Welcome to the final stretch of the offseason! School is back in session, the guys are back on campus and fall training camp is here for the Omaha Mavericks and college hockey teams around the country.
Mike Gabinet and the Omaha coaching staff have added 11 newcomers to the roster this summer and we’re going to do a quick preview piece on each of them so that you know a little bit about who they are and where they’re coming from before they hit the ice on October 2nd.
I didn’t really know what the best order to do these in was so we are going to go in order from when they were officially announced by the program.
Today, we’re talking about 5’8″ 165 pound forward Gavin Hodnett from Winnipeg, Manitoba!
Gavin is a small, speedy, play-making winger who will be coming to Omaha after spending the last four seasons playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, serving as the captain the last two. Hodnett was drafted in the first round of the 2021 WHL draft, the 19th overall selection that year. In his time in Edmonton, Hodnett played in 241 games across five seasons and three playoff appearances, amassing 74 goals and 164 assists good for .98 points per game over the course of his junior career. He was injured at the end of the 2024-2025 season and returned in late December of 2025, where he finished the season with 53 points in 45 games.
Gavin hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba where he played minor hockey with the RINK Hockey Academy which participates in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. There, Hodnett scored 32 goals and assisted on 62 more in 65 games over the course of two full seasons on record.
Elite Prospects lists Hodnett’s player type as a Cerebral Technician, Playmaker, and Speedster, all of which seem to be pretty fitting traits as to what Mike Gabinet’s staff looks for in guys they recruit. His playmaking ability speaks for itself to the tune of 226 assists in the last six full seasons he’s played. Elite Prospect’s 2024 Draft Preview had this to say about Gavin, “Instant middle-lane attacks, turbo-speed give-and-goes, incisive east-west passes, and dynamic carries allow Hodnett to command the transition game. His edge is sudden and precise, and he instantly accelerates into space. If he doesn’t have the puck, he’s supporting the play or pushing back the defence.” All of those things are desperately needed for the Mavericks, and he could play a vital role in improving depth scoring immediately if his game translates to the NCHC. You can find Gavin’s Elite Prospects’ profile here: Gavin Hodnett – Stats, Contract, Salary & More
Hodnett has an opportunity to contribute offense faster than most of this incoming class, in my opinion. He is a WHL over-ager with four full seasons already under his belt, he is a proven a proven leader as a two-time Oil King captain and is a pass-first and offense-first forward which is desperately needed when looking over this Omaha roster. His size could potentially inhibit his game a little bit, especially in the NCHC which trends bigger in the college hockey world, but his speed could help him overcome the size difference he’ll see over the course of his college career. I am a big fan of what tape I’ve seen on him, and he has the potential to quickly become a fan favorite around 67th & Center.
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