Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin Badgers
men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in Madison, Wisconsin
. The team plays at the Kohl Center
and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves
. The Badgers ice hockey team competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
.
The Badgers have won three WCHA regular season conference titles and eleven conference tournament titles. They have also made 24 appearances in the NCAA men's ice hockey tournament, advancing to the Frozen Four 12 times. The team's six national titles rank fourth best in college hockey history. Their most recent national championship came in 2006 when the Badgers defeated the Boston College Eagles 2-1 at the Bradley Center
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
before moving to the Dane County Coliseum in 1967. The program began as an independent NCAA Division I team and scheduling 8 games against Western Collegiate Hockey Association
teams, losing all 8 games. Late in the 1965–66 season, the Badgers finally broke through, beating the Minnesota Golden Gophers
5–4 in overtime, their first win over a WCHA opponent. At the end of that season, Coach John Riley retired.
, Mark Johnson (Bob's son), Craig Norwich
and Julian Baretta, the 1977 team won the title with a 6–5 victory in overtime against Michigan
.
Despite losing one of their top players, Mark Johnson, to the 1980
American Olympic Team, the Badgers reached the NCAA title game three consecutive times in 1981, 1982, and 1983. Winning the program's third title in 1981 by defeating rival Minnesota
in the championship game 6-3. After again reaching the championship game in 1982, where the Badgers lost to North Dakota, the program was dealt a second blow with the departure of Johnson. He would later coach in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup
with the Pittsburgh Penguins
. He left Wisconsin after 15 seasons with 3 NCAA championships, a record of 367–175–23, and having built the program into an NCAA powerhouse.
was hired in 1982 to replace "Badger" Bob Johnson as head coach. Sauer won the 1983 NCAA championship in his first season. Wisconsin defeated Harvard
6–2 to earn the program's fourth NCAA title. Under Sauer's leadership, the Badgers qualified for eight consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1988 to 1995, and won the program's 5th NCAA title in 1990
, with a 7–3 victory over Colgate. Also, Sauer presided over the team's move from the aging Coliseum to the new, on-campus Kohl Center
in 1998. The Badger men have led the nation in college hockey attendance every year since moving to the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin again reached the 1992 NCAA Championship game
against Lake Superior State
, losing 5–3. The game, which featured some questionable calls by the referee that continually put the Badgers at a two-man disadvantage, irked several players so much that they lashed out beyond Sauer's control, verbally abusing the referees and earning Sauer a one-game NCAA suspension. That game was later vacated by the NCAA for rules violations unrelated to the incidents in the championship game. In the mid-1990s, Badger hockey earned NCAA bids in 1998 and 2000, but generally underachieved compared to the high standards of the 1970s and 1980s. The 1999–2000 team featured a duo of second overall NHL draft pick Dany Heatley
and Steven Reinprecht
, won the MacNaughton Cup
, and earned a #1 position in the polls for most of the season, only to be upset in overtime by Boston College in the NCAA regionals. Two seasons later, during the 2001–02 season, coach Sauer announced his retirement. Jeff Sauer left Wisconsin with two NCAA titles and a record of 489–306–46 at Wisconsin, and a 655–532–57 overall record as a head coach.
, a former player who was a captain on the 1977 NCAA championship team and still holds the record as Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer. In 2003–04, Eaves brought the Badgers just short of the Frozen Four, falling in overtime to Maine in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The Badgers returned to national prominence by winning the 2006 NCAA championship in Milwaukee with a 2–1 win over Boston College. In 2010, the Badgers returned to the NCAA championship, vying for a seventh NCAA title but lost 5–0 to Boston College at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
, in front of a record crowd for an indoor ice hockey game of 37,592. In 2011, they missed the WCHA playoffs and NCAA tournament completely.
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Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. The team plays at the Kohl Center
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the university's men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate...
and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves
Mike Eaves
Michael Gordon Eaves is an American former NHL player and the current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Ice Hockey team. Eaves appeared in 324 NHL regular season games between 1978 and 1985, and has coached since 1985...
. The Badgers ice hockey team competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
.
The Badgers have won three WCHA regular season conference titles and eleven conference tournament titles. They have also made 24 appearances in the NCAA men's ice hockey tournament, advancing to the Frozen Four 12 times. The team's six national titles rank fourth best in college hockey history. Their most recent national championship came in 2006 when the Badgers defeated the Boston College Eagles 2-1 at the Bradley Center
Bradley Center
The Bradley Center is an indoor arena, located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets, in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Early history
The modern era of Badger hockey began in 1963 with the decision of athletic director Ivan B. Williamson. The Badgers played home games at the Hartmeyer Ice ArenaHartmeyer Ice Arena
Hartmeyer Ice Arena is a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Madison, Wisconsin. It has ice surfaces for hockey, figure skating and open skating, but can also have the ice removed for other events, such as indoor football....
before moving to the Dane County Coliseum in 1967. The program began as an independent NCAA Division I team and scheduling 8 games against Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
teams, losing all 8 games. Late in the 1965–66 season, the Badgers finally broke through, beating the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
5–4 in overtime, their first win over a WCHA opponent. At the end of that season, Coach John Riley retired.
Johnson era
In 1966, Wisconsin hired "Badger" Bob Johnson. Under Johnson, Wisconsin was offered WCHA membership for the 1969–70 season. In that same season the Badgers received a bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The Badgers won their first national championship at the 1973 Frozen Four. Badger Bob's 1977 team was one of the most successful to date, as the team swept through WCHA tournament and 1977 NCAA Tournament. Behind the efforts of four first team All-Americans, Mike EavesMike Eaves
Michael Gordon Eaves is an American former NHL player and the current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Ice Hockey team. Eaves appeared in 324 NHL regular season games between 1978 and 1985, and has coached since 1985...
, Mark Johnson (Bob's son), Craig Norwich
Craig Norwich
Craig Richard Norwich is a retired professional ice hockey player. Norwich led the Edina East High School hockey team to the prestigious Minnesota State High School League Hockey Tournament three times, including captaining the 1974 championship team...
and Julian Baretta, the 1977 team won the title with a 6–5 victory in overtime against Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program is competing in its 90th season...
.
Despite losing one of their top players, Mark Johnson, to the 1980
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics was held at the Olympic Arena and the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, New York. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to February 24...
American Olympic Team, the Badgers reached the NCAA title game three consecutive times in 1981, 1982, and 1983. Winning the program's third title in 1981 by defeating rival Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
in the championship game 6-3. After again reaching the championship game in 1982, where the Badgers lost to North Dakota, the program was dealt a second blow with the departure of Johnson. He would later coach in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. He left Wisconsin after 15 seasons with 3 NCAA championships, a record of 367–175–23, and having built the program into an NCAA powerhouse.
Sauer era
Former Badger assistant coach Jeff SauerJeff Sauer
Jeff Sauer is a retired American ice hockey coach. Sauer was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1983 to 2002 and Colorado College from 1971 to 1980. While at Wisconsin, he led the Badgers to two NCAA men's ice hockey championships...
was hired in 1982 to replace "Badger" Bob Johnson as head coach. Sauer won the 1983 NCAA championship in his first season. Wisconsin defeated Harvard
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
6–2 to earn the program's fourth NCAA title. Under Sauer's leadership, the Badgers qualified for eight consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1988 to 1995, and won the program's 5th NCAA title in 1990
1990 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
-External links:*...
, with a 7–3 victory over Colgate. Also, Sauer presided over the team's move from the aging Coliseum to the new, on-campus Kohl Center
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the university's men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate...
in 1998. The Badger men have led the nation in college hockey attendance every year since moving to the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin again reached the 1992 NCAA Championship game
1992 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament involved 12 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 26, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 4...
against Lake Superior State
Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey
The Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Lake Superior State University. The Lakers are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . They play at the Taffy Abel Arena in Sault...
, losing 5–3. The game, which featured some questionable calls by the referee that continually put the Badgers at a two-man disadvantage, irked several players so much that they lashed out beyond Sauer's control, verbally abusing the referees and earning Sauer a one-game NCAA suspension. That game was later vacated by the NCAA for rules violations unrelated to the incidents in the championship game. In the mid-1990s, Badger hockey earned NCAA bids in 1998 and 2000, but generally underachieved compared to the high standards of the 1970s and 1980s. The 1999–2000 team featured a duo of second overall NHL draft pick Dany Heatley
Dany Heatley
Daniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
and Steven Reinprecht
Steven Reinprecht
Steven Edward "Steve" Reinprecht is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing in the Vancouver Canucks organization. He most recently played on loan for Adler Mannheim of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga ....
, won the MacNaughton Cup
MacNaughton Cup
The MacNaughton Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association . The trophy is named after James MacNaughton of Calumet, Michigan, who was an avid supporter of amateur ice hockey...
, and earned a #1 position in the polls for most of the season, only to be upset in overtime by Boston College in the NCAA regionals. Two seasons later, during the 2001–02 season, coach Sauer announced his retirement. Jeff Sauer left Wisconsin with two NCAA titles and a record of 489–306–46 at Wisconsin, and a 655–532–57 overall record as a head coach.
Eaves era
Sauer's replacement was Mike EavesMike Eaves
Michael Gordon Eaves is an American former NHL player and the current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Ice Hockey team. Eaves appeared in 324 NHL regular season games between 1978 and 1985, and has coached since 1985...
, a former player who was a captain on the 1977 NCAA championship team and still holds the record as Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer. In 2003–04, Eaves brought the Badgers just short of the Frozen Four, falling in overtime to Maine in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The Badgers returned to national prominence by winning the 2006 NCAA championship in Milwaukee with a 2–1 win over Boston College. In 2010, the Badgers returned to the NCAA championship, vying for a seventh NCAA title but lost 5–0 to Boston College at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, in front of a record crowd for an indoor ice hockey game of 37,592. In 2011, they missed the WCHA playoffs and NCAA tournament completely.
Frozen Four
- Wisconsin appeared in the Frozen Four championships in the following years:
Year Champion Score Runner-up City Arena 1973 Wisconsin 4-2 Denver Denver PioneersThe Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference. The Western Athletic Conference will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.The...Boston, MA Boston Garden Boston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...1977 Wisconsin 6-5 OT Michigan Michigan WolverinesThe Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...Detroit, MI Olympia Stadium 1981 Wisconsin 6-3 Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockeyThe Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...Duluth, MN DECC Duluth Entertainment Convention CenterDuluth Entertainment Convention Center , is a multi-purpose arena and convention center complex located in Duluth, Minnesota. It has been home to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog hockey team since 1966...1982 North Dakota 5-2 Wisconsin Providence, RI Providence Civic Center 1983 Wisconsin 6-2 Harvard Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...Grand Forks, ND Ralph Engelstad Arena Ralph Engelstad Arena (old)Ralph Engelstad Arena was a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was home to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team. It also hosted community events and the 1983 Frozen Four tournament...1990 1990 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament-External links:*...Wisconsin 7-3 Colgate Colgate UniversityColgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena Joe Louis ArenaJoe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...1992 1992 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey TournamentThe 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament involved 12 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 26, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 4...Lake Superior State 5-3 Wisconsin Albany, NY Knickerbocker Arena 2006 Wisconsin 2-1 Boston College Boston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center Bradley CenterThe Bradley Center is an indoor arena, located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets, in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin....2010 Boston College 5-0 Wisconsin Detroit, MI Ford Field Ford FieldFord Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
See also
- Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockeyWisconsin Badgers women's ice hockeyThe Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.-History:On October 8, 1999, the Bulldogs played the Wisconsin Badgers in the first ever Women's WCHA conference game at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI...
- Wisconsin BadgersWisconsin BadgersThe Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
- University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
External links
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