No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey have started the season with a strong 15-3-2 record — a far cry from last year's 7-10-1, which left the Badgers unranked in the USCHO polls.
Wisconsin’s strong scoring depth, structured defense and steady goaltending have been crucial in Wisconsin’s jump to one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.
Wisconsin’s freshmen class and transfer portal have significantly impacted this change in the Badger’s record this season. With eight freshmen and two transfer additions, the 2025-26 team both looks and plays different.
Through 20 games, the Badgers have scored a total of 83 goals, 27 of them by the newcomers. They also account for 44 of the team’s 137 assists.
Forwards Oliver Tulk and Blake Montgomery lead the freshman in points with 15 and 12, respectively.
Tulk leads the freshman class in assists with 12 and has proved himself on the face-off dot, including a perfect 15-for-15 performance against Minnesota State on Oct. 16 where he also scored his first NCAA career goal.
“He [Tulk] is playing top three, top four minutes as a forward. He’s on the powerplay unit with Finley and Fitzgerald and I thought he fit in just fine,” said head coach Mike Hastings when asked about Tulk’s record.
Montgomery has emerged as one of the top scorers for the Badgers with eight goals in 20 games. Hastings has praised his speed and ability to maintain puck possession and control.
Forwards Vasily Zelenov and Bruno Idžan add valuable depth to the Badgers offense. Zelenov has set up plays with 7 assists through 15 games, while Idžan has used his minutes generating consistent offensive pressure. Both freshmen scored their first NCAA goals against Ohio State, giving Wisconsin the lead before the game went into overtime.
Forwards Grady Deering and Finn Brink, Wisconsin’s fourth liners, proved themselves during the Notre Dame series, as Deering and Brink both added a goal and an assist to their score sheets in South Bend.
Luke Osburn, the sole freshman defenseman added to the Wisconsin roster this year, has brought steady, two-way play to the blue line. His three goals are tied for third among Badger freshmen.
Goalie Daniel Hauser, with 377 saves in 17 games and three shutouts, has been a brick wall for the Wisconsin defense. Hauser’s impressive .917 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average makes him No. 2 (tied) among the Big Ten goaltenders.
“Daniel stopped a few [pucks] that he shouldn’t have and pretty much all the ones that he should have,” said Hastings about Hauser's goaltending against Lindenwood. “He’s got a competitive piece to him that speaks more than he does,” he said jokingly later into the season.
From the transfer portal, sophomore goaltender Eli Pulver and senior defensemen Aiden Dubinsky joined the Wisconsin roster. In his first series start of the season, Pulver helped secure the sweep of the former No. 1 Michigan State Spartans. Dubinsky’s calm, reliable style has brought stability to the Wisconsin lineup.
Wisconsin newcomers have quickly become integral to the team’s early success, contributing both across the lineup and in the net. As the Badgers look forward to the remainder of the season and changes to the roster for the next season, the development and consistency shown by the newcomers will be crucial.
