Players now from the Canadian Hockey League being able to play at the Division One level here in NCAA. What does that mean for this team? Obviously you have several guys here from from that group. Yeah, it's *** big rule change. 1800 new players eligible kind of kind of instantly overnight. So that's been *** big adaptation for all of NCAA hockey, but I think we've really done *** good job using that to our advantage and getting some new incomers here that are excited to be in Omaha and have some good experience. I think players that have came through that league have *** *** little bit battle tested and in our NCAC conference, that's always *** good thing. So it's nice to bring some guys with some great experience. How does that rule change help just the sport at the college level overall? I think it's good, especially for *** recruiting place like Omaha. I think the more people we can, you know, expand our recruiting pool and expose to Omaha once they get here they realize how great the city is and the state is and so it's been nice to really attract some people from Canada, um, down to Nebraska and they feel at home here and and they're really enjoying it. Why is from *** development standpoint it better for these players from the CHL to be here at *** college rather than in that league? Well, predominantly in the past when they've played the CHL, you kind of go there as *** 16 or 17 year old, then you have to be ready for the National Hockey League at 19 or 20 years old. And now coming back to the NCAA hockey, you have *** longer runway to have your development occur. So it's been *** really nice uh pathway for these guys to kind of be reinvigorated that they still have lots of hockey left to play and there's still *** lot of development left in front of them and, and now we can see them kind of spend 234 years here and hopefully move on to the National Hockey League. What are some of the traits these guys carry having that level of *** little bit of professionalism to them? Yeah, they have some experience. I think they won't be as. You know, intimidated to go into *** building like North Dakota for some of the places they've played in junior hockey there and just *** really high character group that wanna be hockey players. They want to get better. That's something we really look hard for in our recruits is we want guys that are committed to our environment. They, they like place with high standards and high expectations, and I think those guys thrive in that type of environment, so. Um, it's been really *** pleasure and to to bring these guys in just to see how competitive they are too in practice I think that helps everybody get better. One of those guys, of course, Brett Hyland. What, what, what does he bring just competition wise? What type of standard does he bring and set for this program? Well, you can tell the guys play for keeps, right? It's very competitive out there and I think that's just kind of in their DNA from where they've come up through, so. Um, I know talking to our captains this year they really noticed that early on in training camp just how competitive these guys were and that kind of just raises the standard for everybody. So and *** guy like Brett is, uh, definitely at the high end of that competitive, uh, meter, so he's done *** tremendous job, uh, developing here and, and helping raise our standard. You've talked *** lot as you've been doing media stuff the last two weeks playing for keeps. These guys have that about them. What, what do you mean by that? Just super intense. Like if you don't go into the drill or into the the game 100% ready to compete and battle, you won't win the puck. You won't win that battle. So I think it just raises everybody's intensity and if you can do that day in and day out, you're gonna be ready for. The game starts. First scrimmage underway was was Saturday. What do you take away from, from scrimmage? You said you didn't want to stop playing, which is *** good sign. Yeah, yeah, the guys on the bench were loving it. They wanted to play another period, and I think just first off playing in front of people and the fans, you get *** little bit nervous and I think it's nice to experience that and go through that for the first time. So that was really *** positive experience for our guys and. And just it's just *** different atmosphere all of *** sudden now, uh, when you're playing for real, you know, for the scrimmage purposes there and it was just an overall really great experience and ultimately for the guys to spend time with the fans too and get to meet them on the ice and off the ice, I think anytime our our fans get to meet our guys, they see what type of quality people they are. The fan base is so special to this program. You've talked about it that your players have talked about it, um, being able to continue to elevate what this program does day in and day out and, and give. These fans something exciting to cheer for. How special is that community that you just talked about? Yeah, it's great. I mean, obviously you see it in the number of people that turn out to our games and even events like the scrimmage, just the number of people in the autograph line. It's *** special place to play and it's *** special community to play for and our guys know that and respect that, and, and we're working really hard to make everybody proud of our program. What do you need to see change or, uh, what do you need to see them build off of when it comes to the season officially getting underway here in about 2 weeks? Yeah, I think just having that championship mindset and go chase *** championship. I know we play in the NCAT which is. You know, *** really difficult conference to play in, but I think you can't be scared to say you're going after *** championship and we want to win *** lot of hockey games and we want to put our best foot forward there and, and that's the goal, right? And then, then you break it down to doing that day by day and doing the work and and focusing on the team. Your players have been candid saying this team has *** hunger to them. They want to prove they have something to prove. How have you seen that hunger day in and day out at some intense practices? Yeah, it's great, and I think we always say today matters, right? You have to be present. You got to be where your feet are at and you gotta put the work in today. You can't look too far ahead. You can't look too far in the past, and I think our guys are really good at every day finding ways to keep improving. What, what is your message knowing that this team has not hit their fullest potential yet, but you bring in so much new talent and there is an extra special buzz around this program keeping *** level head, but knowing, hey, hey, this group can go do some big things this season as well. Yeah, I love that word yet, not yet, right? And I think you can always kind of say that you haven't done it yet and I think the guys are hungry to keep improving and. And get better and I really like this group. I think there's *** good mix of leadership and experience and some youth and. Some new competitiveness and really excited to see how these team gels early on. Talk about leadership. You've returned *** great senior class. Two of those guys are captains and Simon and Griffin. What are those two bring talent wise, but but also leadership wise? Yeah, I think first off it was just we were fortunate to get all our seniors back, which in today's world, you never know if that's going to happen. So that was really first *** positive thing for the program and then to have Simon and And Griffin be our two leaders this year. It's *** special group and, and also we have Mitchell and Roll Wagon as well. But just to talk about Simon, first off, obviously the reigning NCHE goalie of the Year. So on ice speaks for itself, but just off the ice is maturity, his ability to connect with the coaching staff and the players. Then you have Griffin who I think is *** real connector, right, always making the new players feel welcome, really connecting the group together. And then you combine that with Mitchell and Roll Wagon. It's *** special for, for 4 guys in our leadership group, so they're all doing *** tremendous job. They're all staying authentic to themselves and, and, uh, doing *** great job for the program. You return all your seniors that you said that that is very rare. Uh, what, what does that say about the culture that this program has? I just think when people get to experience it and actually come here and live it and experience day to day, they just come to understand how special it is and. Not only the hockey team and the university but the city and the community as well. So really fortunate to have those all those guys back uh to contribute again this year and that really helps on board all the new coming players as well too with the new 150 new players. It's really nice to have that kind of veteran group there to help, uh help with that transition process. Air Force Friday and an exhibition finally, *** lot of anticipation as we talked about *** bunch of new guys, *** new rule. What do you see from this team, just their excitement to finally get out in front of *** crowd on the ice? Yeah, they're gonna be chomping at the bit to play for sure too, and I think just as physical as hockey is *** competitive as it is, it gets tiring when you're always battling your own teammates. So I think it's gonna be really exciting for these guys to get to play somebody else, hit somebody else, compete against somebody else, and. And show the staff, um, you know what they're capable of doing and *** little bit of the evaluation phase right now for us too in the preseason here. So, um, it's gonna be exciting to see these guys play against Air Force. What are you taking away from this evaluation period? Yeah, I think just, you know, just seeing where everybody fits in, right? Seeing where your foot fits in, it's *** lot of new players, *** lot of spots that you're trying to figure out and navigate who's in the slot and where. So it's *** good opportunity for these guys to get out there, compete and put their best foot forward and. And be good teammates and earn *** spot in the lineup. Is there *** lot of position battles going into this season? Yeah, I think, I think every year there's always some position battles going on there, but I think when you have so many newcomers, you're just really trying to iron out just where guys fit in and how everybody looks in different spots. So it'll be nice to see some live play here for the coaches to evaluate things. Uh, what is your new strength coach? Is it Ben Silvers, right? What what has he brought to this team? Yeah, he's been great. um, he's been great. He's been *** tremendous addition to the team. I think the guys are in outstanding shape, um, just both physically on the ice and physically off the ice, and I think hockey is *** unique sport where you really have to train to be *** hockey player, right? At the end of the day we're trying to make these guys better hockey players and he's really focused on what that take and how that looks and and really from an individual standpoint too you get *** lot of different players. Um, different kind of physical training ages, and he's done *** really good job finding ways to get each player better and we've seen it in the testing so far. Guys have gotten faster, stronger, and that's gonna serve us well when the season starts off here. This recent news that Omaha hockey will be playing in Northern Ireland in 20281. How did that come to be? Take me back to those conversations. Yeah, we just, we've always had success traveling. Last year we were in Palm Springs. We were in Vegas, and we have *** great following with our fans coming to trips and showing up to support us there. And when this opportunity came to go to Ireland. We thought it was *** no brainer to, to give the players that experience, to give the fan base, uh, that experience. So I think it's gonna be really neat to educate our guys on going over there. I think I was talking to Adrian, we might actually do *** class on that over there and. And uh so just an overall great experience to spend *** week over there and I think *** lot of people will join us on that trip too. How much of an impact did Mike Kemp have on on this happening? Yeah, he gets to do all the fun stuff now, now that he's kind of semi-retired slash retired, so he does *** great job organizing it, went to Boston for the reveal there and knows the people that run the tournament well, so he's so well connected in the hockey world, so he does *** great job finding those initiatives that make our program more. Um, more exposed, build our brand *** little bit there and also an unbelievable experience for our student athletes. You just said it, you know, playing overseas like this does help so much when it comes to recruiting and, and the brand of Omaha hockey. Why is it important to say yes and and do something like this? Yeah, I think, uh, just, you know, there's not *** lot of local recruits sometimes, although we got one guy coming in the next few years here, uh, to play for us, but it's just nice to keep expanding. Just how great the city is, how great our program is, how great our university is, and really try to reach out of state, out of country and globally to expose the University of Nebraska, Omaha to people. So it's, uh, these tournaments are *** great way to do that. As you've been practicing for 5-6 weeks now fully, what, what has stood out to you? I know we've talked *** lot about the mindset and the culture, but it's difficult when you're blending new guys and, um, but also *** very established senior group as well. How have they come together in search of *** common goal here? Yeah, I was just talking to one of our assistant coaches on the drive in here and we just talked about how. Um, how, how much joy is coaching these guys? I think in today's age when you find players that have that growth mindset they want to be coached, they wanna learn, they want to get better. It really makes it enjoyable as *** coach to teach those guys. So just give *** lot of credit to the players. They're hungry. They're asking questions. They're, they're OK taking feedback, they're OK being corrected, um, so that when you get that type of environment going where guys want to get better, they wanna be players, they care about the team. They care about each other. It's *** special environment to be *** part of. And you've talked *** lot about that finding the right type of guy. Sometimes it's hard today in in college athletics, and, uh, you feel like you have that throughout the roster. Yeah, I just really like our guys. I think that's one thing we've done *** good job here over the last few years of just finding high character players that want to be hockey players. They, they care about the team. They care about the university, and, and they want to get better. And I think when you have that development mindset there, you improve your players. I think we've showed that over the last few years we've had 6 players make their NHL debut in the last 3 years. That's pretty, pretty impressive. So again, *** lot of credit goes to the players that are willing to put that amount of work in. When you look at the schedule, *** little bit of *** gauntlet, how, how do you ramp up to peaking at the right time? Yeah, no doubt. I think it's just that's probably one of the things when you look at our schedule year in and year out, especially starting with 4 games against an NCAA team, and I think we have 14 or something games against the former national champion this year. And so you just gotta go day by day and that's why again we talk about that today matters, right? All you can control is today and so when you just kind of focus on that and then you ultimately do the work. Uh, good things usually happen and take care of themselves. How has Adrian Dow and just Omaha athletics as *** whole helped continue to put Omaha hockey in *** situation to be competitive and to stay competitive in this changing, changing landscape? Yeah, I think that's one thing that Adrian and our administration's done *** really good job of. I don't think there's too many AEDs out there that have the pulse on the current landscape environment like Adrian does. He's always up on all the changing rules, all the changing landscapes, and. And then being proactive and showing great initiative to get ahead of those things and so I think we're really fortunate as coaches to have *** leader like that that's always looking at ways to help you, help you get better, stay ahead of things and he's done *** great job with that. When you're talking to these recruits, what, what, what is your pitch, but also what, what do they talk about that stands out about what what this all is Omaha hockey here here in downtown Omaha. Yeah, it's, it's great when we can get our current players or former players to to talk about their experience because I don't think they always say the same thing. Nothing does it justice until you're here in person. So we really try to, you know, bring that experience from Omaha to the recruits there if they're not able to come visit in person there. And, and really just sell them on just how you know passionate everybody is here, the development environment they get to take *** part of and how great the city and the university is. I think people from Omaha know it's kind of one of the best kept secrets, and we're trying to change that with our branding and our marketing and letting people know just how great it is here and slowly but surely it's coming to fruition and uh and it's always great to expose people to that.