The Nebraska Knight Owls are an (proposed) professional ice hockey team based within Omaha, Nebraska. The Owls will compete within the National Hockey League (NHL) as members of the Central Division inside the Western Conference and play their home games at McDonald's Arena should their franchise be awarded officially. The ownership group is Nebraska Sports & Entertainment.
| Nebraska Knight Owls | |
|---|---|
| City | Omaha, Nebraska |
| League | NHL |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Operated | Nebraska Knight Owls 2024–present |
| Home arena | McDonald's Arena |
| Colours | Orange, Voltage, Purple, White |
| Mascot | (TBA) |
| Owner(s) | Nebraska Sports & Entertainment |
| General manager | (TBA) |
| Head coach | (TBA) |
| Captain | (TBA) |
| Media | NPM-TV |
| Affiliate | (TBA) |
| Website | (TBA) |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 0 |
| Conference titles | 0 |
| Kelly Cups | 0 |
| Stanley Cups | 0 |
History
editOmaha has had a comparatively limited hockey history, with its professional lineage limited to multiple incarnations of the minor-league Omaha Knights/Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. The city currently hosts NCAA collegiate hockey at the Division I level with the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks, and USHL junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers. While Omaha currently lacks an NHL-capable venue, local property developer Rod Yates has publicly stated a desire to build an arena in Gretna, as part of a proposed "Good Life District" surrounding the Nebraska Crossing lifestyle center;[1][2] Yates and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen additionally met with NHL officials in New York City in February 2024, in order to pitch the league on expansion.[1][3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b Dejka, Joe (March 3, 2024). "Jim Pillen, Gretna developer wanted Nebraska in 'conversation' for NHL team". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Hammel, Paul (January 22, 2024). "Gretna voters to have major say in expansion of Nebraska Crossing mall". The Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "Nebraska Group Pitches National Hockey League Team to NHL". NewsRadio 1110 KFAB. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Columnist, Tom Shatel World-Herald (2024-02-05). "Shatel: Who emailed the NHL about an expansion team in Omaha?". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 2024-03-21.