UNO coach Mike Gabinet said he liked what he saw in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage at Baxter Arena.
“It was great,” he said. “There was an unbelievable turnout from the fans and that’s always awesome to see.”
The White squad prevailed 3-0 in the one-period game that was followed by five minutes of 3-on-3. Senior co-captain Simon Latkoczy, the Goaltender of the Year in the NCHC last season, was in the net for the White team.
Gabinet said the scrimmage, followed by an open house skate with the team, is a fun way for fans to get to know the players.
“It’s always exciting when the community gets to meet our guys,” he said. “The whole day was just a really positive experience.”
The Mavs will host Air Force in an exhibition game Friday at 7 p.m. at Baxter.
Huffman joins staff
The new guy on the coaching staff this season is assistant Jamie Huffman, who also will be the team’s director of recruiting.
He previously had been serving as senior advisor to the head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers.
“Jamie has a unique understanding of the standards required to compete at college hockey’s highest level,” Gabinet said. “He’s proven he can find, develop and mentor players who go on to succeed at the next level.”
Missing Ireland trip
UNO co-captain Griffin Ludtke was asked Wednesday at the team’s Media Day whether he had any regrets about not being a little younger.
The senior will be graduated by the time the Mavs take part in the Friendship Four tournament in 2028 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“I saw that news and I was like man, I should have played juniors a few extra years,” he said. “I’ll definitely be following along our younger guys as they trek over to Ireland in the coming years.”
Making the move
Sophomore forward Brett Hyland, one of several newcomers from Canada on the roster this season, was asked at Media Day how he was adjusting to life in Omaha.
“It’s kind of a loaded question because it’s a whole new country,” he said. “One thing I’ve noticed is that large pop sizes are much bigger here than in Canada and I’m loving the fact groceries are cheaper.”
He added that he had already found a go-to dining establishment.
“I’d say Pickleman’s in Ak-Sar-Ben Village,” he said. “That has to be No. 1.”
Mavs are unranked
UNO received votes but is unranked in the preseason USCHO national hockey Top 20.
The Mavericks got 20 votes and would be 25th in the poll.
Four teams from the NCHC are ranked, including defending national champion Western Michigan. The Broncos received 29 of 50 first-place votes and are No. 1 while Denver is No. 4, North Dakota No. 11 and Arizona State No. 14.
St. Thomas, which will join the NCHC next season, is ranked No. 19.
Other conference teams receiving votes are Colorado College (68), Minnesota Duluth (19) and St. Cloud State (15).
UNO picked seventh
The Mavs are picked to finish seventh in the nine-team NCHC in a preseason media poll.
Western Michigan was predicted to finish first, followed by Denver and North Dakota. The Broncos received 252 points and 19 first-place votes.
The predicted order of finish for the rest of the league is Arizona State, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, UNO, St. Cloud State and Miami.
Preseason All-NCHC
The conference also released the list of preseason all-conference players, as selected by the news media.
The list consists of forwards Sam Harris of Denver, Cullen Potter of Arizona State and Max Plante of Minnesota Duluth; defensemen Jake Livanavage of North Dakota and
Eric Pohlkamp of Denver; and goalie Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan.
There are three juniors and three sophomores on that preseason squad.
Commissioner checks in
In her annual state of the conference address at the league’s Media Day, NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems began by speaking about the success of the NCHC.
“Since its inception, NCHC teams have claimed seven of the past nine NCAA championships,” she said. “That’s not just dominance but a testament to the commitment and culture of excellence embraced by our member institutions.”
She also spoke about the new playoff format this season, which will be contested entirely at home sites. The Frozen Faceoff tournament of the league’s final four previously had been played in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We’re excited to bring each round ‘home’ and for our student-athletes to compete in packed houses and to skate in a true playoff environment,” she said. “The change is about rewarding excellence and allowing our loyal fans who now have easier access to cheer on their teams in their own communities.”
New NCHC logo, name
The NCHC has unveiled a new secondary logo and seeks to be referred to as the “National” upon second reference.
The brand refresh reflects elements of the primary league logo but embraces the future with the No. 10 prominent in the word “National.”
The conference will have 10 teams starting next season.
mike.patterson@owh.com, 402-444-1350, twitter.com/MPattersonOWH
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Mike Patterson
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today