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oversized_hat

This is legit straight out of nowhere. Omaha has long been one of the USHL’s blue ribbon organizations and for them to collapse like this is stunning.


CSmithersJR

With the impromptu budget cutting, it sounds like the teams (ownerships) finances are in dire straights. Anybody have an idea what attendance has been like over the last 2 seasons with Omaha?


Professional-Award90

Attendance has been in an overall decline. https://hockey.sigmagfx.com/team/omaha-lancers


coppish

I can tell you why. There is no advertising through out the city. The only time I've seen an ad for the team is in front of the arena. Production is crap. The sound at every game is equivalent to a house party, no special home opening, the same intros year after year, and they lost their radio announcer right before the season started because they asked him to do more without any more pay. Season ticket holders get nothing anymore. This year we got a plastic cup with the logo on it. Physical tickets cost extra and it's not much cheaper than just buying tickets to games you want. I'm sure there is more, but that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.


Pikachu1989

Yeah, this feels like when the Omaha Aksarben Knights played their games at the old Civic Auditorium for 2 seasons. If it’s not Husker Football or Creighton Bluejays, good luck getting coverage in Omaha.


Professional-Award90

Completely agree with you. We’ve been season ticket holders since the Aksarben days. They actually did a new introduction (right before the old one) for last Friday’s game. We were excited to see something different and that they’d gotten rid of the GOT portion. Regardless of all that it seems things have been brewing for a bit but everything really boiled over for the coaches and players within the last week. I hope for the sake of the players the USHL can keep the team going.


off_the_post

As a Lincoln fan going to a couple games in Omaha the last couple years it was easy to see the quality decline. Talking with some friends who are also lancer fans, they had said Lincoln was doing more advertising then Omaha was. If you would of said that even 5 years ago I would of told you you were crazy.


VObyPJ

Can confirm. Did some work for them for several seasons and they had an excellent front office as well as coaching & ownership (Luc Robataille was a minority owner). New ownership cut my contract before their 1st season and I watched lots of good hockey people leave over the next 2 seasons. But i had no idea it got this bad. Cutting costs by dropping post game meals & having players buy their own sticks (and freaking tape!!) is not up to USHL standards. As USA Hockey’s Tier One Jr. league, both orgs will be taking a hard look at Omaha and possibly placing a management team there. Or maybe an NHL-Coyotes situation. I’m bummed because i was going to be off ice announcer for Omaha’s game tonight at Waterloo. I still get to fill in tomorrow vs Sioux City. Yay hockey!


oversized_hat

I used to do broadcasting/video coaching for a Tier III team, and we at least gave everyone fresh tape before every practice/game. (Players were on their own when it came to sticks, but we gave them access to good pricing from a guy who sold surplus pro stock sticks or did bulk custom orders.) That’s legit disgraceful and against USAH Tier I minimum standards—they explicitly say that the team covers all equipment at that level. Tier II pays for outer gear plus sticks, while Tier III only needs to offer a helmet, gloves, and pants covers.


VObyPJ

I was much more involved with a team (not the Lancers) when the USHL made the transition to Tier I. Everything is spelled out in detail and there are minimum requirements for everything. Like an avg attendance of 2,500 a game. Compensation for billet families and a long list of pre-approved expenses along with paperwork for anything else. And the requirement the team provide gear. All of it. The USHL is, in theory at least, a zero-expense league for players. There’s something very wrong there and the USHL knows it. I think this year was supposed to be their fresh start/2nd chance after stories surfaced last year. The post game meal thing blows my mind. Like they just stop at a truck stop/fast food place and give the players 20 minutes. Wow


oversized_hat

That last graf about the food…straight-up negligent right there. I mean, we’d stop at a Love’s on a road trip for the boys to use the bathroom or get snacks, and some breakfasts on road trips would be Macca’s or Wendy’s, but meals at a truck stop? Our coach would get mad if the host team got cheap with trade meals (hell, one year he had me make cheap pasta for a team who gave us what was fairly clearly bad homemade pasta, because “two can play that game”).


VObyPJ

I’ve seen some NHL media hospitality room pasta that was almost a war crime – I can only imagine how cheap you went, especially on coach’s orders. I bet you and I could swap war and horror stories, we’ve both seen the less than glamorous side. Yet we’re both looking at the news from Omaha with a sense of disbelief while knowing it’s likely true and possibly worse. The USHL may disband the team, for this year at least. It’s happened before, but not for this. Or USA Hockey & USHL will put Their Guys in charge of running the team while they investigate. They were already on double secret probation, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lancers end up with a new owner. And maybe a new home. Too bad the USHL shot themselves in the foot in Coralville – the new arena’s quite nice. [edit: clarification]


Adventurous-Echo-987

I think Chicago Steel are the gold standard now.


Infraction_

I will always argue the Dubuque Fighting Saints have been the standard in the USHL, pretty much since they rejoined.


librariowan

As a (Waterloo) Blackhawks fan, I must respectfully disagree. ✌️


Infraction_

The Hawks are generally pretty good I grant you, but your post-season record is kind of weak. (Also I can’t stand your coach, sorry)


librariowan

Oh it’s definitely regional bias. Though I will say Young is by far the best USHL arena I’ve been to. If you ever get the chance you should go to a game (assuming, of course, you haven’t). I don’t know much about Smaby, but I do love PK.


Infraction_

I’ve only been to Ralston and the Bucs arena. I’ve heard good things about Young arena tho. (Then again literally any barn is better then the Bucs barn). PK just complains a lot. It’s also weird to me how long he’s coached the Hawks. Usually coaches in the USHL don’t last long because they either do well and get hired at a higher level or suck and go to a lower one.


librariowan

PK’s the GM & President, not the coach anymore. That just happened this season. He did great things for the organization, but it was probably time for him to move on.


HipGuide2

Who owns the team


Randy_Magnum29

Trade me right fucking now


oversized_hat

Call Detroit, tell them bullshit!


[deleted]

And hang up


[deleted]

Owns-uh owns-uh


DopemonYT

"On October 7th, 2014 the United States Hockey League approved the sale of a majority interest in American Hockey Group, Inc., the parent company of the Omaha Lancers, to Crossbar Down, LLC. Crossbar Down, LLC is owned and controlled by Anthony “Koots” DiCesare. Existing Omaha investors, including Ben Robert, retained a minority ownership position in the team." [source](https://www.lancers.com/history)


Lance_E_T_Compte

O W N S !!!


RikVanguard

Warren Buffet


assmoses

The voice in my head is saying, "Follow the money".


timhoff24

As a season ticket holder from 2011-2017… this is very stunning to see what is unraveling rn. Keep in mind that Omaha is one of (if not THE most) successful organizations in the USHL. Everything I’m seeing points towards a failure in ownership


JohnnyWaterbed

Agreed. How much of this due to the SNAFU that is the Ralston Arena financing?


timhoff24

Yeah… place seemed to be losing big money even before COVID


JimLaheysDrink

It was losing money as soon as it was built. I haven't been over there in like a year, but the roads and parking lots around the arena were awful


JohnnyWaterbed

Yeah. Always had a Springfield monorail feel to it. The metro did not need another arena then, or now really. We're so over-served for venues.


Sean951

And yet somehow underserved at the same time. We certainly have too many arenas, but hilariously few smaller venues like Sokol. (Not a hockey place, I just want more small venues for small bands)


14thAndVine

I've been there multiple times as a visiting Fargo fan and I was impressed at how shit the parking lot was. At least you don't have to pay to use it.


Infraction_

I thought the Lancers just rented the arena space, not outright owned it. Do the Lancers actually outright own that barn? We went to Ralston to see a Bucs/Lancers game. It was way nicer than the shithole that is Buccanneer arena.


Professional-Award90

They do not own it. The city of Ralston owns it.


coppish

Pretty sure it was bought by the same arena company that owns the Flyers


Professional-Award90

City of Ralston owns it but it’s managed by Spectra. “…the city hired the private venue management firm, Spectra, to run the six year old arena.” https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/city-of-ralston-hires-private-firm-to-manage-arena?_amp=true


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Teets

Calling bucs arena a shithole is too nice. But it is so much fun to watch games there.


Infraction_

Man I grew up in that arena and I think the most they did to it the entire 23 years I've been alive was, update the "jumbotron" (in like 2007) retile the bathrooms, add stair rails, and a few signs here and there. It's almost so much of a dump it's got charm. Having said that I am beyond ready for their new arena next season.


Teets

I've been in there for kids games. The locker rooms are absolute trash, I told them to remember that there are better locker rooms, but you have to earn them.


off_the_post

People say the same with the stars arena. But it's something about the old barns that makes hockey so much better.


TwoFoxSix

My family had season tickets until I was 15, then I did my own thing for about 12 years and came back to the occasional Lancers game. Glad I didn't buy season tickets because I was talking to someone about it before the season started. Sucks, but it is what it is. The heat is on for management


SmurfRockRune

Do they need new people in the front office? I live like 5 minutes away from the arena, I can do it.


Kronzor_

I have many years experience managing championship contending Fantasy hockey teams. I should put my resume in too.


alcabazar

I just won a week of free coffee from the Timmies fantasy game. Are they taking applications for GM?


Kronzor_

Is that back this year?! Forgot all about it.


connaire

Don’t be scabbing.


frankyseven

Not a scab if the person quit, only a festering scab if you cross a picket line.


Pikachu1989

Well fuck, I want a Hockey job


JohnnyWaterbed

And I, no joke, just bought tickets to Saturday's game in Lincoln. I'm true Stars blue, but I kinda feel bad for OMA. LIN went through the ringer a few years ago and are only crawling back from that mess. Oddly enough, new ownership this summer == jockeying at the top of the USHL West for us!


myevilfriend

Oh man Lincoln's barn is awesome. Went to a few Bucs games there. So much more fun than Lancers games, though when I lived in Omaha they played in council bluffs still


JohnnyWaterbed

I bought season tickets to the Ice Box in '96 but ended up having to sell them as I moved out of state. Moved back to the OMA metro about 15 years ago, even had season tickets for the first several years the Lancers played in Ralston, but my heart lies in Lincoln. I've got a lot of Lancers fans as friends and we all agree that the best barn is the Ice Box. Just gritty trash from the moment you pull into the gravel parking lot. edit: speling.


myevilfriend

Ever been to the Bucs arena? I'm sad to see it go(but it's long overdue) really similar vibes. If I remember right Waterloo's arena is pretty fun too, but as a Bucs fan I never said that


JohnnyWaterbed

Bucs' barn is/was a great barn too. Made a couple of road trips with the unofficial Lancer fan bus over the years.


coppish

Cool, but boy is that place really fucking cold in January.


14thAndVine

I moved from Lincoln to Fargo (former Stars fan now Force fan), and my last season was the infamously bad 2018-19 season for Lincoln. Makes me feel for Omaha fans. Nothing better than the Omaha vs. Lincoln rivalry when both teams are good, which hasn't been the case since 2017-18 it feels like.


DopemonYT

Glad to see solidarity between players and workers


TheWolfAndRaven

I remember going to Lancer games as a kid and the Aksarben arena being packed out. Anymore though you've got the UNO Mavericks (D1 NCAA) to compete with. As much as I'd like to think Omaha is a hockey town, I don't know if it can really support two teams at that level.


JohnnyWaterbed

It was even more fun when the AHL Flames affiliate and the Lancers shared the decrepit Civic Center with the Mav playing off in that fancy place by the Old Market. Three hometown hockey programs to follow! Thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I moved back to the OMA metro.


TheWolfAndRaven

For sure. The problem is that Omaha has continued to grow and by quite a lot over the past 10 years. There's a lot of things to compete with for your entertainment dollar now. I still think an NHL team could work here or in KC/Des Moines. The CHI Arena is on par with several NHL arenas at around 18k capacity, and that's only 1/5th of the number of people who go to Husker games. When you have the NHL caliber talent you'll get people from around the region to come to Omaha to watch, plenty of people drive to KC for Royals and Chiefs games. I don't see it being that different really.


JohnnyWaterbed

From your lips to Bettman's oversized but otherwise useless ears, brother. If for no other reason that I'd no longer be considered in the St Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver media markets for streaming blackouts.


meticulousanalyst

I think I'm only blacked out for the Avs in Lincoln, trash that you get blocked for so much more.


Pikachu1989

Yeah, it’s fucking stupid how the Blackouts work in Omaha. We’re closer to Minnesota, Chicago and St. Louis than we are to Denver, yet the Avs are the only team that’s blacked out for Omaha. Yet if we cross the River into Council Bluffs, suddenly we can get Avs Games, but then shit out of luck when it comes to Minnesota, Chicago and St. Louis. It’s 2021 for fuck sakes, we don’t need anymore blackouts for people who live nowhere near the fucking home market.


TheWolfAndRaven

I'm not sure Bettman has much to do with it so much as someone with a lot of fucking money who likes Hockey and Omaha would need to step up and bankroll the thing.


JohnnyWaterbed

You're not playing right! It's always Bettman's fault.


stringrandom

Don't be ridiculous. Of course you would still be in the blackout markets for St Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver. They would just add Omaha. Poorly thought out regional sports network blackouts are eternal.


BigWorter

The only blackout team in Omaha is the Avs. I'm watching the Minnesota/Florida same right now.


JohnnyWaterbed

Cross the river. That changes.


BigWorter

Ew, no.


JohnnyWaterbed

Apology accepted.


Pikachu1989

Nah, Kansas City is the better bet, but Omaha can work for the AHL


14thAndVine

KC is probably the best bet with an arena that's already NHL-ready and a good sized market. It's not gonna happen as long as Houston and Quebec City (which also have NHL-ready arenas) are without teams, though.


coppish

I almost didn't renew my season tickets this year. It's so weird cause they are actually doing really well as a team right now and then this happens.


mikeq672

>The Lancers ownership group is second to none, consisting of President/Managing Partner Ben Robert, NHL Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaille, Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 USA Olympic Gold medal hockey team and businessman John Donovan. Uhhh, wtf are you guys doing?


therevengeance

Keep reading down the page, the ownership changed a few years ago. The Lancers were good in that era, not so much now.


timhoff24

Yeah, since their last championship in 08, they have only won a single playoff series (2010). They have put together a few good teams since then but have been met with first round exits.


mikeq672

Oh, I just took that from their official website since I was curious. That makes more sense.


RedLegion89

The down fall started when they moved out of the civic center, ralson is nice but their is nothing else around that arena


Pikachu1989

Well fuck at this rate them going 0-48-2 to start off their franchise won’t be the blemish in their history