2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season
| 2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | Kohl Center |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #2 |
| USA Today | #2 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 12–2–2 |
| Conference | 8–2–0 |
| Home | 5–1–2 |
| Road | 7–1–0 |
| Neutral | 0–0–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Mike Hastings |
| Assistant coaches | Todd Knott Nick Oliver Kevin Murdock |
| Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey seasons « 2024–25 2026–27 » | |
The 2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season is the 77th season of play for the program and 25th in the Big Ten. The Badgers represent the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, play their home games at Kohl Center and are coached by Mike Hastings in his third season.
Departures
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Buss | Forward | United States | Transferred to Union |
| William Gramme | Goaltender | Sweden | Transferred to Northern Michigan |
| Anthony Kehrer | Defenseman | Canada | Graduation (signed with Springfield Thunderbirds) |
| Daniel Laatsch | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Pittsburgh Penguins) |
| Cody Laskosky | Forward | Canada | Graduation (retired) |
| Owen Lindmark | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with San Diego Gulls) |
| Owen Mehlenbacher | Forward | Canada | Transferred to Massachusetts |
| Ryland Mosley | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed with Cleveland Monsters) |
| Tommy Scarfone | Goaltender | Canada | Graduation (retired) |
| Sawyer Scholl | Forward | United States | Transferred to Minnesota State |
Recruiting
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finn Brink | Forward | United States | 20 | Maple Grove, MN |
| Grady Deering | Forward | United States | 20 | Des Moines, IA |
| Aiden Dubinsky | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Highland Park, IL; transfer from Minnesota Duluth |
| Daniel Hauser | Goaltender | Canada | 21 | Chestermere, AB |
| Bruno Idžan | Forward | Croatia | 19 | Zagreb, CRO; selected 181st overall in 2025 |
| Blake Montgomery | Forward | United States | 20 | Annapolis, MD; selected 117th overall in 2024 |
| Eli Pulver | Goaltender | Canada | 22 | Vancouver, BC; transfer from Minnesota State |
| Oliver Tulk | Forward | Canada | 20 | Gibsons, BC |
| Vasily Zelenov | Forward | Austria | 19 | Moskva, RUS; selected 204th overall in 2024 |
Roster
As of September 2, 2025.[1]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Luke Osburn | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2006-09-09 | Plymouth, Michigan | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | BUF, 108th overall 2024 | |
| 4 | Ben Dexheimer | Senior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2002-06-21 | Edina, Minnesota | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — | |
| 5 | Zach Schulz | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005-06-14 | South Lyon, Michigan | USNTDP (USHL) | NYI, 177th overall 2023 | |
| 6 | Logan Hensler | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2006-10-14 | Woodbury, Minnesota | USNTDP (USHL) | OTT, 23rd overall 2025 | |
| 7 | Gavin Morrissey | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2003-02-16 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 8 | Jack Phelan | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-05-28 | Hinsdale, Illinois | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | DET, 137th overall 2023 | |
| 9 | Kyle Kukkonen | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2002-11-13 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Michigan Tech (CCHA) | ANA, 162nd overall 2021 | |
| 11 | Simon Tassy | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-03-21 | Montreal, Quebec | Minnesota State (CCHA) | — | |
| 13 | Christian Fitzgerald | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-05-31 | Coquitlam, British Columbia | Minnesota State (CCHA) | — | |
| 14 | Joe Palodichuk | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 171 lb (78 kg) | 2003-02-26 | Cottage Grove, Minnesota | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 16 | Tyson Dyck | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2004-02-06 | Abbotsford, British Columbia | Massachusetts (HEA) | OTT, 206th overall 2022 | |
| 17 | Grady Deering | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2005-06-19 | Des Moines, Iowa | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — | |
| 18 | Adam Pietila | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | 2003-01-14 | Hartland, Michigan | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — | |
| 19 | Quinn Finley | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2004-08-08 | Suamico, Wisconsin | Chicago Steel (USHL) | NYI, 78th overall 2022 | |
| 21 | Ryan Botterill | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2003-07-23 | Portage la Prairie, Manitoba | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — | |
| 22 | Jack Horbach | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2002-05-04 | Naperville, Illinois | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — | |
| 26 | Weston Knox | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-04-06 | Andover, Minnesota | Minot Minotauros (NAHL) | — | |
| 27 | Finn Brink | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005-04-06 | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — | |
| 28 | Aiden Dubinsky | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2004-04-28 | Highland Park, Illinois | Minnesota Duluth (NCHC) | — | |
| 30 | Eli Pulver | Sophomore | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2003-03-02 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Minnesota State (CCHA) | — | |
| 31 | Daniel Hauser | Freshman | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2004-01-29 | Chestermere, Alberta | Calgary Hitmen (WHL) | — | |
| 33 | Anton Castro | Sophomore | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2003-01-23 | Mendota Heights, Minnesota | Fargo Force (USHL) | — | |
| 47 | Blake Montgomery | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2005-05-04 | Annapolis, Maryland | London Knights (OHL) | OTT, 117th overall 2024 | |
| 55 | Oliver Tulk | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2005-01-19 | Gibsons, British Columbia | Calgary Hitmen (WHL) | — | |
| 91 | Bruno Idžan | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2006-01-16 | Zagreb, Croatia | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | OTT, 181st overall 2025 | |
| 94 | Vasily Zelenov | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2006-02-02 | Moskva, Russia | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | BUF, 204th overall 2024 |
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #2 Wisconsin | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 49 | 31 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 71 | 40 | ||
| #1 Michigan | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 41 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 96 | 41 | ||
| #3 Michigan State | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 28 | ||
| Minnesota | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 58 | 63 | ||
| #9 Penn State | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 25 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 46 | ||
| Ohio State | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 38 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 50 | 55 | ||
| Notre Dame | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 45 | 65 | ||
| Championship: March 21, 2026 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated December 6, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 3 | 7:10 pm | at Lindenwood* | #20 | Centene Community Ice Center • St. Charles, Missouri | Hauser | W 3–0 | 2,001 | 1–0–0 | |||
| October 4 | 7:10 pm | at Lindenwood* | #20 | Centene Community Ice Center • St. Charles, Missouri | Hauser | W 7–2 | 2,152 | 2–0–0 | |||
| October 9 | 7:00 pm | USNTDP* | #18 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin (Exhibition) | B1G+ | Pulver | W 6–0 | — | — | ||
| October 16 | 7:00 pm | #20 Minnesota State* | #17 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | T 1–1 OT | 6,555 | 2–0–1 | ||
| October 17 | 7:00 pm | #20 Minnesota State* | #17 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | T 2–2 OT | 8,478 | 2–0–2 | ||
| October 24 | 7:00 pm | Alaska* | #17 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | W 5–3 | 8,190 | 3–0–2 | ||
| October 25 | 6:00 pm | Alaska* | #17 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | W 4–1 | 10,584 | 4–0–2 | ||
| October 30 | 8:00 p.m. | #19 Minnesota | #14 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin (Rivalry) | BTN | Hauser | W 5–2 | 7,007 | 5–0–2 (1–0–0) | ||
| November 1 | 6:00 p.m. | #19 Minnesota | #14 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin (Rivalry) | B1G+ | Hauser | W 4–0 | 10,016 | 6–0–2 (2–0–0) | ||
| November 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at #2 Michigan | #10 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | B1G+ | Hauser | L 4–7 | 5,800 | 6–1–2 (2–1–0) | ||
| November 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at #2 Michigan | #10 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN | Hauser | W 6–1 | 5,800 | 7–1–2 (3–1–0) | ||
| November 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Ohio State | #7 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | L 1–5 | 9,255 | 7–2–2 (3–2–0) | ||
| November 15 | 6:00 p.m. | Ohio State | #7 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | B1G+ | Hauser | W 6–5 OT | 10,963 | 8–2–2 (4–2–0) | ||
| November 21 | 7:30 p.m. | at #1 Michigan State | #7 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | B1G+ | Pulver | W 5–4 | 6,555 | 9–2–2 (5–2–0) | ||
| November 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at #1 Michigan State | #7 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | B1G+ | Pulver | W 2–1 OT | 6,555 | 10–2–2 (6–2–0) | ||
| December 5 | 6:00 p.m. | at Notre Dame | #2 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | Hauser | W 7–4 | 5,283 | 11–2–2 (7–2–0) | ||
| December 6 | 5:00 p.m. | at Notre Dame | #2 | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | Hauser | W 9–2 | 5,046 | 12–2–2 (8–2–0) | ||
| Holiday Face–Off | |||||||||||
| December 28 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. Lake Superior State* | #2 | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off Semifinal) | B1G+ | ||||||
| December 29 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. #12 Boston College / #7 Western Michigan* | #2 | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off) | B1G+ | ||||||
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| January 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Alaska Anchorage* | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| January 10 | 6:00 p.m. | Alaska Anchorage* | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| January 15 | 8:00 p.m. | Michigan State | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | BTN | |||||||
| January 16 | 7:00 p.m. | Michigan State | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| January 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Penn State | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| January 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Penn State | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | BTN | |||||||
| January 30 | 7:00 p.m. | at Minnesota | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | ||||||||
| January 31 | 6:00 p.m. | at Minnesota | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rivalry) | ||||||||
| February 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Notre Dame | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| February 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Notre Dame | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsifn | ||||||||
| February 13 | 5:30 p.m. | at Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | ||||||||
| February 14 | 6:30 p.m. | at Ohio State | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | |||||||
| February 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Michigan | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| February 21 | 6:00 p.m. | Michigan | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | ||||||||
| March 5 | TBA | at Penn State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | ||||||||
| March 6 | TBA | at Penn State | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | ||||||||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time. Source:[2] | |||||||||||
Rankings
| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 2 (3) | 2 (4) | 2 (21) | 2 (13) | – | |||||||||||||||
| USA Hockey | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 (16) | 2 (5) | – | |||||||||||||||
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12.[3]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
References
- ^ "2025–26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "2025-26 Men's Hockey Schedule". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.