Tag: Wisconsin men’s hockey

All-time great Wisconsin hockey player announces retirement from NHL

All-time great Wisconsin hockey player announces retirement from NHL

Former Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey player Joe Pavelski announced that he is retiring from hockey on Tuesday after 18 seasons in the NHL. The 39-year-old and the Dallas Stars were just eliminated in the league’s West Final against the Oilers, dropping the series 4-2.

Out of high school, the Plover, Wisconsin, native was selected in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks before he ever ended up being a Badger.

Pavelski spent three seasons in Madison as a member of Wisconsin’s men’s hockey program from 2004-2006, leading the team in overall points in their 2006 National Championship winning season.

He spent the first 13 years of his professional career with San Jose, appearing in many playoff games, including the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, ultimately losing to the Penguins.

Pavelski went on to join the Dallas Stars, his final team, in 2019. While with the Stars, he was able to make his back to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In total, the center recorded many impressive stats over his career, most notably his 475 goals and 1,068 career points over 1,332 career NHL contests. His 74 postseason goals are the most all-time by an American-born player.

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Wisconsin men’s hockey adds talented transfer forward

Wisconsin men’s hockey adds talented transfer forward

Wisconsin’s men’s hockey program added former Rochester Institute of Technology forward Cody Laskosky on Wednesday, according to the program’s X account

Entering his fifth year of collegiate eligibility, Laskosky entered the transfer portal on April 25. The Camrose, Alberta native will join UW’s program with recent playoff experience.

Laskosky appeared in 124 contests during his four-year tenure at RIT. His stellar senior season included 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 total points in 37 contests. It earned him an Atlantic Hockey First-Team All-Conference selection.

In four seasons with the Tigers, Laskosky recorded a total of 32 goals and 52 assists for 84 points. He was a pivotal piece in RIT’s American Hockey Championship run this past season.

Following his junior year, Laskosky was named Atlantic Hockey Best Defensive Forward. Prior to NCAA action, he excelled for several teams during his junior hockey stint in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Laskosky’s addition is huge for Mike Hasting’s program. His veteran presence and experience in pivotal moments will certainly bode well for a platoon looking to make a splash in the postseason.

Two Wisconsin hockey alumni compete in electric NHL Playoffs Game 7

Two Wisconsin hockey alumni compete in electric NHL Playoffs Game 7

Wisconsin hockey alumni Trent Frederic and Jake McCabe squared off in Game 7 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins’ first-round series on Saturday.

The Bruins triumphed in overtime 2-1 on a game-winning goal from David Pastrnak. McCabe played over 24 minutes for the Leafs as a defenseman while the Bruins’ Frederic registered two shots in over 15 minutes of skating. 

Frederic, who last played in Madison in 2018, was an alternate captain during his sophomore season. He appeared in 36 games for UW, captained the Badgers with 17 goals and finished second on the team with 32 points.

The Boston Bruins drafted the St. Louis, Missouri native with the No. 29 overall pick of the 2016 NHL entry draft. He’s played for the Bruins for six seasons, with 47 goals and 94 points in 280 career games. 

McCabe, a seasoned NHL veteran, has played for three teams during his 11-year NHL career. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin departed Madison as a first-team All-Big Ten member and assistant captain and was named a CCM American Hockey Coaches Association First-Team West All-American.

McCabe was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 44 overall pick of the 2012 NHL entry draft. In 11 combined campaigns with the Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks and Maple Leafs, McCabe has totaled 152 points and 119 assists in 577 games played.

Wisconsin Badgers hockey season comes to an end at NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin Badgers hockey season comes to an end at NCAA Tournament

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team lost to Quinnipiac 3-2 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday night.

After finishing the year 26-11-2 through the regular season and conference tournament, the Badgers were back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.

Unfortunately, they were unable to knock off the defending champion Bobcats, falling in the extra period Friday.

At the end of the day, although they didn’t advance in the tournament, it’d be hard to look at the team’s first season under new head coach Mike Hastings as anything but a resounding success.

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Wisconsin men’s hockey earns high seed in 2024 NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin men’s hockey punches ticket to NCAA Tournament

The Wisconsin men’s hockey team earned a No. 2 seed in the 2024 Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament on March 24, 2024.

UW will open on Friday in Providence, Rhode Island, against Quinnipiac. The Bobcats won their first-ever NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament on April 8, 2023, defeating Minnesota in the championship game.

This marks the first postseason appearance for the Badgers since 2021 and 27th in program history. The game is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. Central on Friday, March 29, in Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Whichever team emerges victorious will play the winner of Boston College and Michigan Tech in Sunday’s Regional Final.

The Badgers finished the year with a 26-11-2 overall mark and 16-7-1 conference record, trailing only Michigan State in the Big Ten standings. UW accumulated impressive victories over both Michigan and Minnesota earlier this season and briefly landed in the top five of USCHO.com’s rankings. 

Wisconsin fell to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament’s best-of-three series earlier this month, but Lucius Cruz and company will look to reestablish themselves atop the postseason mountain this weekend.