The 2026-27 season is underway for the Wisconsin men’s hockey team. After falling just short of a national championship in the 2026 Frozen Four, this year’s group is hoping to capture an NCAA title for the first time since 2006.
Sophomore Forward Finn Brink, a freshman during last year’s tournament run, told The Daily Cardinal the experience is something he’d love to be a part of again.
“Knowing now how cool of an experience that is, it's definitely something that we want to be a part of again,” Brink said. “And just to take one more step this year and get over that hump and get that National Championship.”
Brink said the tournament experience had a big impact for him as a player.
“The biggest thing I would just say is experience, and we had a lot of guys go through that,” he said. “So that's going to be big for us this year.”
Despite the unforgettable memories the team made during that Frozen Four run, Brink said they’ve turned the page and are onto the next chapter.
“We don't talk about it. We know what we [have] to do each and every day. That's kind of the past now,” Brink said. “We know that we can do it, but we also know that we have to take it one day at a time, and [that] it's a new season now.”
Although there have been lots of roster changes, Brink said the culture around the locker room hasn’t changed too much.
“I don't know that [the team] does feel too different. I think last year we had a really close group — a lot of good hockey players. We lost a lot of good hockey players, but we also got a lot of good new ones,” Brink said. “The biggest thing last year, I thought, was we had a really close group. And I'm really excited to say that we do again this year.”
Leading the team on the ice this season are Defensemen Zach Schulz and Joe Palodichuk along with Forward Gavin Morrissey. Brink said he believes this is the perfect trio to captain the team.
”They are the right people to lead us because of what they do every day on and off the ice, [and] how they represent us in the community,” Brink said. “They're just great people, as well as good hockey players. So [I] couldn't be more excited for those guys.”
The captains are tasked with leading a group that saw a lot of roster turnover and the departure of 12 players from the team that reached the National Championship last season. Brink said Head Coach Mike Hastings’s system and line combinations have helped the Badgers, new and returning, develop chemistry across the board.
“We've been building confidence in each other and like a certain way we play as a group in our systems. And when you have that, then you can kind of play with anybody,” Brink said. “The lines have switched around a little bit, and you learn that you can play with anybody within our system, which is cool.”
Reflecting on his development since making his collegiate debut last fall, Brink said his biggest improvement has been his confidence and poise on the ice.
“I think the biggest thing for me that I've improved on is confidence,” Brink said. “Coming in as a freshman, you don't necessarily have much confidence. You [have] to build that day-by-day. I think that's something I can continue to build on as well.”
Brink’s growing confidence was on display in the season opener against Robert Morris Oct. 2, scoring a short handed goal. With the season underway, Brink knows there will inevitably be challenges ahead, but this team is built to withstand tough situations by using them to get better.
“I think the biggest thing is we have to come here and get better every single day and just stack it day after day,” Brink said. “There's going to be setbacks, but that's what makes good teams. Last year we had adversity, [and] we're going to go through it again this year. But just every single day coming and getting better, and that's what's going to take us there.”
Finn Brink and the Badgers are 4-0 and sit at No. 5 nationally in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online poll. There’s plenty of hockey left to be played, but Wisconsin is off to a strong start and has shown that they’re prepared for the road ahead.
