Badger hockey fans that have been watching the first week of the Stanley Cup playoffs may have noticed more than a few familiar names skating for the 16 teams competing to lift hockey's holy grail. That would be because 11 former Wisconsin men's hockey players are playing in this year's NHL postseason, the highest number of any NCAA men's hockey program.
That group of former Badgers hasn't idle bystanders and has had a huge impact on their respective first round matchups. Kyle Turris of the Phoenix Coyotes scored the first goal of the NHL postseason in game one against the Detorit Red Wings, but was outdone by Brian Rafalksi's game winning goal. Joe Pavelski once again played the hero role for the San Jose Sharks, scoring the overtime winner in San Jose's game one victory over Davis Drewiske and the Los Angeles Kings, Dany Heatley had one of the other goals for the Sharks in that game.
With 11 Badgers in the postseason and a total of 20 playing in the NHL at some point this year it would be hard to deny that Wisconsin is becoming one of the NCAA's premier programs for developing future NHL players.
When the average college hockey fan thinks of the programs that produce the most NHL talent Wisconsin may not be one of the first to come to mind. Schools like Minnesota, North Dakota or Boston College have been historically renowned for their ability to produce NHL talent but with the steady stream of players that head coach Mike Eaves has sent to the pros during his time behind the bench at the Kohl Center, Wisconsin is quickly joining that conversation.
It is a testament to the program that Eaves has built during his time in Madison. The Badgers have always been well represented at the NHL ranks, but they have never consistently sent the type of talent to the pros that they have under Eaves.
He does his best to get the most out of his players, challenging them to live up to their potential and demanding they work hard on and off the ice, accepting nothing less than their best. He isn't afraid to call out a player or the team when things aren't going right, which instills the right mindset for approaching the game in every player that walks through the Kohl Center doors. That mindset has helped every one of the Badgers who have moved on in recent years make a smooth transition to the pros.
This year has been a great example of what a great job Eaves and company have done in recent years to develop their players for future success. Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Blake Geoffrion were starring for a Badgers team that went to the national title game last season. This year? All three of them have seen significant time with their respective NHL clubs and have been key cogs in getting their teams to the playoffs, earning rave reviews from onlookers for their veteran-like demeanor as rookies along the way.
The pipeline of Badgers to the NHL isn't about to dry up either with promising NHL draft picks like junior defensemen Justin Schultz and John Ramage and junior forward Craig Smith on the roster. Sophomore forward Michael Mersch and defenseman Frankie Simonelli look primed to be draft picks this summer as well.
One can't say enough about the program that Eaves has built since taking over as head coach. He has done a great job in putting a competitive team on the ice this year all while successfully preparing his players for future success at higher levels. And that is a mark of a truly great college coach.
Will a Badger have the privilege of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup when all is said and done? E-mail Ryan at rmevans2@dailycardinal.com.
