As many Badger fans would agree, this past season for the Men’s hockey team was a major disappointment. After winning the Big Ten Regular Season last year, the Badgers had an abysmal 10-24-3 record. The conversation around this team has been mostly negative, but as the optimist that I am, I will share why I think it was a blessing in disguise.  A sort of Mr. Rodgers outlook on the season.  That unexpected positive was the development of their underclassmen.

Many underclassmen were thrown into action and became major contributors. There were a total of 9 Freshman and Sophomores who played in 25 or more games this season, and 7 of those played in at least 30. The younger players got a lot of playing time and some valuable experience. It can be a difficult transition to the collegiate level; this experience is going to be a big factor going into the upcoming offseason and into next year.  A lot of these young guys are set up nicely to improve their skillsets in a major way

There were a couple guys that stood out to me this season.  They led the team in pts at 22 apiece.  Sophomore Mathieu De St. Phalle and Freshmen Corson Ceulemans. De St. Phalle led the team in goals with 10 and Ceulemans led the team in assists at 15.  The two most productive players on the team were underclassman, that doesn’t happen often.  These are two very special players that are primed to take Wisconsin back to the promise land. 

Ceulemans, who was drafted 25th overall in the 2021 draft, was one of the few bright spots for Wisconsin this past season.  I think he has the ability to become one of the all-time greats here at Wisconsin and I am very excited to see what he will do for us next season.  De St. Phalle also grew a lot in his sophomore season becoming one of their most reliable scorers for a team that struggled on the offensive end. 

The underclassmen, as a whole, contributed a lot to the Badgers scoring this season.  Half of the 76 goals came from underclassmen including the top 3 goal scorers on the team. De St. Phalle (10), Carson Bantle (8), and Ceulemens (7).  That is a lot of production coming from the younger guys on the team.  It will be a definite boost of confidence for them going into next season.

The talented class of underclassmen in addition to the return of some key players, should get fans excited for what’s to come.  They have paid their dues, experienced the pain of a poor season and are ready for redemption.