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Omaha Lancers
Omahalancers
City: Omaha, NE
League: USHL
Division: West
Founded: 1986
Home Arena: Ralston Arena (4,000)
Colors: Orange, Black, and Gray
Owner(s): Ben Robert, John Donovan, & Mike Hastings
General Manager: Brain Kaufmann
Head Coach: Brian Kaufmann
Media: KOIL-AM
Franchise history
1986-2002: Omaha Lancers
2002-2004: River City Lancers
2004-present: Omaha Lancers
Championships
Playoff Championships: Anderson Cup (regular season) (5 times)
Clark Cup (playoffs) (7 times league record)
U.S. Junior National Champions (2 times)

The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at the now-demolished Ak-Sar-Ben arena in Omaha. For two seasons (2002-2003 and 2003-2004), the team was known as the River City Lancers. On 5 February 2009, the Lancers announced on its website that they would be moving to the Omaha Civic Auditorium in downtown Omaha.

River City Lancers logo

Logo 2002 to 2004

The Omaha Lancers are known to be one of the most successful franchises in USHL history. They own five Anderson Cup (regular season) and seven Clark Cup (playoff) titles as well as two Junior National Championships. They are known for a strong fan base that emerged at a time when they were the only hockey team in Omaha. The Lancers have had hundreds of alumni move on to play NCAA Division I hockey and dozens more in the National Hockey League. In 2004 the Lancers made national headlines when a new ownership group consisting of hockey legends took over. This group included NHL greats Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaille, as well as the captain of the "Miracle On Ice" 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Mike Eruzione, William "Boots" DelBiaggio, John Donovan, and Ben Robert, although Del Biaggio is no longer a member of the ownership. The Lancers' have a loud home crowd with many gametime traditions. The Lancers' goal song is "The Heat Is On" by Glenn Frey with an accompanying chant from the home crowd. Prior to 2002 the Lancers played at the historic Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum. Omaha's archrival is the Lincoln Stars with whom they have had many memorable contests. The Lancers also have rivalries with the Des Moines Buccaneers, Sioux City Musketeers, and the Tri-City Storm (Kearney,NE).

The 1986-87 Lancer team was 0-46-2, winless for the entire season and making it into Sports Illustrated for this feat of futility. Their last two game away series was against the Des Moines Buccaneers during the 1986-87 season. The last game of that year, Sunday, March 4th 1987, almost ended in victory. The teams were tied after regulation. The Lancers almost pulled it out in overtime, only to lose eventually, 3-2, during this cliffhanging battle. The only known Pro player from the 1986-87 Lancer team, Antti Autere, was from Helsinki, Finland. He later played in the ECHL. The Lancers franchise owes a debt of gratitude to the many players from that season, as they were on the brink of throwing in the towel and folding many times. This group of misfit players and coaches stuck it out, under staffed and out played, so that within only 4 seasons, the Lancers won both the Anderson Cup, for best regular season record, and the Clark Cup for winning the season playoff title as well. Since their inception the Lancers have gone on to produce perhaps the most Division I and Pro players in all of the USHL.

Omaha Lancers logo circa 1989

Omaha Lancer logo circa 1989

The 2007-2008 Lancer team had the highest achievements possible in the USHL. The team journeyed to Quebec, Canada, with fellow USHL team, Indiana Ice, to participate in the CCM Junior Classic with the Quebec Ramparts and the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Lancers went 2-0 to win the Classic. The Lancers then went 3-0 at the USHL Fall Classic in Sioux City, Iowa, to win that tournament. Add in a pre-season game against Lincoln, and the Lancers were undefeated in the pre-season. For the regular season, the Lancers went 43-12-5 to win the Anderson Cup (regular season championship trophy). In the post season, the Lancers went 9-5 (out of a possible 15 games) and won the Clark Cup, playoff championship, with an Overtime goal in Game 5. Drew Palmisano, who was the starting goalie for much of the season, won the Playoff MVP title.

Despite the disappointment of their first round exit in the 2009 Clark Cup playoffs, the Lancers continued a USHL record 20th consecutive Clark Cup Playoff appearances.

Season-by-season record[]

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, SL = Shootout Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

Omaha Lancers
Season GP W L T OL SL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
1986-87 48 0 46 0 2 - 105 453 2 10th of 10 overall
1987-88 48 4 40 2 2 - 155 372 12 10th of 10 overall
1988-89 48 15 31 2 0 - 204 277 32 8th of 10 overall
1989-90 48 36 11 0 1 - 302 197 73 1st of 10 overall
1990-91 48 28 15 5 0 - 258 194 63 2nd of 10 overall
1991-92 48 22 25 1 0 - 222 236 48 5th of 10 overall
1992-93 48 35 9 0 4 - 255 159 74 1st of 10 overall
1993-94 54 31 13 2 2 - 259 180 65 3rd of 10 overall
1994-95 48 30 11 4 3 - 218 146 67 2nd of 11 overall
1995-96 464 30 10 2 4 - 195 132 66 2nd of 11 overall
1996-97 56 40 12 - 2 0 252 152 82 1st of 6 South

Won Quarterfinals 4-1 (Twin City Vulcans)

Lost Semifinals 1-4 (Lincoln Stars)

1997-98 56 43 11 - 0 2 221 144 80 2nd of 6 South

Won Quarterfinals 4-0 (Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks)

Won Semifinals 3-0 (North Iowa Huskies)

Won Championship 4-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers)

1998-99 56 43 13 - 0 0 234 130 86 1st of 4 West Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Dubuque Fighting Saints

Won Semifinals 3-0 (Green Bay Gamblers)

Lost Final 2-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)

1999-00 58 36 18 - 0 4 168 151 76

1st of 7 West 1st overall

Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
2000-01 56 35 15 - 6 0 215 145 76 3rd of 6 West

Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers)

Won Semifinals 3-1 (Sioux Falls Stampede)

Won Championship 3-2 (Lincoln Stars)

2001-02 61 46 12 - 3 0 215 111 95

1st of 7 West 1st overall

Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Chicago Steel)
Won Semifinals 3-1 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)
Lost Final 2-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
River City Lancers
Season GP W L T OL SL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
2002-03 60 36 19 - 1 4 178 149 77 4th of 6 West

Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux City Musketeers)
Won Semifinals 3-0 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
Lost Final 1-3 (Lincoln Stars)

2003-04 60 37 16 - 3 4 202 160 81 3rd of 6 West Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
Omaha Lancers
Season GP W L T OTL SOL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
2004-05 60 41 12 - 4 3 215 148 89

1st of 5 West T-1st Overall

Lost first round 2-3 (Tri-City Storm)
2005-06 60 35 21 - 2 2 189 176 74 3rd of 5 West Lost Quarterfinals 2-3 (Lincoln Stars)
2006-07 60 38 17 - 2 3 218 191 81 1st of 6 West Lost first round 1-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
2007-08 60 43 12 - 3 2 224 139 91

1st of 6 West 1st Overall

Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux City Musketeers)

Won Semifinals 3-2 (Lincoln Stars)

Won Championship 3-2 (Waterloo Black Hawks)

2008-09 60 32 21 - 4 3 218 192 71 2nd of 6 West

Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Fargo Force)

2009-10 60 42 12 - 0 6 238 146 90 1st of 7 West

Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm)

Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Fargo Force)

2010-11 60 34 19 - 2 5 170 144 75 2nd of 8 Western

First Round Bye

Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)

2011-12 60 38 19 - 0 3 213 173 79 2nd of 8 Western

First Round Bye

Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)

2012-13 64 34 29 - 1 0 177 183 69 5th of 8 Western Did not qualify
2013-14 60 39 14 - 2 5 213 141 85 2nd of 8 Western Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2014-15 60 34 17 - 3 6 195 176 77 3rd of 8 Western Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Tri-City Storm)
2015-16 60 26 29 - 4 1 157 189 57 6th of 8 Western Did not qualify
2016-17 60 22 31 - 5 2 159 214 51 T-6th of 8 Western Did not qualify
2017-18 60 37 16 - 3 4 209 135 81 3rd of 8 Western Lost Conf. Semifinals 1-3 (Fargo Force)
2018-19 62 27 27 - 4 4 155 196 62 7th of 8 Western Did not qualify
2019-20 50 27 15 - 7 1 167 143 62 2nd of 8 Western Playoffs Cancelled
2020-21 53 30 20 - 2 1 169 156 .594 T-2nd Western Lost Conf Semifinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2021-22 62 30 26 - 4 2 172 201 66 4th Western Won Conf. Quarterfinals 2-0 (Fargo Force)
Lost Conf. Semifinals 0-2 (Tri-City Storm)
2022-23 62 17 36 - 5 4 140 215 43 8th Wester Did not qualify

Lancers NHL alumni[]

  • Keith Ballard: NCAA University of Minnesota, NHL Phoenix Coyotes (2004-2008), NHL Florida Panthers (2008-2010), NHL Vancouver Canucks (2010-2013), NHL Minnesota Wild (2013–present)
  • Ryan Malone: NHL Pittsburgh Penguins (2003-2008), Tampa Bay Lightning (2008-2014), New York Rangers (2014-present)
  • Jed Ortmeyer: NHL New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers
  • Trevor Smith: NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins

External links[]


This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Omaha Lancers. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).


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