Omaha hockey's Nolan Krenzen, left, and head coach Mike Gabinet full press conference from Oct 2, 2024
Omaha's exhibition hockey game against Wisconsin on Saturday night will have special meaning for three Mikes.
Coach Mike Gabinet will lead his Mavericks against the Badgers, led by former UNO assistant Mike Hastings. The Baxter Arena ice sheet will be dedicated before the game to Mike Kemp, who coached at both schools.
"Mike (Kemp) spent 14 years at Wisconsin and well over 20 here in Omaha," Gabinet said. "It's nice to have both teams playing."
Game time is 6:07 p.m.
The contest will match two teams ranked in the USCHO Top 20. The Badgers are 10th while UNO is 15th.
It will be the first opportunity for Gabinet to assess his squad that includes 14 newcomers. The Mavs are coming off a successful 23-13-4 season that was capped by an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
"We've got a lot of hard-working individuals who want to be coached and want to get better," he said. "Put them in an environment like this and it's fun to be a part of."
Gabinet said the game will prepare the Mavs for the regular season that begins next Friday at the four-team Ice Breaker Tournament in Las Vegas.
"Playing in an exhibition game gives you some immediate feedback for your players," he said. "Bringing in a team like Wisconsin will allow us to learn those things at an accelerated rate."
The coach said additional exhibition games would not be a bad thing.
"I wish we would have more in college hockey," he said. "I think it would give the student-athletes a chance to make some mistakes and learn from those."
Gabinet said it was a natural to be playing the Badgers on the same night as Kemp's ice dedication.
"I think it's great, getting them to come here," the coach said. "Obviously (coach Hastings) is familiar with the city so we're looking forward to it."
Kemp, who announced his retirement last May, was a Wisconsin assistant before starting UNO's hockey program in 1997 as head coach. He led the team until 2009 when he took an administrative position within the department.
He guided the Mavs to 194 wins and was inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
Gabinet, who played for Kemp at UNO, said he'll enjoy watching the pregame ceremony.
"He's the reason I'm in Omaha, both as a player and a coach," he said. "I owe a lot of my current life to him, so it's awesome to see him get honored for all of his hard work."
Hastings, who coached Minnesota State for 11 years, is in his second season at Wisconsin. He led the Badgers to a 26-12-2 mark and an NCAA tourney berth in 2023-24.
Before taking the job at Minnesota State, Hastings coached the Omaha Lancers from 1994 though 2008. He was a UNO assistant for Dean Blais from 2009 to 2012.
Gabinet said he has a simple plan for the exhibition.
"You want to make sure you get guys ice time and some opportunities to experience different situations," he said. "We definitely want to get everybody into the game."