OMAHA 2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEYMAVERICKS COACHES AND STAFF Introduction Coaches The Mavs Opponents Review History and Records This Is UNO OMAVS.COM 9 OMAHA2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEY MIKE GABINET HEAD COACH • FIRST YEAR • OMAHA (2004) Mike Gabinet became the third head coach in Omaha as a senior. In 130 career games, he scored six goals and 41 hockey history on April 5, 2017 after serving as associate assists for 47 points. He still ranks 10th all-time in points by head coach during the 2016-17 season, his first with his alma a UNO defenseman. mater. Gabinet is the first former UNO player to serve as the Gabinet was a draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2001 team’s head coach. and played professionally in the American Hockey League, Before joining the Mavericks, Gabinet was the head coach the ECHL and in Europe before turning to coaching in 2012. of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2015-16. Gabinet comes from an outstanding hockey family. He led the Ooks to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference He is the grandson of Canadian hockey coaching legend Championship with a 36-0 record, only the second time in 51 Clare Drake who in enjoyed success in both college and years that a team had finished undefeated in the conference. international coaching. His grandfather was inducted into He was named ACAC Coach of the Year and became the first the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and was selected rookie head coach to guide his team to an undefeated season for the Hockey Hall of Fame induction class of 2017. in Canadian college hockey history. Gabinet and his wife, Antara, has a son, Noah, and a Prior to that, he was an associate coach at NAIT for three daughter, Jordyn. seasons. COACHING EXPERIENCE A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Gabinet played defense for the Mavericks from 2000-04 and was an alternate captain Omaha (NCHC) • Head Coach (2017-present) • Associate Head Coach (2016-17) NAIT (ACAC) • Head Coach (2015-16) • Associate Coach (2012-2015) HONORS AND AWARDS NAIT • ACAC Coach of the Year (2015-16) Introduction Coaches The Mavs Opponents Review History and Records This Is UNO 10 OMAVS.COM OMAHA 2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEYMAVERICKS DAVE NOEL-BERNIER ASSISTANT COACH • FIRST YEAR • OMAHA (2001) COACHING EXPERIENCE Omaha (NCHC) • Assistant Coach (2017-present) Detroit Red Wings (NHL) • Assistant Coach (2015-17) Muskegon (USHL) Dave Noel-Bernier joined the Omaha hockey staff as an of Hockey Operations and Assistant Strength Coach for three • Assistant Coach (2010-13) assistant coach in April of 2017. seasons. In 2010, he joined the Muskegon Lumberjacks Noel-Bernier was an original Maverick, playing forward in of the USHL as an assistant coach and Assistant General Omaha (CCHA) the first four years of the program. The native of Montmagny, Manager, working three seasons there as both an on-ice • Director of Hockey Operations Quebec appeared in 138 games for UNO, scoring 24 goals and coach and in recruiting. (2007-10) 26 assists for 50 points. He was a two-time CCHA Scholar Noel-Bernier spent the 2013-14 season as the hockey Athlete, graduating from UNO with a degree in exercise director of the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Blades Association science in 2001. before returning to coaching as an assistant coach of the Noel-Bernier spent the 2015-17 hockey season as an Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Among other duties there, assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, working with he ran the team’s power play and coached the forwards. players both on-ice and in video sessions. He was responsible for skill development, scouting reports of opponents and both in-game and post-game breakdown of video. After graduation, Noel-Bernier spent six seasons as a professional player in North America and Germany. He returned to his alma mater in 2007 and served as the Director Introduction Coaches The Mavs Opponents Review History and Records This Is UNO OMAVS.COM 11 OMAHA2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEY PETER MANNINO ASSISTANT COACH • FIRST YEAR • DENVER (2008) COACHING EXPERIENCE Chicago (USHL) • Assistant Coach (2015-17) Peter Mannino was hired as UNO’s assistant hockey coach Mannino went on to a seven-year professional career on June 1, 2017. He is heavily involved in recruiting and that included appearances in the NHL with the New York coaching the Mavericks’ goaltenders. Islanders, Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets. He also Mannino came to Omaha after two seasons as an assistant played in both the AHL and ECHL. coach with the Chicago Steel, helping the team win its first Mannino played junior hockey in Nebraska, suiting up Clark Cup as USHL playoff champions in 2017. His primary with the Tri-City Storm for the 2003-04 season. responsibilities included recruiting, scouting, special teams and coaching the goaltenders. A native of Farmington Hills, Mich., Mannino was a standout collegiate goaltender at Denver, compiling a career record of 61-32-5 from 2004-08. He helped the team to the NCAA title as a freshman and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament and a member of the all-tournament team. Introduction Coaches The Mavs Opponents Review History and Records This Is UNO 12 OMAVS.COM OMAHA 2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEYMAVERICKS KIRK THOMPSON VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH • SECOND YEAR • OMAHA (2016) Kirk Thompson joined the Omaha staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2016. Thompson was a three-year letter winner in goal for the Mavericks, compiling a career record of 14-17-2 in 42 games between 2013-16. In that time, he posted a 3.03 career goals-against average and a .886 save percentage while also earning two shutouts. A native of Surrey, British Columbia, Thompson earned his degree in criminology and criminal justice in the summer of 2016 and is currently working on his master’s degree in public administration. DAVID BRISSON VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH • FIRST YEAR • OMAHA (2002) David Brisson joined the Omaha hockey staff as a volunteer assistant coach in August of 2017. Brisson had a standout career for the Mavericks from 1999-2003. A co-captain as a senior, he ranks third all-time in UNO history with 144 career points and 65 career goals. He also leads all Mavericks with a career plus/minus rating of +37 and is tied with Scott Parse for second all-time with seven shorthanded goals. He, Parse and Dan Charleston are tied for first with 159 career games played. The native of Quebec City, Quebec is the first UNO hockey player to be inducted into the UNO Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to his coaching duties, Brisson also is the Vice President, Fixed Income Sales at Wells Fargo. JOSH ENGLEBRETSON ATHLETIC TRAINER • FOURTH YEAR • WISCONSIN - STEVENS POINT (2004) Josh Englebretson became the Mavericks’ athletic trainer Englebretson earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic in August 2014 after spending eight years at Castleton State training from Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2004 and his (Vt.), the last two as the head athletic trainer. master’s degree in sports management from Northern While at Castleton, Englebretson worked with the Illinois in 2006. Castleton State hockey team as well as serving as the primary trainer for other sports, including football, volleyball and baseball. Englebretson, a native of Owen, Wis., was a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois for two years. While there, he also was the head athletic trainer and assistant director of athletics for Genoa-Kingston High School. Introduction Coaches The Mavs Opponents Review History and Records This Is UNO OMAVS.COM 13 OMAHA2017-18 OMAHA HOCKEY JASON SMITS EQUIPMENT MANAGER • FIRST YEAR Jason Smits joined the Omaha hockey staff as equipment of the ECHL for the 2009-10 season. manager prior to the 2017-18 season. He came to Omaha Smits also has worked with USA Hockey, serving as the following one year at Clarkson where he was the men’s equipment manager for World Junior A Challenge teams hockey equipment manager while also assisting for the that won both gold and bronze medals. women’s team. Smits and his wife, Crystal, have two children – daughter The native of Moline, Ill. was the equipment manager Delaney and son Oliver. for Muskegon of the United States Hockey League from 2010-16 where he worked with current UNO assistant coach Dave Noel-Bernier during the first two seasons. While with Muskegon, the team played in the Clark Cup Finals in 2015- 16. Among his duties with the Lumberjacks, he also handled team travel and meals. Smits began his career in a volunteer role with Quad City AARON GORSHE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH • FIFTH YEAR • COLORADO STATE (2010) Aaron Gorshe joined the Omaha Athletics athletic performance staff in July of 2013. He works with UNO’s hockey, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s golf teams. A native of White Bear Lake, Minn., Gorshe earned his bachelor of science in health and exercise science from Colorado State in 2010. Before coming to UNO, he was the assistant director of sports performance/director of hockey training at 1st Athlete Training Center from 2010-13 and also was the assistant strength and training coach for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League from 2010-12. SAM SPOMER DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS • SIXTH YEAR • NEBRASKA (2009) Sam Spomer became Omaha’s Director of Hockey Spomer first joined the UNO athletic staff in May Operations in July 2012. Spomer’s responsibilities include 2011 when he served as the compliance intern. Spomer serving as the primary liaison between coaches, student- monitored recruiting, assisted in student-athlete eligibility athletes, boosters and the university community for all and developed coaches education material.