's landlocked campus to have expansion opportunities.

Another entity that Aksarben's leadership found acceptable as a buyer was Douglas County, and board member Steve McCollister started devising a plan for the property.

McCollister proposed many possibilities for the property, and the idea of UNO as a major participant was definitely at play. In addition, he proposed building a new sports arena:

"The number of seats hasn't been determined but probably would be between 8,000 and 15,000," McCollister said. "Omaha's City Auditorium Arena seats 9,300; the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln seats 14,300." -- Omaha World-Herald, Jan. 5, 1991

There was a certain amount of debate as to where the city should build a new sports arena. Some local politicians (such as then-Mayor P.J. Morgan) favored downtown Omaha as a locale. Others were pushing for the soon-to-be available Aksarben property.

The sale of Aksarken had the resultant effect of putting all the various plans in limbo.

"Hockey at UNO?"
That sentence started out an Omaha World-Herald article published on March 22, 1991.

UNO had just released a 20-year master plan, and hockey was listed as a possible addition to athletics.

[UNO Athletic Director Bob] Gibson said several people have asked him about UNO adding hockey. He said the success of the Omaha Lancers is probably one reason why.

"I don't think there's any question that has something to do with it," he said. "This is a hockey city."

The article itself was little more than a "tease," but it showed the concept was on UNO's radar.

Douglas County Makes Its Pitch
Douglas County Commissioner Steve McCollister wrote an editorial (published in the Omaha World-Herald on Jan. 8, 1992) titled "How Purchase of Ak - Sar - Ben Would Add to Quality of Life."

The plan would see the county purchasing the property, and the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben continuing as a foundation (using proceeds from the sale for charitable work within the community).

McCollister also wrote: "It is important to stress that it is not what Ak - Sar - Ben is today that is exciting; it is what it can be in 10 or 20 years. This is not an offer to buy a racetrack."

The vision that McCollister had is largely what we have seen the Aksarben development become (albeit with a significant commercial component).

Mayor Daub Enters the Picture
In April of 1995, Mayor Hal Daub started talking about redevelopment possibilities at Aksarben. Debate was swirling as to whether the property -- which in its heyday had been known for horse racing -- should be used for "non-gambling" uses, or whether casino gambling should be allowed on the property.

Daub focused on redevelopment centered around educational uses for UNO. He commented on the topic in the April, 21, 1995, issue of the Omaha World-Herald.

Mayor Daub said Friday that a conference center, a sports arena and an engineering college for the University of Nebraska at Omaha are among the redevelopment options that are under consideration for Ak - Sar - Ben.

Daub said the plan could include a 6,000-seat sports arena for hockey and basketball and a conference center for use by the city's medical schools and other educational institutions.

He said his personal view was that an engineering college "should offer undergraduate and graduate study, as well as continuing education classes."

(Note: Hal Daub currently serves on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and was one of the board members who approved the bonds to fund the UNO Community Arena adjacent to the Aksarben redevelopment).

McCollister voiced similar views the following week, and expressed his concerns about the property being turned over to "gaming" interests. He also reiterated the notion of the property being used for future UNO facilities.

Many discussions have been held over the years about uses as varied as UNO facilities and parking, amphitheaters, soccer fields, amateur and collegiate hockey to Shakespeare on the Green. -- Omaha World-Herald, April 28, 1995

In the final sum game, the "non-gambling" interests won out, and the road toward the ongoing Aksarben redevelopment we see today was forged.

It is fascinating to see how the property has developed in a fashion similar to those early visions.

It wasn't easy getting from there to here, and the notion of UNO having a new sports arena -- let alone a hockey team -- seemed like a faint dream.

While local leaders were ruminating on the future of sports, entertainment, and conventions in the area (along with the dealings at Aksarben, Mayor Daub was laying the groundwork for riverfront redevelopment downtown), UNO Athletic Director Don Leahy was laying the groundwork for D-I hockey at the university.

The "Don" of a New Era
The concept of D-I hockey at UNO was again floated publicly as Don Leahy returned to UNO for another stint as athletic director. This time, Leahy would pull it off.

Leahy's installment as AD was covered in the Aug. 11, 1995 issue of the Omaha World-Herald:

Don Leahy, introduced as UNO's new athletic director in a press conference on Thursday, said he had come up with the idea during his previous stint as athletic director at the school, from 1974 through 1985.

"Shortly after I arrived, I went to Ronald Roskens -- who had hired me -- with a plan to start hockey at UNO," Leahy said. "He said he liked it, but because of the timing and some possible problems involved, we decided to put it on hold."

Leahy had come to UNO from Ak - Sar - Ben's executive staff, where his responsibilities included working with the Omaha Knights of the Central Hockey League.

Now, more than 20 years later, UNO Chancellor Del Weber is enthused about the possibility, Leahy said.

But coming up with the funding -- and finding a place to play -- are different problems.

"I would think it would be extremely difficult for us to play at Ak - Sar - Ben, with another hockey team (the Omaha Lancers) and a basketball team (Omaha Racers) already there," he said. "But that will be part of our investigation. I haven't looked into it yet, but we're going to look at every option."

Another option would be renovation at the City Auditorium that would include ice for hockey.

Leahy had been brought in to revitalize athletics. There was considerable hand-wringing regarding UNO Athletics in the early 1990s, and it wasn't a pretty period.

I was a UNO student at the time, and there were some in Omaha who were even suggesting that the university drop athletics altogether.

Leahy -- and hockey -- proved to be the elixir that would fix an ailing athletic department.

(Note: That was part of my motivation for sending Bridget over to UNO to stand in line for hockey season tickets in May of 1996. I saw our school doing something positive for athletics, and thought it was important to support them in the effort).

Looking back, it is fascinating to consider Leahy's connection to the Omaha Knights organization, and his previous employment with Ak-Sar-Ben.

Even though the UNO Hockey program has yet to play a game in the area, Aksarben is inextricably tied to the program, and it almost seems like UNO building a new home there was predetermined from the inception.

But as we all know, the program would take a few detours on its road to the UNO Community Arena...

Next time: The Arena Origin Story: Part 3

The Arena Origin Story (Part 1)

By Jon Brooks

Every story has a beginning...

The road to the UNO Community Arena saw its beginnings long before the first puck was dropped at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 1997.

To tell you the truth, I'm not altogether sure the general public was really paying attention. I know I had read bits and blurbs, but I certainly didn't see how things were evolving at the time. It's the benefit of hindsight, I suppose.

As much as the vision started with proposals for the redevelopment of the Ak-Sar-Ben property, it started years before when the Omaha Knights left the city, leaving a void in the city's sports landscape.

Club Hockey at UNO
The Omaha Knights had folded. Their league (the CHL) was in limbo. By all accounts, fans of the sport were left to wonder whether they'd get to watch high-level hockey in Omaha again.

UNO Athletics (under the direction of Athletic Director Don Leahy) fielded a club hockey team in the immediate aftermath of the Knights' departure — a team that played 14 games at Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum in 1975-76.

(Omaha University had a club hockey team during the 1940s that played in the Amateur Hockey League.)

Mike Kemp (who was only 23 at the time) was the coach of the club team, and he had high hopes they would move up to the varsity level for the 1976-77 season (either Division I or Division II, the latter held championships from 1978-84 and 1993-99).

Omaha World-Herald writer Jerry Fricke addressed the state of hockey in Omaha in a column published on April 21, 1976:

"Coach Kemp, whose club team finished with an 11-14-2 record, has been recruiting and arranging a schedule with the idea that UNO will go varsity.

'If we don't go varsity, I won't be here,' Kemp said. 'Most of the games I've arranged are with varsity teams, and they won't play us unless we have a varsity team.'"

OWH research also shows that a non-profit group had been set up to help raise money for scholarships for the club players.

"Varsity" UNO Hockey did not become a reality in the 1970s, and the dream was put on hold. Every so often an errant mention of UNO possibly starting a varsity hockey program would surface, but it wouldn't happen for another 20 years.

The Heat is On!
A spectator-brand of hockey didn't return to Omaha until 1986, when a USHL franchise formed in Omaha.

The Omaha Lancers didn't come out of the chute with immediate success (they were 0-48-0 in their inaugural season), and they initially played at Hitchcock Ice Arena in South Omaha (which sat 900 for hockey).

But Lancer Hockey changed the Omaha sports landscape in a profound way during the intervening years.

When the Lancers did finally take the ice for the first time at Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum in December 1987 (a single game during the 1987-88 season played there), 4,000 tickets were pre-sold, according to Omaha World-Herald reports. Ticket prices: $4 and $3.

When 28-year-old Omahan Ted Baer (and his father) bought the franchise, more games were played during the 1988-89 season at the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum. Baer was a fixture during his tenure, and could be seen walking around the arena during games in a jersey and blue jeans.

Ak-Sar-Ben Executive Director Don Drew said in an Omaha World-Herald article on May 27, 1988, that the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum had "the best ice surface west of the Mississippi."

"The quality of the ice, the arena, and the excitement of players realizing they will play before large crowds is very important," Drew said. "It should help make the Lancers a better team. I've heard people talking about hockey. Hockey is a big, big game in this town."

Baer moved all home games to the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum for the 1989-90 season. The organization also made a coaching change, and hired Frank Serratore to take the reins.

(Serratore is currently the head coach at Air Force. He'll bring the Falcons to Omaha this October for UNO's debut at the new arena).

Before long, the Lancers became known for packed houses and on-ice success.

I have fond memories of attending games at the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum. It was old, musty and smelled like warm beer, but it was a wonderful atmosphere for hockey, and still stands as one of the great sports experiences in Omaha.

Sure, there were beams that obstructed the view from certain seats, and the pitch and angles were kind of wonky. But the rough-and-tumble fans made it an experience.

As important as Baer's purchase was for the future of hockey in Omaha, an inkling came in the summer of 1988 that Aksarben's future was in limbo.

The Future of Aksarben
In 1988, the Douglas County Board of Directors had their sights on purchasing the Aksarben property so that they could build an arena and convention center using revenue bonds.

That July, the Ak-Sar-Ben Board of Governors rejected the proposal.

According to OWH articles at the time, horse racing on the property wasn't generating the sort of revenue that the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben wanted. Other forms of gaming were eating into the revenue that horse racing had previously generated.

For those not familiar with the Aksarben property's historical place in Omaha's history, here is a bit of background from the July 17, 1988 issue of the Omaha World-Herald:

"The Knights of Ak - Sar - Ben, a nonprofit civic organization dating to 1895, opened a race track in 1920. Ak - Sar - Ben has sponsored Thoroughbred meetings each year since 1935, except for 1943 and 1944. Ak - Sar - Ben (Nebraska spelled backward) also sponsors a rodeo and a 4-H show, provides big-name entertainment, has more than 47,000 members, and calls itself 'the largest civic organization of its kind in the world.'"

As interest in horse racing waned in the late 80s (competition came across the river in Council Bluffs from casinos and greyhound racing), the buzzards started circling, eyeing the prime Aksarben real estate in the city's center.

Vast acres lay in wait for what would eventually become a mixed-use development (and the home of UNO's "Pacific Street Campus")...

Next Week: The Arena Origin Story (Part 2)