lancers on 2026-27 season opening rosters nhl

Men's Ice Hockey 9/29/2026 10:39:00 AM Joel Norman

TEN FORMER LANCERS APPEAR ON 2026-27 NHL OPENING NIGHT ROSTERS

The puck drops on the 2026-27 NHL season tonight and 10 former Omaha Lancers will appear on season-opening rosters.

PLAYER	YEARS WITH LANCERS	NHL TEAM
Will Borgen	(2014-15)	Boston Bruins
Alex Bump	(2021-23)	Philadelphia Flyers
Noah Cates	(2016-18)	Philadelphia Flyers
Thatcher Demko	(2011-12)	Vancouver Canucks
Jakub Dobes	(2019-21)	Montreal Canadiens
Ryan Donato	(2014-15)	Chicago Blackhawks
Erik Haula	(2009-10)	Los Angeles Kings
Alex Lyon	(2011-13)	Buffalo Sabres
Nick Perbix	(2017-18)	Nashville Predators
Akira Schmid	(2018-19)	Florida Panthers

Erik Haula begins his 14th season in the NHL with his eighth different team, the Los Angeles Kings. Only Alex Goligoski and Paul Stastny (17 each) have played more NHL seasons among former Lancers players.

Four goaltenders highlight the group after all stood out in 2025-26. Thatcher Demko will open this season on the injured list but appeared in at least 20 games between the pipes for a seventh straight season and has spent parts of nine NHL seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Alex Lyon opens up his 10th season in the NHL after going 4-3 with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. Jakub Dobes helped the Montreal Canadiens advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and became the third Canadiens goaltender over the last 40 years to record five or more wins in a single postseason. Akird Schmid appeared in a career-high 34 games with the Vegas Golden Knights before being traded to the Florida Panthers over the summer.

Alex Bump is the lone former Lancer who made his NHL debut last season to open the 2026-27 season on a roster. Bump debuted Mar. 7 and scored in his first NHL game. He went on to record 9 points (5+4) in 17 games before adding a pair of goals in 6 playoff games.

Four different former Lancers made their NHL debut last season. Fourteen different alumni appeared in at least one NHL game in 2025-26. Fifty-three players have gone from playing for Omaha to the NHL since the Lancers' founding in 1986.

To learn more about Lancers' NHL alumni, please visit lancers.com/sports/2022/8/19/nhl-alumni.aspx

2026-27 alumni nhl rosters

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