The men's hockey team is stepping out of their normal schedule and will face the French Olympic team tonight at the Kohl Center. Why? There are several good reasons, both athletic and political, according to Head Coach Jeff Sauer.
Playing the French Olympic team benefits the players because it gives them an opportunity to play a team different from those in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
\This is a different style of hockey,"" Sauer said in a press conference Monday. ""It's an opportunity for them to see what hockey is about in other countries.""
Senior center Kent Davyduke believes the French team will use some imagination in their game that differs from North American styles.
""They'll do some really creative things that aren't conventional,"" Davyduke said.
""They'll probably have some new and interesting ideas that we could probably learn from,"" freshman center Alex Leavitt added.
The French team brings to Wisconsin a talented group ready to try their styles out on American teams.
""It'll be the most skilled team that comes to the Kohl Center this year but ... I don't think they'll generate a lot of shots,"" Sauer said. ""I think they'll do some things probably against us just to try some things out before they go into the Olympics.""
Wisconsin will also take advantage of the exhibition game by playing members that don't usually get much ice time.
""I think a few of the guys that haven't dressed this year will get into the lineup,"" Leavitt said.
Sauer said he may relieve freshman goaltender Bernd Bruckler, who has been starting in place of junior goaltender Scott Kabotoff, of his duties in order to prevent injury.
""We're playing with the idea of letting Mark Baranczyk start,"" Sauer said. Baranczyk, a senior walk-on from Green Bay, Wis., hasn't seen much of the net this season, since he is third in the Badgers' depth chart at goalie.
For some Badger players, the French team will assist them in career decisions. Many hockey players play overseas and compete with foreign teams before moving on to the National Hockey League, coaching positions or careers off the ice.
""With the number of players that we have in Europe ... it gives them an opportunity to see what the hockey is like and it gives them an opportunity to look at a future in terms of whether they want to go overseas and play,"" Sauer said.
While the opportunity to play a foreign team with a different style will enlighten the Badgers, Sauer stressed the importance of the political reasons behind the game.
""It's lost some of its luster, the international game,"" Sauer said. ""One of the reasons we play these games ... is to try and keep the relationship alive in relation to the WCHA all-star team going to Europe. There's politics involved in the reason why we're playing, as well as actually playing the game.\
