Recruit Profile: Gavin Hodnett (Edmonton Oil Kings)

Source: Instagram via College Puck NXT

Gavin Hodnett — a forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba — announced his commitment to the University of Nebraska Omaha Hockey program on April 20, 2026. Hodnett is expected to join Omaha for the 2026-27 season.

Hodnett, a left-shot winger, comes to Omaha after a five-year career with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he developed into one of the most productive players in recent franchise history.

Originally selected 19th overall by Edmonton in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Hodnett made his WHL debut as a 15-year-old during the Oil Kings’ 2021-22 championship season, appearing in five regular-season games and earning a WHL title ring that year. 

Over the next four seasons, Hodnett became a central piece of the Oil Kings’ lineup. He played 229 career regular-season games, recording 71 goals and 156 assists for 227 points. Those totals rank among the best in franchise history, including third all-time in assists and fifth in points. 

Hodnett’s offensive progression year-over-year:

2022-23: 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 61 games

2023-24: 70 points (23 goals, 47 assists) in 61 games
2024-25: 62 points (24 goals, 38 assists) in 61 games
2025-26: 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 41 games

His 70-point season in 2023-24 (1.15 points per game) came on a rebuilding Oil Kings team and highlighted his ability to generate offense even without a deep supporting cast. 

Hodnett served as captain of the Oil Kings for the past two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26), a role that speaks to both his on-ice production and his leadership within the organization. 

“I think it was just… I felt a lot more comfortable… and that’s credit to the guys that we had in the room. I think I got to learn a lot of lessons… just learning how to be a leader away from the ice,” Hodnett said following the Oil Kings’ final game of the season.

Despite dealing with injuries during the 2025-26 season — including missing significant time early with a lower-body injury and later dealing with an upper-body injury before returning for the playoffs — Hodnett still finished with 50 points in 41 games and appeared in four postseason contests.

In those playoffs, he returned earlier than expected and made an impact both on and off the ice, emphasizing leadership even when not at full strength.

“I was ready to go… just tried to provide a spark for our team and be a leader for guys on the bench,” Hodnett said.

From a scouting perspective, Hodnett is viewed as a high-IQ, playmaking forward. The Elite Prospects 2024 NHL Draft Guide describes him as a player who thrives in transition with “instant middle-lane attacks, turbo-speed give-and-goes, and incisive east-west passes,” highlighting his ability to create offense through speed and vision. 

His strengths match up with what scouts have noted elsewhere — strong offensive instincts, smooth skating ability, and a reliable two-way game — though his size (5-foot-8, 160 pounds) has been cited as a factor in NHL draft projections.

Hodnett was ranked 223rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. 

Prior to his WHL career, Hodnett developed in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), including a standout 2021-22 season at the U18 level where he recorded 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists) in 35 games and led the league in assists. 

He also represented Canada White at the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge, posting six points in six games. (Source: EliteProspects)

During his WHL career, Hodnett earned several team honors, including Oil Kings MVP and Top Rookie (2022-23) and Unsung Hero (2024-25). 

Hodnett’s commitment also continues a familiar pipeline for Omaha. He played alongside current Maverick Marc Lajoie during the 2023-24 season in Edmonton, giving him an existing connection to the program. Current teammate Carter Sotheran will join him in Omaha this fall.

In announcing his commitment, Hodnett expressed both gratitude for his time in Edmonton and excitement for what’s next: “I’m extremely proud and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Nebraska Omaha… It was a huge honor to serve as Captain for the past two seasons… Excited for what’s ahead with the Mavericks!” 

What This Means for the Mavericks
Hodnett fits the mold of the type of player Coach Mike Gabinet has targeted in recent recruiting classes: skilled, competitive, and capable of playing a fast, transition-based game.

With nearly a point-per-game career in the WHL and a track record of leadership as a team captain, Hodnett brings both production and experience to the Mavericks’ forward group.

It’s early, but this addition looks like another example of Omaha continuing to tap into high-end Canadian junior talent — particularly players who combine hockey IQ with offensive upside.

A letter from the cap. 💌 pic.twitter.com/YtdlqxvkWy

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 20, 2026

Here is a video of all of Hodnett’s 2022-2023 WHL goals, including his first one:

Headed to Omaha! ✈️

Oil Kings F Gavin Hodnett has committed to the University of Nebraska Omaha for the 26/27 season! Congrats, Hods! 👑

🔗READ HERE: https://t.co/2FPkdJfpYt pic.twitter.com/uARNMTfb4Y

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 20, 2026

14 Newcomers to the Omaha Hockey Roster (Full Analysis)

 

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Hockey team is rebuilding and retooling its roster this season (after a 23-13-4 result in the 2023-24 season). Fourteen of the 28 players on the roster are new to the Mavs this season. 

For a full analysis of the 14 newcomers on UNO’s roster this season, click here:

14 Newcomers to the Omaha Hockey Roster (Full Analysis) 

Recruit Profile: Michael Abgrall (F) - Powell River Kings (BCHL)

Michael Abgrall — a forward from Richmond, BC — announced his commitment to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Hockey program on Nov. 9, 2019. 

Abgrall’s verbal commitment continues a trend of younger recruits committing to Coach Gabinet & Co. during the 2019 calendar year (he turned 16 on Oct. 25, 2019).

In the 2017-18 season, Abgrall played for the Seafair Islanders (Bantam A1-T1 PCBHL). According to the Richmond News, he helped the team capture the Western Canadian Bantam AAA championships. 

This highlight video of Abgrall during his time playing for Seafair shows a player with good puck handling skills and solid on-ice awareness: 

Abgrall played at the “academy level” in the 2018-19 season for the Burnaby Winter Club’s Elite-15 program. He had 22 goals and 22 assists in 29 games. 

He was drafted 67th in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. The Western Hockey League (WHL) is “major junior” hockey in Canada. As we’ve discussed previously on the blog, playing major junior hockey is something akin to playing pro hockey as it regards NCAA eligibility. 

As a result, U.S. college hockey programs that actively seek the best young Canadian players try to gain a foothold before those players suit up for major junior clubs. 

Instead of going the major junior route, Abgrall is playing in the BCHL for the Powell River Kings. (He played five games for the Kings last season as an affiliate player and chalked up a pair of assists.)

Many of the best players to have worn the crimson-and-black for the UNO Hockey program have come from the BCHL ranks. 

Abgrall has 10 points (6 goals and 4 assists) in 24 games for the Kings at the time of this writing (Nov. 13, 2019). He is currently sixth on the team in total points. 

Jared Thomas (@BCHLJThomas — Business Operations Manager of the Merritt Centennials) pointed out on Twitter that three of Abgrall’s six goals this season came in the BCHL Showcase Festival. 

The BCHL Showcase was held on Oct. 2-5, 2019. Each team in the BCHL played two games in the four-day event (the games counted in the overall league standings). 

You can see highlights from Abgrall’s three goal performance here:

Abgrall is playing in Powell River with fellow UNO recruit Davis Pennington. Pennington, a defenseman, has 10 assists in 24 games this season. UNO freshman forward Ryan Brushett played with Powell River last season (and led the team in scoring). 

“Michael’s a really quiet, intelligent hockey player and his game is very similar to his personality,” Kings Head Coach and General Manager told PowellRiverKings.com. “He was a light, young player last year that was able to outsmart his opponents and get the puck back from bigger players by using his brain and his feet. We see him as a high-end, highly skilled player that can really skate.”

That description seems to fit the type of player that UNO Hockey Coach Mike Gabinet has been targeting the past two years. There is little doubt that the 12-man freshman class for the 2019-20 Mavericks features a number of those “high I.Q.” players Gabinet is seeking. 

It’s early, but that recruiting strategy seems to be paying dividends for Omaha this season.  

According to Cawlidge Hockey Insider (@CHInsider) on Twitter, Abgrall’s projected enrollment at UNO is the 2022-23 season.  

PowellRiverKings.com reports that Abgrall was first approached by UNO coaches after the Burnaby Winter Club Elite-15 team played in the Omaha Lancers USHL Showcase last season. UNO was the first team to reach out to him. 

“They’ve been after him for about a year,” Coach Kunitz told PowellRiverKings.com. “They did a great job trying to develop a relationship with him. Michael (Abgrall) has done his part as being a really good hockey player, and it fits both parties.”

“I’ve found loyalty with them,” Abgrall told PowellRiverKings.com. “I just love their facility and the coaching staff was great. As soon as I met them, I got the sense that they really wanted me.”

We published our first “UNO Hockey Recruiting Update” of the season on Nov. 6. We’ll add Abgrall to the list for the next update in that series. 

Until then, be sure to follow MavPuck.com for the latest UNO Hockey recruiting news.

UNO Hockey Recruiting Update (Nov. 2019)

The last time we put together a recruiting update for MavPuck.com it was Feb. 14, 2019 (nothing is more romantic than a blog post about future recruits!)

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Hockey staff has been busy in the intervening months. 

Since that “roundup” post in February, UNO received verbals from several new recruits for future seasons. 

I wrote individual profiles of Nolan Krenzen (D), Kaden Bohlsen (F), Joaquim Lemay (D), Brayden Stannard (F), and Ty Mueller (F) several months ago, after the Feb. 2019 update. 

(I also wrote profiles of Brock Bremer (F), Vincent Nardone (F), Matt Miller (F), and Tyler Rollwagen (F) earlier in the 2018-19 season). 

Since the conclusion of UNO’s 2018-19 campaign, the program has received verbal commitments from Jacob Guevin (D), Tanner Ludtke (F), William Rousseau (G), Matthew Maltais (F), Cam Mitchell (F), Victor Mancini (D), Alex Van Houtte-Cachero (F), and Myles Hilman (F).

When you combine all of these commits with players who “pledged their allegiance” to UNO prior to the 2018-19 season, there is a lot to sift through.  

Note: Our list is “culled” from Chris Heisenberg’s exhaustive college hockey recruiting spreadsheets and the information offered on EliteProspects.com. 

As a result, things are still very much up in the air at this point.

A word of caution as we proceed...

Having followed UNO’s recruiting over the past 22 years, you can’t take anything for granted as it regards “verbal commits” — especially those scheduled to come three to four seasons out. Some might play for UNO. Others might end up elsewhere. 

Until a National Letter of Intent is signed, anything can happen. 

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s break down the recruits.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

Statistically speaking, here is what the 2020-21 recruits look like (at the time of this writing at 5 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2019):

2020 RECRUITS

Forwards

Kaden Bohlsen - Fargo Force (USHL) - 3 goals, 3 assists (in 9 games) 

Brock Bremer - Lincoln Stars (USHL) - 3 goals, 8 assists (in 12 games) 

Oliver MacDonald - Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) - 9 goals, 6 assists (in 12 games) 

Matt Miller - Lincoln Stars (USHL) - 4 goals, 5 assists (in 12 games) 

Cam Mitchell - Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) - 7 goals, 11 assists (in 20 games) 

Vincent Nardone - Penticton Vees (BCHL) - 4 goals, 4 assists (in 20 games)

Tyler Rollwagen - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) - 2 goals, 4 assists (in 12 games) 

Lukas Sillinger - Penticton Vees (BCHL) - 8 goals, 13 assists (in 20 games) 

Blaine Warnert - Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) - 2 goals, 1 assist (in 11 games) 

Defensemen

Greg Japchen - Brooks Bandits (AJHL) - 5 assists (in 19 games)  

Nolan Krenzen - Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) - 4 assists (in 10 games)

Davis Pennington - Powell River Kings (BCHL) - 10 assists (in 22 games) 

NOTE: It is readily apparent that there are *more* 2020 recruits listed than there are available roster spots in the 2020-21 season. It’s debatable if we'll see all these players next season. For example, some sites have Nolan Krenzen listed as a 2020 recruit, while others have him listed as a 2021 recruit.  

DOWN THE ROAD... 

2021 RECRUITS

Forwards 

Cameron Berg - Omaha Lancers (USHL) - 2 goals, 1 assist (in 11 games) 

Zach Michaelis - Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) - 2 goals, 4 assists (in 14 games) 

Brayden Stannard - Maryland Black Bears (NAHL) - 2 goals, 9 assists (in 14 games) 

Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero - Lac St-Louis Lions (QMAAA) - 5 goals, 8 assists (in 12 games)

Defensemen

Joaquim Lemay - Mount St. Charles Academy - N/A 

Griffin Ludtke - Minnesota Blizzard 16U - N/A

Victor Mancini - Fröelunda HC - 5 goals, 1 assist (in 16 games) 

Goaltender 

William Rousseau - Trois-Rivières Estacades (QMAAA) - 1.64 GAA and a .938 Save % (in 5 games) 

NOTE: There are certain discrepancies as to where some of the 2021 class will be playing this season. We will update the progress of these players as the season progresses. 

2022 RECRUITS

Forwards

Ty Mueller - Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL) - 5 goals, 13 assists (in 22 games)

Defensemen

Jacob Guévin - Northwood School (Prep) - 4 assists (in 5 games) 

2023 RECRUITS

Forwards

Tanner Ludtke - Minnesota Blizzard 15U (Midget) - Minnesota Blizzard 15 U - N/A 

Matthew Maltais - Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois (QMAAA) - 5 goals, 1 assist (in 6 games) 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Gabinet & Co. are reportedly bullish on the upcoming recruiting classes. Looking at the numbers so far this season, you can see why. 

Those listed in 2020 class are putting up solid numbers. 

Keep an eye on Tyler Rollwagen, Kaden Bohlsen, Matt Miller, Brock Bremer, and Oliver MacDonald this season. We had the opportunity to see Miller, Bremer, and MacDonald in person last season and think they’ll have solid seasons with their respective USHL teams. 

As the season progresses, I will work to profile the recruits I haven’t yet covered individually. 

I mentioned earlier that there is a considerable amount of uncertainty as it regards recruits a few seasons out. Things will be in flux as the next 24 months progress. 

Stay tuned to MavPuck.com for future updates.  

New Recruit: Ty Mueller (F) - Airdrie CFR Chemicals Midget AAA Bisons (AMHL)

UNO just received its first verbal commitment from a recruit born in 2003. 

That recruit is forward Ty Mueller, a Cochrane, Alberta native on the “Reserve Roster” for the Okotoks Oilers in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). 

Mueller (who turned 16 on Feb. 26) is the youngest recruit among UNO’s batch of new commits. He is listed by Elite Prospects as a 2021-22 commit. 

Mueller appeared in two games this season with the Okotoks Oilers this season, and tallied one goal in limited duty. 

He logged most of his playing time this season with the Airdrie CFR Chemicals Midget AAA Bisons — part of the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League (AMHL). 

In 34 regular season games with the Bisons, Mueller had 10 goals and 24 assists. He sounds like a good two-way player who performs well in the offensive and defensive zones. 

Prior to playing for the Bisons, Mueller played two seasons with the Airdrie Xtreme Bantam AAA squad. In the 2016-17 season, he had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games. In the 2017-18 season, he tallied 20 goals and 17 assists in 31 games. 

Mueller was featured in a WHL Bantam Draft profile on the Prince George Cougars website in 2018 (he was the fifth player picked in that draft by Prince George). He was one of the key components in leading the Airdrie Xtreme Bantam AAA team to the AMBHL championship. He also played in the Alberta Cup (where the team he played on — Team Central — won the title). 

(Gabinet recruited players out of the WHL — “major junior” hockey in Canada — when he was a coach at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology). 

Bob Simmonds — Director of Scouting for Prince George — told PGCougars.com, “Mueller is probably one of the smartest hockey players you will see; his hockey IQ is off the charts.” 

“If you watch him closely he does so many of the details the right way. He brings skill and scoring and he makes the players around him better. He’s a very cerebral player.” 

>> Visit the following link to listen to an audio interview with Mueller (at the end of the article): pgcougars.com/article/whl-bantam-draft-profile-ty-mueller

We’ve talked a lot on MavPuck.com about the fact that Coach Gabinet is looking for smart decision makers with high hockey IQ. He sounds like a top-tier prospect in North America. 

It will be interesting to watch Mueller develop over the next few seasons. 

Stay tuned to mavpuck.com/news for all our future recruiting updates. 

New Recruit: Brayden Stannard (F) - Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16 AAA

The UNO Hockey coaching staff has been a group of busy bees. 

Escanaba, Michigan native Brayden Stannard announced via Twitter on March 1 that he had committed to Omaha (according to @hockeycommits he’ll arrive in the 2021-22 season). 

Stannard is a forward who currently plays for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16 AAA team. According to the team website, Stannard has racked up 12 goals and 22 assists in 49 games with the Grizzlies (and has a +22 rating). 

Stannard told MiHockey.com: “I picked UNO because it felt like home as soon as I saw it. The campus is amazing. The staff and everyone in Omaha is super friendly and fun to be around.” 

(For more on Stannard, read MiHockey.com’s article “Recruiting: Brayden Stannard commits to Nebraska Omaha”). 

Prior to joining the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Stannard played for Escanaba Senior High in 2017-18. In 23 games he had 20 goals and 7 assists (according to mihshockeyhub.com, he was a freshman).

When UNO was in the CCHA, Bridget and I made three trips to Michigan's upper peninsula to see the Mavericks play Northern Michigan University in Marquette. We're pretty familiar with the area and with Escanaba. 

Fun Tidbit: The Oakland Jr. Grizzlies Twitter account refers to Stannard as “Big Rig” and shared this video of the announcement that he’d committed to Omaha: 

Congrats to the Big Rig @B_Stannard21 on his commitment to @UNOmaha today! His growth as a player this year has been amazing. #GrizzGang #Culture pic.twitter.com/2hcji6nDlo

— OJG U16AAA (@OJGU16) March 2, 2019

It is always a challenge finding information on young recruits like Stannard. It will be interesting to see how his game develops the next couple of seasons, and where he eventually ends up playing his junior hockey. 

One thing is for sure, the coaches are doing their due diligence this season landing prospects for future seasons. That work should start to pay dividends the next few seasons. 

Stay tuned to mavpuck.com/news for future recruiting updates. 

New Recruit: Joaquim Lemay (D) - Séminaire St-Joseph M18

The recruits just keep on coming. 

In the last week, UNO has added four new recruits to its lineup for future seasons. The latest is U16 defenseman Joaquim Lemay who plays for Séminaire St-Joseph M18 in Quebec, Canada. 

The Académie De Hockey (Denis Francoeur) Twitter account made the announcement that 16-year-old Lemay is a verbal commit to Omaha for the 2021-22 season. 

I’m told there is excitement surrounding this young prospect. The belief is that he could become one of top defensemen to suit up for the Mavericks in the program’s short history. 

When it comes to Quebec-based recruits, I’m glad I have 7 years of middle school and high school French classes to fall back on so I can try and decipher some of the recruiting information online. 

In 27 games this season with Séminaire St-Joseph M18 (a Canadian prep school), Lemay has 5 goals and 17 assists. In the 2017-18 season with Collége Marie-De-L’Incarnation M18 (in the same prep school league), Lemay had 4 goals and 8 assists in 28 games during the team’s regular season.

He’ll have time to grow and develop over the next couple of seasons before joining UNO. His team site lists him at 5' 10". 

Here is a highlight compilation of Joaquim Lemay’s play:

According to EliteProspects.com, Lemay was drafted in 2018 by Rimouski Océanic in the QMJHL Entry Draft. As has been discussed before in our recruiting updates, “major junior” hockey is basically the equivalent of minor league hockey in Canada. 

Taking that into consideration, it’s a good idea for schools to gain a foothold with some of these top Canadian prospects before they go the “major junior” route because if they do end up playing “major junior” hockey — even one game — it can affect their NCAA eligibility.

I always use a bit of caution when it comes to young prospects like this in D-I hockey. With the way the game is structured — and the fact that most recruits play a season or two of junior hockey prior to joining a collegiate team — it is hard to gauge what will happen in the next two to three years. 

Be that as it may, it is good to see the coaching staff getting verbal commitments from recruits born in 2002. 

It’s also nice to have a coach on staff (Dave Noel-Bernier) who is a Quebec native. This is the third recruit from Quebec that UNO has in the pipeline (Alexandre Roy and Vincent Nardone are the other two). 

Stay tuned to mavpuck.com/news for all of our recruiting updates.

New Recruit: Austin Roden (G) - Merritt Centennials

The recruits have been coming in at a steady pace for the UNO Hockey program since the start of 2019. 

Omaha is losing two goaltenders after the season (Evan Weninger and Alex Blankenburg) to graduation. 

Fans who have been following along know that Isaiah Saville is coming in to fill one of the goaltender spots. There has been considerable speculation about who the second new netminder might be. 

The speculation can end with the announcement that goalie Austin Roden of the Merritt Centennials (BCHL) will be joining the Mavs for the 2019-20 campaign. 

The 20-year-old goaltender brings in a considerable amount of experience from his tenure in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). 

According to EliteProspects.com, Roden has four full years of experience in the BCHL (with the Centennials and the Nanaimo Clippers).

As of this writing, Roden has a 2.95 GAA in 42 games with Merritt (ranking him 10th in the league). His .912 save percentage ranks him 6th among goaltenders in the BCHL. He also has two shutouts in 42 games this season. He has logged the fourth most minutes in the league with 2442. 

Roden was recently named BCHL Player of the Week (Feb. 25). He is one of only two Centennials to be named BCHL Player of the Week this season. The Centennials are on a five-game winning streak headed into the playoffs, and Roden finished the regular season with a 27-11-2 record. 

Roden wrapped up the 2017-18 regular season with a 2.40 GAA in 29 games (in split duty with Merritt and Nanaimo), ranking him 5th in the BCHL. He also finished that season with a .931 save percentage, ranking him second overall among goaltenders. 

Roden has decent size, is technically sound, athletic, and has the ability to steal games. 

Here’s an insightful interview with Roden from 2018 on Merritt’s Q101 with Jesse Pakulat — good information on on Roden’s start in hockey and his early career in the BCHL (he seems like a really good kid): 

This is a nice “scouting tape” of Roden’s play in the BCHL (posted Dec. 2018). It’ll give you an idea of what he looks like between the pipes:

Evan Weninger has shouldered nearly all of the goaltending duty for the Mavericks during the 2018-19 season. I know a number of fans assume that Saville will carry the load next season. 

I've been predicting that Gabinet & Co. will split the load in net next season. It would be a wise idea to have a couple capable goaltenders in the lineup. Everyone is better when there is someone constantly pushing them on the roster. Roden sounds like a workhorse. 

I think Austin Roden possesses a lot of upside potential for Omaha and can be a solid goaltender for UNO the next few seasons.  

Stay tuned to mavpuck.com/news for all of our recruiting updates. 

2019 Recruit: Kaden Bohlsen (F) - Fargo Force

The UNO Hockey program just received its fourth verbal commitment of 2019 with the announcement that forward Kaden Bohlsen of the Fargo Force will be joining the team. 

Bohlsen was originally committed to Minnesota during Don Lucia's tenure as head coach (he committed in 2016 at age 15).  

Like recent commit Tyler Rollwagen, Bohlsen played for the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn., prior to joining the USHL ranks. He was born Jan. 10, 2001. 

The Wilmar, Minn., native had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) with the Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep team before joining the Des Moines Buccaneers at the mid-point last season. Bohlsen was picked 10th in the 2017 USHL Phase I Draft (the league’s “underage” draft). 

During his stint with Des Moines, Bohlsen had 8 goals and 7 assists in 52 games (over the past two seasons). He currently has 3 goals and 1 assist with Fargo in 17 games (Bohlsen joined the Force as part of a trade on Jan. 8, 2019).

He also helped Team West to a victory with a goal in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in January. 

The Minneapolis Star Tribune predicted (in a 2016 blog post) that Bohlsen would suit up for the Gophers in 2019. Heisenberg’s recruiting database had him listed as a 2020 arrival for Minnesota. We’ll see when he lands in Omaha. 

Bohlsen looks to be a big forward who can be a solid presence on the ice for Omaha (in both the offensive and defensive zones). As the coaching staff tries to refurbish the Mavericks over the course of the next couple seasons, the team needs puck handlers who can create scoring opportunities. It sounds like Bohlsen has that sort of awareness and will bring a strong hockey IQ to the lineup.  

The Mavs need all the help they can get in the “meat grinder” that is the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Bohlsen will be able to showcase his talents in what is currently the best conference in college hockey.

KWLM radio in Willmar has had some nice coverage over the past few years of Bohlsen and his family. 

> “Bohlsen The Buccaneer” (includes audio interview with Kaden):

www.willmarradio.com/kwlm/personalities/todd_bergeth/bohlsen-the-buccaneer/article_c9b3a8e6-0879-11e8-b0ea-fbce2e61de0c.html

> “Bohlsen Commits to Playing for the Gophers”:

www.willmarradio.com/kwlm/personalities/todd_bergeth/bohlsen-commits-to-playing-for-the-gophers/article_3a226e96-05ac-11e6-b81b-d70d53a07a83.html

> “Bohlsen is 10th Overall Pick in USHL Draft”:

www.willmarradio.com/kwlm/personalities/todd_bergeth/bohlsen-is-th-overall-pick-in-ushl-draft/article_0ece13d2-2edf-11e7-9377-bb003df1b122.html

> “A Hockey Mom’s Perspective” (insightful profile with Kaden’s mom Shannon):

www.willmarradio.com/kwlm/personalities/todd_bergeth/a-hockey-mom-s-perspective/article_748a0902-07d4-11e6-8ae1-3b6b9da39283.html

> “Bohlsen Playing in All-American Prospects Game”:

www.willmarradio.com/sports/bohlsen-playing-in-all-american-prospects-game/article_c5ff52d0-bc02-11e8-9dcd-6bc826413e9d.html

> “Interview with Des Moines Director of Player Personnel” (interview re: Kaden):

www.willmarradio.com/kwlm/personalities/todd_bergeth/interview-with-des-moines-dir-of-player-personnel/article_17b24442-2f47-11e7-8220-c79c64ffbfa3.html

As mentioned, Bohlsen is the fourth new commit for UNO in 2019. Matt Miller, Tyler Rollwagen, and Nolan Krenzen are the others. It is an intriguing group Gabinet, Noel-Bernier, and Jerrard are putting together. 

As always, stay tuned to mavpuck.com/news for all of our recruiting updates. 

2019 Recruit: Nolan Krenzen (D) - Sioux City Musketeers

UNO Hockey has its third commitment in 2019 with the Feb. 25 announcement by defenseman Nolan Krenzen that he has verbally committed to the Mavericks. 

We are assuming (based on the information on EliteProspects.com) that Krenzen will join UNO for the 2020-21 season. He is from Duluth, MN, and currently plays junior hockey for the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL). 

He will be 19 when he joins the Mavericks in 2020. 

Fun fact: Krenzen second incoming UNO recruit with the first name “Nolan” (the other is forward Nolan Sullivan). 

This is the second Musketeer player to commit to UNO in 2019. The first commit was forward Matt Miller (read the MavPuck profile of Miller here) who was previously committed to Michigan State University (Big Ten). 

UNO has a number of recruits coming in the next two seasons who were previously committed to other schools. 

Sioux City Head Coach Luke Strand told the Sioux City Journal that Krenzen is a “great skating defenseman that possesses offense and plays with edge as a rookie.”

Prior to joining the Musketeers, Krenzen played for Duluth Marshall School, where he tallied a total of 12 goals and 25 assists in two seasons with the Hilltoppers. 

As of this writing, Krenzen has 4 goals and 5 assists in 44 games with Sioux City, ranking him 17th on the team in points this season. 

Scoring prowess isn’t necessarily what a team is looking for when it comes to a capable defenseman. That said, UNO has struggled this season with limited offensive production from its D-corps. 

We’re hoping have a chance to see Krenzen in action when UNO’s season concludes — checking out how he plays and how he’s used on special teams (Krenzen has a pair of power play goals this season). 

We’ll do a recruiting roundup during the offseason with all the vitals on UNO’s incoming recruiting classes. 

In the meantime, stay tuned mavpuck.com/news for all our recruiting news!

UNO Hockey Recruiting Update (Feb. 2019)

Back on Nov. 7 (remember that far back?) we posted a look at UNO Hockey’s recruits for 2019 and beyond. 

In the intervening months, we’ve written individual profiles of the incoming recruits who have committed to UNO since our November update was published. You can read those write-ups at the following links:

>> Read our profile of Ryan Brushett (F) - Powell River Kings (BCHL)

>> Read our profile of Brock Bremer (F) - Muskegon Lumberjacks / Lincoln Stars (USHL)

>> Read our profile of Vincent Nardone (F) - Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)

>> Read our profile of Kirby Proctor (D) - Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

>> Read our profile of Matt Miller (F) - Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)

>> Read our profile of Tyler Rollwagen (F) - Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Prep)

It will be interesting to see when the various recruits land at UNO. Some of the 2019 class signed NLIs last November during the early signing period (the next signing period for D-I hockey begins in April). 

The ideal roster size is 26-28 players per season. UNO’s freshman class for the 2019-20 season will be rather large, if the commitments below hold. UNO has 10 departing seniors from this year’s roster, but 12 (or more) players projected as coming in the fall. In addition, UNO is likely to add another goaltender in the spring, since both Evan Weninger and Alex Blankenburg are seniors.

Years ago, I remember David Quinn — a UNO assistant at the time — talked about trying to achieve “balance” in recruiting classes. The goal was to have six or seven players per class — meaning the roster wouldn’t be gutted after any particular class graduated. 

Since our comprehensive recruiting update last fall, there have been some changes to the classes. Here’s how 2019 is looking (as of the publication of this blog post):

2019 RECRUITS

Forwards

Josh Boyer - Madison (USHL) - signed NLI

Joey Abate - Youngstown (USHL) - signed NLI

Nolan Sullivan - Muskegon (USHL) - signed NLI

Noah Prokop - Green Bay (USHL) - signed NLI

ADDED - Ryan Brushett - Powell River (USHL) - Signed NLI

ADDED - Matt Miller - Sioux City (USHL) - committed Jan. 7, 2019

ADDED - Brock Bremer - Muskegon/Lincoln (USHL) - committed Nov. 15, 2019

Defensemen

Alexandre Roy - Jamestown (NAHL) - signed NLI

Colby Enns - Central Illinois (USHL) - signed NLI

ADDED - Kirby Proctor - Des Moines (USHL) - signed NLI

ADDED - Brandon Scanlin - Brooks (AJHL) - signed NLI

Goaltender

Isaiah Saville - Tri-City (USHL) - signed NLI

This list has changed a bit since November. Davis Pennington was listed as part of the 2019 class, but he looks to be part of the 2020-21 class now. In addition, Jack Clement was originally listed for 2019, but he will be attending Miami (OH) in the fall. 

Our working assumption is that both Bremer and Miller (added to the “Forwards” list) will join UNO as part of the 2019-20 class, but neither has signed a National Letter of Intent with the team (as far as we can tell in our research). 

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

Statistically speaking, here is what the 2019-20 recruits look like (at the time of this writing at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2019):

Forwards

Josh Boyer - In 40 games: 9 goals, 9 assists (3rd on Madison in points) | -14 

Joey Abate - In 39 games: 9 goals, 13 assists (7th on Youngstown in points) | -11 

Nolan Sullivan - In 42 games: 14 goals, 4 assists (11th on Muskegon in points) | +8 

Noah Prokop - In 39 games: 9 goals, 5 assists (10th on Green Bay in points) | -17 

Ryan Brushett - In 51 games: 37 goals, 38 assists (1st on Powell River in points) | N/A

Matt Miller - In 37 games: 11 goals, 11 assists (5th on Sioux City in points) | +1 

Brock Bremer - In 39 games (was traded to Lincoln mid season): 11 goals, 14 assists | +1 

Defensemen

Alexandre Roy - In 44 games: 3 goals, 16 assists (10th on Jamestown in points) | +11

Colby Enns - In 39 games: 3 goals, 7 assists (16th on Central Illinois in points) | -9 

Kirby Proctor - In 42 games: 1 goal, 14 assists (10th on Des Moine in points) | +6 

Brandon Scanlin - In 33 games: 14 goals, 18 assists (14th on Brooks in points) | +3

Goaltender

Isaiah Saville - In 23 games, has a 1.76 GAA and a .934 save % (stopping 553 of 592 shots)

When you look at the forwards slated to come in next season, the player who stands out in terms of pure point production is Ryan Brushett — the top point producer in the BCHL with 37 goals and 38 assists (in 51 games). 

Brushett is a ‘98 birthday, so he is older than some of his peers in the league (this is his fourth season playing junior hockey — one season in the USHL, three seasons in the BCHL). He was originally a Providence commit (May 2015). 

The rest of the skaters on the list (all playing in the USHL) don’t rank higher than 70th in the USHL in terms of total points (Bremer is ranked 70th as of this writing). 

Nolan Sullivan is 37th in the USHL in goals. Bremer is 58th in the league in goals. Miller is ranked 60th in goals. Abate is 84th. Boyer is 88th. Prokop is 91st. 

Saville is the lone goalie commit (so far) for 2019-20. He hasn’t played since Jan. 19 (injury). Saville did make NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings (read our post “UNO Recruits Saville, Proctor in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Player Rankings” for more information). 

FUTURE RECRUITS

2020 RECRUITS

Forwards

Lukas Sillinger - Penticton (BCHL)

Oliver MacDonald - Muskegon (USHL)

Zach Michaelis - Chaska (HS)

Blaine Warnert -  Chaska (HS) / Fargo Force (USHL)
Davis Pennington - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (NAHL)

ADDED Vincent Nardone - Flin Flon (SJHL)

ADDED Tyler Rollwagen - Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Prep)

Defensemen

Greg Japchen - Wilkes-Barre (NAHL)

2021 RECRUITS

Forwards

Cameron Berg - Omaha (USHL)

Defensemen

Griffin Ludtke - Lakeville South (HS) 

We’ve profiled both players listed as “ADDED” in the 2020-21 class — Nardone and Rollwagen. There is some debate as to when Rollwagen will arrive at UNO (three different recruiting sites have three different years). Rollwagen has 14 goals and 43 assists with Shattuck-St. Mary’s as of this writing. Nardone has 17 goals and 20 assists in his rookie season with Flin Flon (SJHL).

The rest of the 2020s are a mixture of junior players and high school prospects. Sillinger has 14 goals and 6 assists for the Penticton Vees this season (which ranks him 5th on the team in goals, and 12th in total points).

FINAL THOUGHTS

The big question with the 2019-20 recruiting class is whether they can provide immediate aid to a UNO team that has struggled in the 2018-19 campaign. 

Anywhere from a third to a half of the roster next season will be newcomers. 

With UNO looking at one of the largest freshman classes in recent history, it will be fascinating to see how the team fares next season. 

It is possible that a fresh look will be just what the doctor ordered to help remedy UNO's woes this season. Only time will tell, but it will be exciting to see how the new pieces fit into the lineup next season. 

We'll be back to do an update after the season is over. 

2019 Recruit: Tyler Rollwagen (F) Shattuck-St. Mary's

In our continuing series of UNO Hockey recruit profiles, we look at a talented forward who currently plays at a storied hockey prep school in Minnesota. 

Shattuck-St. Mary’s forward Tyler Rollwagen (class of 2019) announced his commitment to UNO on Twitter Feb. 6, 2019.

Rollwagen is currently the second-highest point producer on his Shattuck-St. Mary’s Boys Prep Team with 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists in 39 games). 

Boston-based recruiting analyst Jeff Cox (an Omaha Lancers scout who covers amateur prospects for various publications — on twitter @jeffcoxsports) profiled Rollwagen in a feature for sbncollegehockey.com titled “2017 USHL Phase I (Futures) Draft: Top Prospects.” 

Rollwagen was ranked 51st on Cox’s list of prospects born in 2001. 

“He’s a tough kid who brings energy,” wrote Cox. “He forechecks hard and gets to pucks quickly. He makes some nice passes as well.” 

The U.S. Hockey Report in its “USA Hockey Select 15 Camp Rankings (‘01s)” analysis described Rollwagen as “solid” and said he “made some nice plays.”

I know a number of UNO Hockey fans are relatively new to the world of college hockey and might not be familiar with Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn., but current Mav Jordan Klehr played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

It is a prep school that has produced a number of high-profile hockey players including NHL-ers Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Zach Parise. 

“The Hockey News” had this video feature on SSM Hockey:

Details are scarce (as of this writing) as to when Rollwagen might join the Mavericks. Elite Prospects has him listed for next season, but it’s possible he’ll play a season of junior hockey. 

That said, Jordan Klehr joined UNO the season after graduating from Shattuck-St. Mary’s, so it is possible we’ll see him in a UNO uniform next season. Stay tuned. 

UPDATE: According to Heisenberg's recruiting database, Rollwagen is a 2021 recruit (thank you to C.A. Boehm for finding that). According to College Hockey, Inc. Rollwagen will arrive in 2020. And, according to Elite Prospects, he'll join the Mavs in 2019. 

Regardless of when we finally see Rollwagen in the lineup, I’m excited to see what he can do on the team. 

A point producer — who can make things happen and dish the puck where it needs to be — is something UNO will be in desperate need of with the departure of Mason Morelli and Freddy Olofsson. 

Rollwagen sounds like a smart/skilled player, and has the potential to become a key component in UNO’s arsenal over the course of the next few seasons.