OMAHA, Neb. – Vincent Desjardins grew up outside of Montreal, dreaming of one day playing for his hometown junior team, the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
A young Desjardins hadn’t planned on playing college hockey, nor did he know much about Omaha or its hockey program. His primary goal was to play for the Armada — something he did 210 times over his four QMJHL seasons, plus an additional 27 playoff games.
However, eligibility rules for Canadian major junior players changed on Nov. 7, 2024, opening the door for CHL players to play in the NCAA.
Desjardins forged a connection with Dave Noel-Bernier, fell in love with the program, visited Omaha, and ultimately committed to the Mavericks in March of 2025.
“As soon as the rules changed, I went in contact with Dave and I thought it was a great fit for me, so I committed pretty early,” Desjardins told Hurrdat Sports. “A few years passed and I was just waiting to come here, and obviously two of the guys I played with decided to come also, so I’m super happy to live this experience with them as well.”
Those two guys are Will Lacelle and Maël Lavigne, who Desjardins has made the jump to college alongside.
They’re three of Omaha’s nine freshmen this season, and their paths have overlapped from Quebec to the Midwest.
Lacelle and Lavigne, who are also living together, first met during the 2024-25 season when Victoriaville traded Lavigne to Rimouski on Dec. 16, 2024. Lavigne had previously been teammates with Omaha junior forward Maxime Pellerin in Victoriaville, too.
Lavigne met Desjardins last fall, as the two were teammates with the Armada. They played 60 and 64 games for Blainville-Boisbriand, respectively, followed by a playoff run. Lacelle joined the Armada via a trade in January, too, and the three have remained teammates since.
There’s no denying that familiarity has helped make the transition to college easier.
Will Lacelle tries to model his game after Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. He thinks he looks similar to Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers in the crease. “He’s a very flashy goalie, but he’s super calm and composed at the same time,” Lacelle said. “That’s one thing that I think I resemble a lot on the ice.” Courtesy Omaha Athletics.
“I won’t lie, the transition was a little scary at first because it was my first time living away from home, so I was a little bit scared,” Desjardins said. “But coming here with three Frenchies was a tool in my toolbox.”
“We’re three French guys, so whenever we have issues, we can talk to each other,” added Lavigne. “Knowing each other before coming here, plus with Max (Pellerin) on top of us was crazy. It’s a great group of guys here that really helped us coming in.”
The past three months have featured plenty of change, starting with the hockey itself and adjusting from a CHL to NCAA schedule.
They’ve found themselves learning a new city and campus, and living on their own, too. Learning how to cook and balance homework, among other things.
English is all of their second language, too, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell.
However, their CHL journeys helped prepare them for new surroundings. Whether it be Lavigne bouncing around the QMJHL, playing for four different teams over his five seasons, or Lacelle experiencing a mid-season trade.
“It gets you out of your comfort zone,” Lacelle said. “You’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to learn new systems, meet new people, different staffs — It was chaotic at first. I didn’t expect to get traded and then two days later, boom, I’m playing in Val-d’Or with a new team. But that’s what it is.
“So, I think coming here, I had to get out of my comfort zone. I didn’t really know anyone outside of Vincent and Maël. I texted a couple of the guys during the summer, but realistically there wasn’t much that I knew here, so arriving here I had to get out of the comfort zone.”
When the three became teammates last January, they didn’t know they’d be playing together this fall.
Omaha’s staff first saw Lacelle — who turns 19 in December — play at 15, and he’d been on their radar ever since. However, it was unknown if he’d return to juniors this season or make the jump to college.
Maël Lavigne is coming off a 22-goal, 48-point season with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. “Maël’s a physical player,” said Vincent Desjardins. “Every time he’s on the ice, he’s creating something. He brings energy by doing big hits or big presence at the net.” Photo by Brandon Tiedemann.
Noel-Bernier watched Lavigne for three years, too, and had often asked about the 6-foot-4, 196-pound forward. Yet he was led to believe Lavigne wanted to play professionally.
Once Omaha’s staff got the green light, they moved quickly. Lacelle and Lavigne committed to Omaha within a week of each other this past May, and all three arrived on campus this summer.
“They’re all such great kids from great families, and having them together in Blainville helped make the recruiting process a little easier,” Noel-Bernier said. “But we had seen them all for a while and felt we knew them as both hockey players and kids.”
Having all three players under one roof certainly helped from a logistical standpoint, and Noel-Bernier had plenty of familiarity with their games.
Much of the groundwork had been laid, and Omaha’s staff just needed to be patient. They’re glad it worked out.
“It started with Vinny and those two joined late last year,” Noel-Bernier said. “When you have one kid committed and you know they can pick Vinny’s brain about the program, and you can see all three of them at one game, we felt there was a good connection in place and that really helped us move forward.”
Noel-Bernier, who hails from Montmagny, Quebec, and played for the Mavericks (1997-2001) himself, certainly played a key role in the recruiting process.
“That was pretty cool to have a little connection right away,” Lavigne said. “Obviously the staff here was unbelievable and it’s been great so far.”
Vincent Desjardins put up 213 points (65-148-213) over 210 QMJHL games before coming to Omaha. “Big-time hockey IQ,” said Omaha associate head coach Dave Noel-Bernier. “He plays a 200-foot game and he’s so responsible without the puck. He’s almost another defenseman out there and he sees the ice so well. Really good vision and the way he makes plays, and he’s a great kid from a great family. That’s something that’s very important to us.” Photo by Eli Larson.
“Honestly, the thing that stood out with me was every week or so they kept getting in touch with me,” added Desjardins. “That makes the process even smoother just being in contact and seeing how your season is going, and they want to make sure you keep growing and when you come here, you’re ready to go and ready to perform.”
All three have done exactly that so far.
Lavigne scored Omaha’s first goal of the season and played a key part in the second, using his frame to set a screen in front of the Augustana net. Desjardins scored Omaha’s second goal last Saturday and has already shown his blend of IQ and skill. And Lacelle has quickly made a name for himself, stopping 73 of the 78 shots he saw over his first two starts.
Although the wins haven’t been there yet this season, all three like what they’ve seen, and they’re excited for the future of the program.
“Obviously two tough losses and two games that were really tight, but I think it’s nice to face adversity soon in the season,” Desjardins said. “Every game in college is tight. It’s little mistakes that cost a lot in the end, so just to face that adversity early will make our team better.”
“The goal is to win a national championship,” Lacelle added. “That’s obviously what I was brought in here to do is to stop pucks and win games. Obviously, we didn’t get the wins yet, but those will come.”
The Mavericks will try to enter the win column this weekend as Omaha (0-2-0) visits Lindenwood (3-3-0). Both games are set for 7 p.m. in Maryland Heights, Mo.
Stay tuned to Hurrdat Sports all season as Avarie Howard and Jordan McAlpine provide Omaha Hockey coverage.
