Omaha Lancers

The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at the now-demolished Ak-Sar-Ben arena in Omaha. For two seasons (2002-2003 and 2003-2004), the team was known as the River City Lancers. On 5 February 2009, the Lancers announced on its website that they would be moving to the Omaha Civic Auditorium in downtown Omaha.
The Omaha Lancers are known to be one of the most successful franchises in USHL history. They own five Anderson Cup (regular season) and seven Clark Cup (playoff) titles as well as two Junior National Championships. They are known for a strong fan base that emerged at a time when they were the only hockey team in Omaha. The Lancers have had hundreds of alumni move on to play NCAA Division I hockey and dozens more in the National Hockey League. In 2004 the Lancers made national headlines when a new ownership group consisting of hockey legends took over. This group included NHL greats Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaille, as well as the captain of the "Miracle On Ice" 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Mike Eruzione, William "Boots" DelBiaggio, John Donovan, and Ben Robert, although Del Biaggio is no longer a member of the ownership. The Lancers' have a loud home crowd with many gametime traditions. The Lancers' goal song is "The Heat Is On" by Glenn Frey with an accompanying chant from the home crowd. Prior to 2002 the Lancers played at the historic Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum. Omaha's archrival is the Lincoln Stars with whom they have had many memorable contests. The Lancers also have rivalries with the Des Moines Buccaneers, Sioux City Musketeers, and the Tri-City Storm (Kearney,NE).
The 1986-87 Lancer team was 0-46-2, winless for the entire season and making it into Sports Illustrated for this feat of futility. Their last two game away series was against the Des Moines Buccaneers during the 1986-87 season. The last game of that year, Sunday, March 4th 1987, almost ended in victory. The teams were tied after regulation. The Lancers almost pulled it out in overtime, only to lose eventually, 3-2, during this cliffhanging battle. The only known Pro player from the 1986-87 Lancer team, Antti Autere, was from Helsinki, Finland. He later played in the ECHL. The Lancers franchise owes a debt of gratitude to the many players from that season, as they were on the brink of throwing in the towel and folding many times. This group of misfit players and coaches stuck it out, under staffed and out played, so that within only 4 seasons, the Lancers won both the Anderson Cup, for best regular season record, and the Clark Cup for winning the season playoff title as well. Since their inception the Lancers have gone on to produce perhaps the most Division I and Pro players in all of the USHL.
The 2007-2008 Lancer team had the highest achievements possible in the USHL. The team journeyed to Quebec, Canada, with fellow USHL team, Indiana Ice, to participate in the CCM Junior Classic with the Quebec Ramparts and the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Lancers went 2-0 to win the Classic. The Lancers then went 3-0 at the USHL Fall Classic in Sioux City, Iowa, to win that tournament. Add in a pre-season game against Lincoln, and the Lancers were undefeated in the pre-season. For the regular season, the Lancers went 43-12-5 to win the Anderson Cup (regular season championship trophy). In the post season, the Lancers went 9-5 (out of a possible 15 games) and won the Clark Cup, playoff championship, with an Overtime goal in Game 5. Drew Palmisano, who was the starting goalie for much of the season, won the Playoff MVP title.
Despite the disappointment of their first round exit in the 2009 Clark Cup playoffs, the Lancers continued a USHL record 20th consecutive Clark Cup Playoff appearances.
==Season-by-season record==
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, SL = Shootout Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points
Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs
1986-87 	48 	0 	46 	0 	2 	- 	105 	453 	2 	10th of 10 overall	
1987-88 	48 	4 	40 	2 	2 	- 	155 	372 	12 	10th of 10 overall	
1988-89 	48 	15 	31 	2 	0 	- 	204 	277 	32 	8th of 10 overall 	
1989-90 	48 	36 	11 	0 	1 	- 	302 	197 	73 	1st of 10 overall 	
1990-91 	48 	28 	15 	5 	0 	- 	258 	194 	63 	2nd of 10 overall 	
1991-92 	48 	22 	25 	1 	0 	- 	222 	236 	48 	5th of 10 overall 	
1992-93 	48 	35 	9 	0 	4 	- 	255 	159 	74 	1st of 10 overall 	
1993-94 	54 	31 	13 	2 	2 	- 	259 	180 	65 	3rd of 10 overall 	
1994-95 	48 	30 	11 	4 	3 	- 	218 	146 	67 	2nd of 11 overall 	
1995-96 	464 	30 	10 	2 	4 	- 	195 	132 	66 	2nd of 11 overall 	
1996-97 	56 	40 	12 	- 	2 	0 	252 	152 	82 	1st of 6 South 	
Won Quarterfinals 4-1 (Twin City Vulcans)
Lost Semifinals 1-4 (Lincoln Stars)
1997-98 	56 	43 	11 	- 	0 	2 	221 	144 	80 	2nd of 6 South 	
Won Quarterfinals 4-0 (Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks)
Won Semifinals 3-0 (North Iowa Huskies)
Won Championship 4-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1998-99 	56 	43 	13 	- 	0 	0 	234 	130 	86 	1st of 4 West 	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Dubuque Fighting Saints
Won Semifinals 3-0 (Green Bay Gamblers)
Lost Final 2-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1999-00 	58 	36 	18 	- 	0 	4 	168 	151 	76 	
1st of 7 West
1st overall	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
2000-01 	56 	35 	15 	- 	6 	0 	215 	145 	76 	3rd of 6 West 	
Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
Won Semifinals 3-1 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Won Championship 3-2 (Lincoln Stars)
2001-02 	61 	46 	12 	- 	3 	0 	215 	111 	95 	
1st of 7 West
1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Chicago Steel)Won Semifinals 3-1 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)Lost Final 2-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers	River City Lancers
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs
2002-03 	60 	36 	19 	- 	1 	4 	178 	149 	77 	4th of 6 West 	
Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux City Musketeers)Won Semifinals 3-0 (Waterloo Black Hawks)Lost Final 1-3 (Lincoln Stars)
2003-04 	60 	37 	16 	- 	3 	4 	202 	160 	81 	3rd of 6 West 	Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers 	Omaha Lancers
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	SOL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs
2004-05 	60 	41 	12 	- 	4 	3 	215 	148 	89 	
1st of 5 West
T-1st Overall	Lost first round 2-3 (Tri-City Storm)
2005-06 	60 	35 	21 	- 	2 	2 	189 	176 	74 	3rd of 5 West 	Lost Quarterfinals 2-3 (Lincoln Stars)
2006-07 	60 	38 	17 	- 	2 	3 	218 	191 	81 	1st of 6 West 	Lost first round 1-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
2007-08 	60 	43 	12 	- 	3 	2 	224 	139 	91 	
1st of 6 West
1st Overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux City Musketeers)
Won Semifinals 3-2 (Lincoln Stars)
Won Championship 3-2 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2008-09 	60 	32 	21 	- 	4 	3 	218 	192 	71 	2nd of 6 West 	
Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Fargo Force)
2009-10 	60 	42 	12 	- 	0 	6 	238 	146 	90 	1st of 7 West 	
Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm)
Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Fargo Force)
2010-11 	60 	34 	19 	- 	2 	5 	170 	144 	75 	2nd of 8 Western 	
First Round Bye
Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2011-12 	60 	38 	19 	- 	0 	3 	213 	173 	79 	2nd of 8 Western 	
First Round Bye
Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2012-13 	64 	34 	29 	- 	1 	0 	177 	183 	69 	5th of 8 Western 	Did not qualify
2013-14 	60 	39 	14 	- 	2 	5 	213 	141 	85 	2nd of 8 Western 	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2014-15 	60 	34 	17 	- 	3 	6 	195 	176 	77 	3rd of 8 Western 	Lost Quarterfinals 0-3 (Tri-City Storm)
2015-16 	60 	26 	29 	- 	4 	1 	157 	189 	57 	6th of 8 Western 	Did not qualify
2016-17 	60 	22 	31 	- 	5 	2 	159 	214 	51 	T-6th of 8 Western	Did not qualify
2017-18 	60 	37 	16 	- 	3 	4 	209 	135 	81 	3rd of 8 Western 	Lost Conf. Semifinals 1-3 (Fargo Force)
2018-19 	62 	27 	27 	- 	4 	4 	155 	196 	62 	7th of 8 Western 	Did not qualify
2019-20 	50 	27 	15 	- 	7 	1 	167 	143 	62 	2nd of 8 Western 	Playoffs Cancelled
2020-21 	53 	30 	20 	- 	2 	1 	169 	156 	.594 	T-2nd Western 	Lost Conf Semifinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2021-22 	62 	30 	26 	- 	4 	2 	172 	201 	66 	4th Western 	Won Conf. Quarterfinals 2-0 (Fargo Force)Lost Conf. Semifinals 0-2 (Tri-City Storm)
2022-23 	62 	17 	36 	- 	5 	4 	140 	215 	43 	8th Western 	Did not qualify
2023-24 	62 	16 	43 	- 	3 	0 	160 	270 	35 	8th Western 	Did not qualify
==Lancers NHL alumni==
*Keith Ballard: NCAA University of Minnesota, NHL Phoenix Coyotes (2004-2008), NHL Florida Panthers (2008-2010), NHL Vancouver Canucks (2010-2013), NHL Minnesota Wild (2013–present)
*Ryan Malone: NHL Pittsburgh Penguins (2003-2008), Tampa Bay Lightning (2008-2014), New York Rangers (2014-present)
*Jed Ortmeyer: NHL New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers
*Trevor Smith: NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins
*Louis Leblanc : NHL Montréal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks
==External links==
*Omaha Lancers
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:United States Hockey League teams