After their heartbreaking national championship loss to Denver on April 11, Wisconsin men’s hockey will return next season from their first national title appearance in 16 years, looking to build on their Frozen Four run as they reshape their roster for 2026-27.
While Wisconsin has not lost anyone to the transfer portal, they will lose nine players from the 2025-26 roster. With seniors graduating, and forwards Quinn Finley and Blake Montgomery turning pro, the Badgers will be without seven forwards and two defensemen.
Finley signed a two-year entry-level contract with the New York Islanders, where he was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft. In his three years at Madison, Finley tallied a total of 89 points.
Montgomery turned pro after his first year with Wisconsin, signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators. The winger was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. His nine goals this season led all Wisconsin freshmen.
Senior defenseman and captain Ben Dexheimer signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild and joined the Wild AHL affiliate Iowa Wild on an Amateur Tryout Agreement for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
Senior forward Christian Fitzgerald signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars. Fitzgerald reached the 100-point milestone this year during the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Seniors Jack Horbach, Simon Tassy and Aiden Dubinsky all signed entry-level contracts with different AHL teams.
Despite the loss of key talent from the roster, the future looks bright for Wisconsin as they add 10 new players to their roster. The incoming class of Badgers includes seven freshmen. From the transfer portal, the Badgers acquired Cornell goaltender Alexis Cournoyer, Penn State forward JJ Wiebusch and Northeastern defenseman Dylan Compton.
Cournoyer, the Montreal Canadiens 5th round pick in 2025, averages 2.05 goals against. The Quebec native recorded 603 saves for a save percentage of .915 in his 28 games played with the Big Red.
Wiebusch recorded a total of 69 points with 30 goals and 39 assists in his two seasons with the Nittany Lions.
Compton will look to make an immediate impact on the blue line for the Badgers. He tallied a total of 10 points and 28 blocks in 36 games played for the Huskies.
As for freshman additions, the Badgers will add six forwards and one defenseman to their roster.
Players coming from the USHL include forwards Chase Jette, Eetu Orpana, Brett Solomon, Gavin Uhlenkamp, Zach Wooten and defenseman John Stout.
Wisconsin also signed forward Lukas Zajic from the U.S. Under-18 National Team Development Program.
Among returning players, forwards Gavin Morrissey and Vasily Zelenov have shown promise for next season. Morrissey led the Badgers in points and assists with 36 points and 27 assists this past season. While Zelenov had a slow start to the season, he made key plays in the NCAA Tournament to help Wisconsin reach the championship game. The freshman ended the season with six goals and 13 assists.
On the blue line, junior Joe Palodichuk and freshman Luke Osburn bring a strong defensive presence that will be crucial to Wisconsin’s success next season. Palodichuk led the Badgers in number of blocks with 74, while Osburn’s skating and ability as a two-way defenseman helped the Badgers to the Frozen Four Championship.
Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser backstopped the Badgers to a championship appearance. He recorded 681 saves throughout the season for a save percentage of .900.
With incoming talent and a solid core of returning players, the Badgers will look to build on this season’s success as they aim for another deep postseason run.
