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Wisconsin Badgers 2026 Offseason
- Thread starter srkbadger
- Start date
It's going to be at least 20 to 30 years before any new arena is talked about, much less built. Where would they build it? UW is terribly locked in and overbuilt all around on the isthmus.
Plus, Kohl and LaBahn is the perfect set up with stat of the art facilities for the players/coaches. And they just retrofitted the ice down to 200x85 for about $5M and added premium glass seats.
You will see facelifts and retrofits before a new arena.
I think if Hastings and Gard aren't saying anything, then nothing will happen.
Plus, the last thing UW can afford right now is another capital campaign that takes cash away from NIL.
TM just posted an article stating Orpana is the last player on the roster for this year.
I've yet to read it, but that certainly is interesting.
Badgers X/Twitter has been rolling out 1 by 1 who is back, but they still havent updated roster on uwbadgers yet.
Ugh. Im impatient.
I've yet to read it, but that certainly is interesting.
Badgers X/Twitter has been rolling out 1 by 1 who is back, but they still havent updated roster on uwbadgers yet.
Ugh. Im impatient.
UW student and hockey fan
Active member
Orpana should fit well as a 5th center or as a bottom 9 center which would allow Tulk or Zelenov to slide over to the wing as need be. He had a good season in terms of points in the USHL, worth noting he scored more than either Deering or Zelenov in their last year of juniors.
However I wonder if the team will ultimately regret not taking a swing on a top 6 goal scorer type player. That's one area I think we may still be lacking after losing Finley, Fitzgerald, Tassy and Montgomery.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
They'd have to build where they are now if it's going to stay on campus. I don't think the kohl is showing any age at all. Labahn can use a new scoreboard.
Agreed, but I think that’s exactly what we have in Wiebusch. Obviously, we’re going to need more than one guy scoring a bunch of goals, but with guys like Morrissey and Tulk having excellent on-ice awareness and pure playmaking ability, I kinda prefer Zelenov on the wing with elite centers feeding him pucks. He was lethal when healthy, as we all saw.
Tulk played well on the wing, but with his playstyle and faceoff ability, I’ve always liked him at center. I think Wooten is interesting too—3rd in the USHL in goals, brings a big frame, and is another great goal scorer. It’ll be interesting to see how the positions shake out, but I’m hardly worried about what we’re losing when we have this much talent coming in. I’d expect Wiebusch to hit at least 20 goals. I’d guess our top 5 scorers are Wiebusch, Wooten, Morrissey, Zelenov, and Tulk.
IN the last 20 years we have had exactly 3 20 goal scorers. Caufield, Finley, and Kunin. Caufield the only one who really blew the doors off 20. Wisconsin hasn't really had a true goal scorer outside of caufield since Heatley. Let that sink in and let that inform where we need to go.
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We will definitely need production from Solomon, Jette and Wooten right away as Freshmen. Last year we only had 4 players score more than 10 goals. And 3 of those players are gone.
While we may not have a 20 goal scorer. I do think guys that could score 10 or more goals include: Morrisey, Wiebush, Solomon, Wooten, Zelenov, Deering, Tulk, Botterill, Jette, Idzan and dare I say Osburn?
While we may not have a 20 goal scorer. I do think guys that could score 10 or more goals include: Morrisey, Wiebush, Solomon, Wooten, Zelenov, Deering, Tulk, Botterill, Jette, Idzan and dare I say Osburn?
WiscTJK
Well-known member
We should be really good defensively.
My hope is they can avoid injuries (big issue last year), and I think this could be a well balanced team with lots of 10 goal scorers as you state, with running out 4 strong lines.
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Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Last year's Fr F's......Tulk 7/17 in 39; Zelenov 6/13 in 28, Montgomery 9/8 in 38, Deering 7/8 in 39, Brink 5/8 in 29, Izdan 2/3 in 39. The question is this: Are Solomon, Jett and Wooten <=> than these guys? I think Tulk and Zelenov are 35 pts for the season guys which would make them = Morrisey's So season.
So almost a completely new Goalie room, with Hauser being the only holdover.
I saw Pulver transferred to Brown, but I couldn't find anything on Castro, unless he is staying as a "student-athlete" designator and emergency goalie.
Based upon the physical profiles of Cournoyer and Miceli, they I think are probably the profile that Hastings wants: 6'4" 200lbs-ish, essentially the ability to cover a lot of net and the ability to stop pucks just by their size...but obviously they need the skill too, so I don't think Hastings would just simply want a bigger but less talented body inbetween the pipes.
I know we gave TG a lot of hell over the way he handled the Goalies, but I think that was more he had no idea what he wanted and was chasing someone to stop pucks bc the D breakdowns were so awful. I'm willing to give Hastings a pass at this point based on his experience with McCay at Mankato.
And to be blunt, I still feel like McClellan should have kept that extra year he had. It would have made the 2nd year under Hastings much smoother I feel. TG completely responsible for destroying the psyches of Rowe and Jurusik, who would have been amazing jrs and seniors had they not jerked them around so much.
I saw Pulver transferred to Brown, but I couldn't find anything on Castro, unless he is staying as a "student-athlete" designator and emergency goalie.
Based upon the physical profiles of Cournoyer and Miceli, they I think are probably the profile that Hastings wants: 6'4" 200lbs-ish, essentially the ability to cover a lot of net and the ability to stop pucks just by their size...but obviously they need the skill too, so I don't think Hastings would just simply want a bigger but less talented body inbetween the pipes.
I know we gave TG a lot of hell over the way he handled the Goalies, but I think that was more he had no idea what he wanted and was chasing someone to stop pucks bc the D breakdowns were so awful. I'm willing to give Hastings a pass at this point based on his experience with McCay at Mankato.
And to be blunt, I still feel like McClellan should have kept that extra year he had. It would have made the 2nd year under Hastings much smoother I feel. TG completely responsible for destroying the psyches of Rowe and Jurusik, who would have been amazing jrs and seniors had they not jerked them around so much.
I expect to see a big jump from Tulk (I genuinely feel like he has the nastiest/quickest shot on the team). I also loved how much Brink came on as a frosh at the back end of last year and want to see him make a big jump as well. And not that I disliked Monty, but he disappeared in the 2nd half and was just too quick for his own good at times, so it'll give the other sophs some more TOI.
Our blue line looks stacked. And I want to see Hensler really learn from what Dex did last year and really jump his leadership and really feed the F's while taking the great opportunities to shoot as they present. Badgers haven't had a blue line like this since 2009/10.
So here is my list of official/unofficial roster for 26/27, to this point that it has been announced or from recent postings on their X account:
Goalies: Hauser, Cournoyer, Miceli
Blue Liners: Schulz, Knox, Palodichuk, Phelan, Uhlenkamp
Forwards/Ctrs: Pietela, Zelenov, Idzan, Blanck, Wiebusch, Brink, Tulk, Botterill, Wooten, Deering, Jette, Tulk
That's 20. Still to be announced (but I expect fully):
Hensler
Compton
Osburn
Stout
Kukkonen
Solomon
Morrissey
Those should about round it out. The only I have no idea on is Peapenburg. I read that he went down to NAHL last year; only had 1 point in 17 games in USHL.
Goalies: Hauser, Cournoyer, Miceli
Blue Liners: Schulz, Knox, Palodichuk, Phelan, Uhlenkamp
Forwards/Ctrs: Pietela, Zelenov, Idzan, Blanck, Wiebusch, Brink, Tulk, Botterill, Wooten, Deering, Jette, Tulk
That's 20. Still to be announced (but I expect fully):
Hensler
Compton
Osburn
Stout
Kukkonen
Solomon
Morrissey
Those should about round it out. The only I have no idea on is Peapenburg. I read that he went down to NAHL last year; only had 1 point in 17 games in USHL.
WiscTJK
Well-known member
On roster From Todd Milewski:
Here's how the roster looks, sorted by position and number of college games played.
Goalies: Daniel Hauser (33), Alexis Cournoyer (28 at Cornell), Xander Miceli (freshman).
Defensemen: Joe Palodichuk (101), Zach Schulz (74), Jack Phelan (73), Logan Hensler (55), Dylan Compton (36 at Northeastern), Luke Osburn (33), Weston Knox (31), John Stout (freshman).
Forwards: JJ Wiebusch (77 at Penn State), Gavin Morrissey (73), Ryan Botterill (68), Adam Pietila (62), Grady Deering (39), Oliver Tulk (39), Vasily Zelenov (28), Finn Brink (27), Bruno Idžan (20), Talan Blanck (freshman), Chase Jette (freshman), Eetu Orpana (freshman), Brent Solomon (freshman), Gavin Uhlenkamp (freshman), Zach Wooten (freshman).
Here's how the roster looks, sorted by position and number of college games played.
Goalies: Daniel Hauser (33), Alexis Cournoyer (28 at Cornell), Xander Miceli (freshman).
Defensemen: Joe Palodichuk (101), Zach Schulz (74), Jack Phelan (73), Logan Hensler (55), Dylan Compton (36 at Northeastern), Luke Osburn (33), Weston Knox (31), John Stout (freshman).
Forwards: JJ Wiebusch (77 at Penn State), Gavin Morrissey (73), Ryan Botterill (68), Adam Pietila (62), Grady Deering (39), Oliver Tulk (39), Vasily Zelenov (28), Finn Brink (27), Bruno Idžan (20), Talan Blanck (freshman), Chase Jette (freshman), Eetu Orpana (freshman), Brent Solomon (freshman), Gavin Uhlenkamp (freshman), Zach Wooten (freshman).
I forgot about Orpana as he was supposed to come in next year originally but I saw they bumped him up a yr. Looks like he slated in place of Peapenburg.
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Timothy A
Let's go RED!
I'm most excited about the goalie coach. It completely eliminates a a whole position group from doubt. Murdock played college hockey and a bit in the ECHL, but Briere is a whole other level. Part of me thinks he won't stick and the NHL will come calling again in the future.
WiscTJK
Well-known member
Maybe he's looking for something less stressful, but if he leaves, that's because he was kicking butt here. I can live with that.
Didn't someone mention his Goaltending Academy. Be a lot easier for him to travel between Wisconsin and Minnesota than from Seattle.
I see they have an official announcement on the website now. Are players still allowed to wear other brands if they choose. I know they can be very particular about what brands they like, especially skates.
I see Daoust has come back. Still have my 301's I bought in the 1980's. Haven't used them much in the last 20 years. Only a few times for my granddaughters birthday party and a couple of her school field trips.