By: Nathan Jahn

“Badger Hockey- 1/2/09” by LeAnn Crowe is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Badger fans have always had a complicated relationship with their hockey teams. Wisconsin is a cold-weather state, naturally conducive to a sport played on ice. Although Wisconsin does not produce high school prospects at the same rate as rival Minnesota, the Badgers have historically not disappointed. The men’s hockey program has won six NCAA championships, while the women’s team has won eight. Badger fans were also looking for something to cheer about after a football season that left fans and coaches dissatisfied. Although both hockey teams have been exciting and positive presences on campus, fan excitement is not (and should not be) at 100%.

I want to start by discussing the men’s team so that I can end on a more positive note with the women. Expectations for this season were not at an all-time high. Frankly, the men’s program had its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. The Badgers have not won a national title in nearly two decades, have not appeared in a national championship game since 2010, and have not won the Big Ten Tournament since 2014.

Wisconsin hired Mike Hastings to replace Tony Granato in 2023, and Hastings’ first season showed serious promise. The team did not feature a true star player, yet finished second in the Big Ten and qualified for the national tournament. This marked a dramatic turnaround from Granato’s final season, when the Badgers finished seventh in conference play. It was a quick and encouraging revival for a program that knew it was capable of winning.

Last season, however, Hastings’ team could not build on that success. The Badgers struggled early, and the issues persisted throughout the year. A few strong wins could not offset a season plagued by blown third-period leads. They ultimately finished sixth in the Big Ten and lost to Ohio State in the conference tournament. While fans were disappointed, attendance never truly dwindled. The Kohl Center remained roughly half full, and supporters continued to show up.

Entering this season, expectations remained modest—especially after Wisconsin tied both games against Minnesota State in its first home series. The Badgers then won their next four games, including a sweep of rival Minnesota at home. At 6-0-2, the team was unbeaten but still largely untested. A road trip to Michigan resulted in a split, highlighted by a dominant bounce-back win in game two. After splitting a home series against a struggling Ohio State team, Wisconsin went on the road and swept both top-ranked Michigan State and Notre Dame.

At that point, the Badgers had found their identity. They understood what it meant to be a strong hockey team and climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings. Since then, however, results have been less convincing. The Badgers split their holiday games, and while they swept Alaska Anchorage, the Seawolves were unranked and Wisconsin won the second game by just one goal. This piece is being written after the Badgers were swept by Michigan State. They currently sit at 15-5-2 and third in the Big Ten.

Enough with the storytelling. My analysis of this season is heavily driven by numbers, as most things in my life are. The most encouraging aspect of the Badgers’ play has been their balanced scoring. Twelve players have recorded double-digit point totals, including several freshmen. Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser deserves credit for many of the team’s victories, posting a 13-3-2 record with a 2.10 goals-against average.

While the balanced scoring is encouraging, Wisconsin lacks a true offensive star. Quinn Finley leads the team at 0.95 points per game, which does not place him among the top 50 players nationally. The Badgers excel in the faceoff circle, ranking fourth in the country, and are an efficient shooting team, tied for fifth in shooting percentage. Defensively, however, issues remain. Wisconsin ranks 36th on the penalty kill and tied for 30th in save percentage.

I entered the Holiday Face-Off with high expectations for this team. While I would never claim the Badgers were a lock for the Frozen Four, they looked nearly unbeatable for a stretch of the season. The simplest explanation for their recent struggles—going 3-3 against three current top-five teams—is a loss of identity.

In hockey, identity matters more than in many other sports because of how goals are scored. There is no single correct way to win hockey games; teams must find what works best for them. Wisconsin’s success came from a combination of grit, hunger, and offensive skill. Defense mattered, but it was not the defining trait in their biggest wins. Over the past six games, it feels like the hunger disappeared first. A three-week break may be partly to blame, though it does not fully explain the drop-off.

The Badgers still showed fight against Michigan State in the first game of that series, but they have not consistently played what I would define as Badger hockey: smart decisions, crisp passing, and relentless effort tracking back on defense. This season is far from over, and it will not be easy. Wisconsin still has four games against Penn State and two against No. 1 Michigan, but there are also winnable matchups ahead.

The Badgers have done enough to put themselves in a strong position entering the final stretch. What gives me the most hope is what I call the Wisconsin mentality. Across nearly every sport, Badgers tend to perform best when expectations are low. Hastings has assembled a group of young, hungry players who have already proven they can win. I expect them to rediscover that edge. My prediction is that Wisconsin finishes the season 9–3, earns second place in the Big Ten, and carries momentum into postseason play. I could be wrong, but I believe this team still has plenty of fight left, and I am excited to watch how the season unfolds.

The Women’s team rightfully had high expectations coming off a national championship and making the national tournament every year since 2013. The team opened as the unanimous number one and has remained at that spot all year. They won their first 10 games handily and looked unbeatable as usual. Then they suffered a 5 to 1 defeat to rival Minnesota at home. The questions quickly started around the country. The Badgers haven’t lost games at home in general let alone by four goals. They did answer back with a 7 to 2 victory to split the series. That was their only loss of the year. Since that series they have been 10-0-2 reinserting themselves as the best team in the nation.

The most telling stat on the Badgers stellar season has been their wins over ranked opponents. Those wins include 5 wins over top 5 teams and 9 wins over ranked opponents in general. The WCHA has been stellar as always with 6 ranked teams including number 1,2, and 3. The rest of the season for the Badgers will likely be defined by a four game stretch of playing Minnesota away and Ohio State at home. The end of the season is going to be difficult but this team is used to playing good teams and winning. 

The only thing that will likely be difficult for this team is losing so many players to the Olympics starting in February. They lose their starting goaltender, two of their best defenders, and two of their best forwards. Obviously this will change the feel for the end of the season but I believe they get those players back in time for both the WCHA playoffs and definitely for the Frozen Four. Ava McNaughton is averaging 1.21 goals against per game with a 94.3 save percentage. The Badgers have eight players shooting over 10% and Caroline Harvey is averaging almost two points per game. The stats speak for themselves. 

I wish that I could say more about the Women’s side but they are just too good. This type of dominance year after year is completely unheard of. Although the team is losing a lot of key players next year, Mark Johnson just said that next year is the best recruiting class he has ever had. I don’t expect this team to not be where they are, or at least near the top, for a very long time. Badgers Women’s Hockey is always must watch, or for the radio station, must listen. I expect the team to go anywhere from 7-3 to 10-0 in their last 10 games of the season. Obviously the postseason is where this team will see if they can go back to back. 

The expectations remain high for the Women’s hockey team and are still relatively high for the Men’s team. A very exciting hockey season is in store for the next couple of months in Madison. If you are lucky enough to be a Badger fan, stay tuned to what these impressive men and women will do.