Lincoln Hjelm’s love for hockey blossomed in downtown Omaha.
Hjelm remembers attending Maverick and Lancer games throughout his childhood, and he was hooked from the start. The banging of trash cans, a fish sailing onto the ice, or riding down the escalators to sing UNO’s fight song in the CenturyLink Center lobby — it all stuck with the Omaha native.
However, that young kid would’ve never imagined one day being a Maverick himself.
“I don’t think I really envisioned it until a couple years ago when I was starting to talk to schools,” Hjelm told Hurrdat Sports. “It was like, ‘OK, this is getting real, and this is a big step.’ But still now, it still doesn’t feel real.”
No matter how real it feels, that childhood dream is now a reality, and Hjelm isn’t taking it for granted. The right-shot forward is one of nine freshmen on this year’s roster, yet there’s one noticeable difference besides his name: “Hometown: Omaha, Neb.”
Hjelm is the lone Nebraskan currently playing Division I men’s college hockey, and he’ll join Tom Shaffer (1997-98), Jeremiah Johnson (2001-03), and Ryan Galt (2015-19) as Omaha natives to don a Maverick sweater.
Charlie Barnes is currently an Omaha commit and could add another name to that list in the coming years, and Jake Guentzel was technically born in Omaha, although he moved to Minnesota just months later. Barnes is in his first season with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.
While being from Omaha was certainly a bonus, committing was an easy decision with what the program had to offer.
“When schools started talking to me, it kind of hit me fast,” Hjelm said. “I didn’t really understand, fully, the landscape of college hockey and how big-time UNO hockey was. They had some really good years in my time of when I was getting recruited. I remember Paul Jerrard texted me shortly after I could be texted and it was like, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’ Then just visiting here.
“If I wasn’t from Omaha, I’d still come in here. This facility, these coaches, this community — I knew right from my visit that this was a place that I wanted to be and a place that I knew I could grow.”
I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to play division 1 college hockey and further my academic career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I would like to thank my family, coaches, friends, and most importantly my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! @OmahaHKY #gomavs #agtg pic.twitter.com/utwEaQ524A
— Lincoln Hjelm (@HjelmLincoln) November 24, 2022
Hjelm has been fortunate to stay close to home for much of his journey, too.
He started skating at 4, going through Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey over the following years, and Hjelm quipped his mom said he was always going to be a figure skater.
Once Hjelm put a stick in his hand, he was hooked, and he’ll forever be grateful for the Omaha hockey community. A broken arm played a part, too, shifting his focus from baseball to hockey as a freshman in high school.
He moved away in 2021 and spent two seasons at Northstar Christian Academy in Alexandria, Minn. and a year with the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen. Hjelm skated in 48 games for Langley during the 2023-24 season before returning to Nebraska.
Hjelm spent the past two seasons in Kearney with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He skated in 106 total games for the Storm and now he returns home.
“We’ve always loved his character,” said head coach Mike Gabinet. “When you get to know him and know his family, it’s hard not to love them all. They’re just really good people and to me, they represent the typical people from Omaha. They’re fun to be around, always caring, hard-working, high-character people, and you could see that in Lincoln right away.
“I think that attracted us to him right away, and then I like his skillset. He’s a very good skater, super competitive, and he’s one of those guys that can move up and down a lineup. He continues to grow his game and got some good junior experience, so a lot to like there.”
Lincoln Hjelm was part of Omaha’s starting lineup for its exhibition win over Manitoba. “Even for an exhibition game, it was chills,” Hjelm said. “I had thought about that for a long time. Starting lineup, skating out on that blue line, and I was honestly just thinking don’t fall at the blue line. But it really was very special.” Brandon Tiedemann / Hurrdat Sports
The 20-year-old forward made his Baxter Arena debut last Wednesday, albeit in an exhibition game.
He was part of Omaha’s starting lineup and helped Omaha earn a 9-2 win over Manitoba, doing so in front of friends and family. Hjelm joked his goal was to avoid falling during the pregame introductions, but the night gave him chills.
Hjelm knows he’ll have to earn his opportunities, and being a local kid guarantees him nothing. Yet he wants to help his hometown club however he can.
“Anything that I’m called upon to do,” he said. “I’ll always finish my checks, I’ll always work my butt off, and I know I can make plays too. If I need to grind and be physical, and play well defensively, great. And then spark offense, I’m ready to do that too. On the flip side of that, maybe not playing, too — it’s definitely something where I can still provide energy to my teammates and be there, and just be a good teammate.”
The Mavericks will host Augustana on Saturday for their home opener. Omaha opened the 2026-27 season on Thursday with a 2-1 loss in Sioux Falls.
Saturday’s game is set for a 6 p.m. faceoff at Baxter Arena and will be available on NCHC.tv.
Stay tuned to Hurrdat Sports all season as Avarie Howard and Jordan McAlpine provide Omaha Hockey coverage.
