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)

NOTE: An updated version of this blog post appears here. 

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

MavPuckCast Podcast – S8 Ep 2: Interview With NHL Scout Rob Facca - Former Maverick, Past NCAA D-1 Hockey Assistant Coach

Season 8, Episode 2:

Interview with NHL Scout Rob Facca – Former Maverick, Past NCAA D-1 Hockey Assistant Coach

On this special episode of the Mavpuckcast, Jon and Jason have a wide-ranging discussion with Chicago Blackhawks Head USA and Crossover Scout Rob Facca. Facca is a former Omaha Maverick Hockey player and a former NCAA D-1 assistant coach at Northern Michigan and Western Michigan. Rob discusses today’s amateur hockey landscape, changes NIL brings to the recruiting process, the recent NCAA eligibility change regarding major junior players from Canada, and his memories of playing hockey at UNO. Special thanks for your support of the podcast and MavPuck.com. Your support is greatly appreciated!! Support the MavPuckCast: https://www.mavpuck.com/donate New sponsor for the 2025-26 season: Wahoo Distillery: https://www.wahoodistillery.com Follow MavPuck.com online! https://www.mavpuck.com   / mavpuckpage    / mavpuck     / mavpuck     / mavpuckcast  

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.