Will Lacelle isn’t letting a sound barrier prevent him from doing what he loves with Omaha hockey.
The freshman goaltender was born deaf, unable to hear anything in his left ear and only able to hear at 50% in his right. Even so, he’s made it to the Division I level to compete with the Mavericks.
“I have to look around more, little things like that, which ultimately I think helps me as a goalie,” Lacelle told Hurrdat Sports. “It’s something that I’ve adapted with, and I’ve been all good so far.”
Lacelle has adjusted well. He began playing hockey when he was 7 years old. He started by using a hearing aid in his helmet but stopped around 10 years ago.
“I’ve always had a person tell me, ‘You don’t need to hear the puck more to stop it,’” Lacelle said. “That’s one thing that I’ve always gone by, so I haven’t really done any adjustments to my helmet like that.”
Will Lacelle. Photo courtesy Omaha Athletics.
Instead, Lacelle leans on his teammates and coaches for support where he needs it. His teammates help him by planning calls before the game starts. During games, Maverick coaches use hand signals to indicate directions as well.
“I think just having them explain what they’re thinking and stuff just helps me have an idea of what they could possibly do and stuff,” Lacelle said. “I think it’s little things like that that the fans don’t necessarily see. That’s all the time and effort that we have that we put into the game behind the scenes.”
Lacelle said his teammates’ and coaches’ support means a lot.
“I haven’t played with these guys yet, so it’s going to be fun to see when the season comes around,” Lacelle said. “So far, the guys have been putting in a lot of effort, and so has the coaching staff. So I’m super grateful for them.”
Another person Lacelle is thankful for is his mother. She’s also deaf, giving Will someone to lean on when his disability gets difficult.
“I remember when I was a kid, it wasn’t the easiest thing, but my mom was so supportive of me,” Lacelle said. “She was always there for me at the end of the day. She would always talk to me and say, ‘Everything’s OK. Look at me, I’m all good.’”
Lacelle’s proven that he’s good too. The Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, native has played at a high level. In 2025, he competed in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Lacelle made 21 appearances, posting a 2.11 goals-against average. He also had a .915 save percentage and five shutouts.
He then committed to Omaha in 2026, with the coaches being a big reason why.
“These guys were all great guys, and that’s what stood out to me,” Lacelle said.
“As soon as I saw the place I was so surprised,” he continued. “I’m from Montreal, so it’s pretty far away, but as soon as I got off the plane here, I saw the city. I was like, ‘Wow, this is really beautiful,’ and it was such an easy decision after that.”
Omaha head coach Mike Gabinet was one of the coaches that made that decision easy for Lacelle. The Mavericks began recruiting Lacelle a while ago, and the head coach said the latter’s talent is what caught the team’s attention. He said Lacelle is an inspiration to others.
“I think it kind of ultimately develops maybe your other senses a little bit more, too,” Gabinet said. “He has to scan a little bit more, he has to take in that information visually a little bit more to make the right decision when you’re playing the puck, etcetera. He’s just a tremendous competitor, never complains about anything, and we’re super excited to have him here.”
Lacelle is also excited to be in Omaha. He said he’s looking forward to the atmosphere and new competition.
“I’m super excited to see the level of play and how everyone is behind the bench,” Lacelle said. “It’s super fun practicing, but we all know playing games is even more fun.”
Omaha opens its season against Air Force on Oct. 2.
As for younger athletes who want to play hockey, Lacelle is proof that anything is possible if you put in the work.
“It’s always been a saying, ‘Hockey’s for everyone,’ and that’s one thing that I will always stand by,” Lacelle said “It doesn’t matter if you have a little problem here or there. At the end of the day, if you go out and you play hockey and you have fun, you’re going to be OK.”
