Friday, October 2
USAF Academy, CO
8:05 p.m. CT
Omaha
at
Air Force
Omaha Hockey Opens 2026-27 Campaign at Air Force
Oct 1, 2026 | Hockey
OMAHA – Omaha Hockey open's their 30th season in program history Friday, Oct. 2, traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo., for an exhibition matchup against Air Force. Puck drop is set for 8:05 p.m. CT at Cadet Ice Arena.
Friday's contest will stream live on FloHockey. Fans can follow live stats here and also listen on the Varsity Network as Mike Vaillancourt and Terry Leahy, the Voices of Maverick Hockey, return to the call. Tickets can be purchased here.
LEADING THE MAVERICKS
Omaha enters the 2026-27 campaign with a new-look roster featuring 11 newcomers alongside 14 returners.
Junior defenseman Marc Lajoie (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada) will lead the Mavericks as the 28th Menke Family Captain in program history. Sophomore forward Luke Woodworth (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada) and junior forwards Maxime Pellerin (Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada) and Myles Hilman (Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada) will join Lajoie in Omaha's leadership group as assistant captains.
Lajoie takes on the captaincy after appearing in all 36 games last season. He led the Mavericks with 36 blocked shots while contributing 13 points on six goals and seven assists. Four of his six goals came on the power play.
Omaha's three assistant captains combined for 53 points during the 2025-26 campaign.
Pellerin led the Mavericks with 23 points in 35 games, recording 10 goals and 13 assists. He was one of two Omaha skaters to reach double figures in goals and added a pair of power-play tallies.
Woodworth made an immediate impact during his first season in Omaha, skating in all 36 games and finishing second on the team with 21 points. He paced the Mavericks with 17 assists while adding four goals.
Hilman appeared in all 36 contests and finished with nine points on six goals and three assists. Two of his six goals stood as game-winners.
NEW FACES IN OMAHA
Omaha's 2026-27 roster features 11 newcomers, bringing a combination of scoring production, leadership and experience from the collegiate, junior and professional ranks.
The 11 newcomers include forwards Gavin Hodnett (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Maël Lavigne (Neuville, Quebec, Canada), Aiden Oiring (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Logan Wormald (Langley, British Columbia, Canada) and Vincent Desjardins (Mirabel, Quebec, Canada); defensemen Jayden Jubenvill (Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Canada), Carter Sotheran (Sanford, Manitoba, Canada), Arseni Marchenko (Minsk, Belarus), Parker Berge (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and Lincoln Hjelm (Omaha, Neb.); and goaltender William Lacelle (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada).
Oiring, Wormald and Desjardins headline an experienced group of incoming forwards after each surpassed 200 points during their junior careers. Oiring totaled 264 points across regular-season and playoff action with Prince Albert, Wormald recorded 243 points in 266 games over five seasons with Lethbridge and Desjardins finished his four-year career with Blainville-Boisbriand with 213 points.
Lavigne adds another offensive threat after producing 48 points on 22 goals and 26 assists last season, while Hodnett comes to Omaha after being selected No. 19 overall by Edmonton in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Mavericks also added experience on the blue line with Jubenvill, a transfer from NCHC foe North Dakota, and Berge, who spent three seasons in the ECHL. Sotheran joins Omaha after recording 35 points in 30 games with Edmonton last season and was a fifth-round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Marchenko captained Fargo last season, while Omaha native Hjelm returns home following two seasons with Tri-City.
Lacelle rounds out the incoming class in net after posting a 2.11 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and five shutouts with Blainville-Boisbriand during the 2025-26 season.
OMAHA VS. AIR FORCE
The Mavericks hold a 6-1 advantage in the all-time regular-season series against the Falcons. The programs first met during Omaha's inaugural 1997-98 season, with the Omaha entering Friday having won six consecutive regular-season meetings against Air Force.
GABINET ENTERS YEAR 10
Head coach Mike Gabinet begins his 10th season leading his alma mater. The 2004 Omaha graduate has guided the Mavericks to at least 17 victories in five of the past six seasons and has led the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2024.
BACK TO BAXTER ARENA
Following Friday's exhibition at Air Force, the Mavericks return to Omaha for their first look on home ice. Omaha will welcome Manitoba to Baxter Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with puck drop set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Kemp Ice. Tickets can be purchased here.
Connect with Omaha Hockey on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, @OmahaHKY.
Friday's contest will stream live on FloHockey. Fans can follow live stats here and also listen on the Varsity Network as Mike Vaillancourt and Terry Leahy, the Voices of Maverick Hockey, return to the call. Tickets can be purchased here.
LEADING THE MAVERICKS
Omaha enters the 2026-27 campaign with a new-look roster featuring 11 newcomers alongside 14 returners.
Junior defenseman Marc Lajoie (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada) will lead the Mavericks as the 28th Menke Family Captain in program history. Sophomore forward Luke Woodworth (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada) and junior forwards Maxime Pellerin (Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada) and Myles Hilman (Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada) will join Lajoie in Omaha's leadership group as assistant captains.
Lajoie takes on the captaincy after appearing in all 36 games last season. He led the Mavericks with 36 blocked shots while contributing 13 points on six goals and seven assists. Four of his six goals came on the power play.
Omaha's three assistant captains combined for 53 points during the 2025-26 campaign.
Pellerin led the Mavericks with 23 points in 35 games, recording 10 goals and 13 assists. He was one of two Omaha skaters to reach double figures in goals and added a pair of power-play tallies.
Woodworth made an immediate impact during his first season in Omaha, skating in all 36 games and finishing second on the team with 21 points. He paced the Mavericks with 17 assists while adding four goals.
Hilman appeared in all 36 contests and finished with nine points on six goals and three assists. Two of his six goals stood as game-winners.
NEW FACES IN OMAHA
Omaha's 2026-27 roster features 11 newcomers, bringing a combination of scoring production, leadership and experience from the collegiate, junior and professional ranks.
The 11 newcomers include forwards Gavin Hodnett (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Maël Lavigne (Neuville, Quebec, Canada), Aiden Oiring (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Logan Wormald (Langley, British Columbia, Canada) and Vincent Desjardins (Mirabel, Quebec, Canada); defensemen Jayden Jubenvill (Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Canada), Carter Sotheran (Sanford, Manitoba, Canada), Arseni Marchenko (Minsk, Belarus), Parker Berge (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and Lincoln Hjelm (Omaha, Neb.); and goaltender William Lacelle (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada).
Oiring, Wormald and Desjardins headline an experienced group of incoming forwards after each surpassed 200 points during their junior careers. Oiring totaled 264 points across regular-season and playoff action with Prince Albert, Wormald recorded 243 points in 266 games over five seasons with Lethbridge and Desjardins finished his four-year career with Blainville-Boisbriand with 213 points.
Lavigne adds another offensive threat after producing 48 points on 22 goals and 26 assists last season, while Hodnett comes to Omaha after being selected No. 19 overall by Edmonton in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Mavericks also added experience on the blue line with Jubenvill, a transfer from NCHC foe North Dakota, and Berge, who spent three seasons in the ECHL. Sotheran joins Omaha after recording 35 points in 30 games with Edmonton last season and was a fifth-round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Marchenko captained Fargo last season, while Omaha native Hjelm returns home following two seasons with Tri-City.
Lacelle rounds out the incoming class in net after posting a 2.11 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and five shutouts with Blainville-Boisbriand during the 2025-26 season.
OMAHA VS. AIR FORCE
The Mavericks hold a 6-1 advantage in the all-time regular-season series against the Falcons. The programs first met during Omaha's inaugural 1997-98 season, with the Omaha entering Friday having won six consecutive regular-season meetings against Air Force.
GABINET ENTERS YEAR 10
Head coach Mike Gabinet begins his 10th season leading his alma mater. The 2004 Omaha graduate has guided the Mavericks to at least 17 victories in five of the past six seasons and has led the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2024.
BACK TO BAXTER ARENA
Following Friday's exhibition at Air Force, the Mavericks return to Omaha for their first look on home ice. Omaha will welcome Manitoba to Baxter Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with puck drop set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Kemp Ice. Tickets can be purchased here.
Connect with Omaha Hockey on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, @OmahaHKY.
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