NEW ERA BEGINS
Wisconsin begins a new era with its first-year coaching staff of head coach Tony Granato, and associate head coaches Don Granato and Mark Osiecki.
Tony Granato returns to Wisconsin after 13 years as a head and assistant coach in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. That followed a 13-year NHL playing career that included stops with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
Don Granato arrives in Madison after nearly five seasons as head coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) helping develop the nation's best young hockey players. He also spent one season as an assistant coach with the NHL's St. Louis Blues, in addition to over 10 years as a head coach in junior and minor-league hockey.
Osiecki returns to Madison, where he previously spent six seasons (2004–10) as an assistant coach. While at UW, he helped the Badgers win the 2006 NCAA Championship, as well as a runner-up spot in the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four. Since his time at UW, Osiecki spent time as the head coach at Ohio State, as well as an assistant coach with the AHL's Rockford Ice Hogs, the minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.
All three coaches went to school and played hockey for Wisconsin.
SERIES NOTES
This marks the sixth consecutive year NMU opens its season with a series against the Badgers and would be the same for UW except for the Badgers' trip to Alaska to open the 2014–15 campaign.
UW is 3-5-2 against NMU the last five years, but are 0-4-0 against NMU at the Resch Center during that stretch
The two teams have met 84 times in history, beginning with the 1981 NCAA tournament.
Many of the meetings between the two schools came between 1984–97, when both schools were members of the WCHA.
The two games this weekend against NMU are the first two of four between the schools this season. The Wildcats visit the Kohl Center for a Nov. 4-5 series.
The Badgers have played 10 games agianst NMU in the last five seasons, including six since UW began playing in the Big Ten. Those six are the most against any non-conference opponent over the last three seasons.
WISCONSIN-NMU CONNECTIONS
Former Wisconsin forward Adam Rockwood transferred to Northern Michigan over the summer, but must sit out the season due to transfer rules. Rockwood posted five goals and 30 points in 59 games during two seasons for the Badgers.
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
This weekend's series between Wisconsin and Northern Michigan features a brother battle as Wisconsin's head coach Tony Granato, and his brother and associate head coach Don Granato face off against Northern Michigan's Walt Kyle, and his brother and assistant coach John Kyle. The two teams are the only ones in the country that boast brothers on their coaching staffs.
LAST MEETINGS
Wisconsin 3, NMU 3 (OT)
Oct. 10, 2015
The Badgers overcame a 3-0 deficit at the midpoint of the game with three third-period goals to forge a 3-3 overtime tie. The team's took part in an exhibition shootout, with NMU winning, 1-0.
Ryan Wagner, Jedd Soleway and Luke Kunin were the Badgers' goal scorers, and Matt Jurusik made 22 saves in the game.
UW outshot NMU, 44-25, and took advtage to score two power-play goals on six chances to get back in the game. UW's penalty kill was 2-for-2 that evening.
Wisconsin 2, NMU 2 (OT)
Oct. 10, 2015
Wisconsin opened the 2015–16 season with a 2-2 overtime tie.
Defenseman Jake Linhart gave UW a 1-0 lead early in the second period with a power-play tally, but NMU took a 2-1 lead with a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period by Shane Sooth and Filip Starzynski.
UW forward Grant Besse tied the game for good with the Badgers pulling goaltender Adam Miller for an extra attacker. The goal came at 19:18.8 of the third period.
NMU went on to win an exhibition shootout, 2-1.
The Wildcats outshot UW, 34-27, and both teams finished 1-for-4 on the power play.
Wisconsin closed out its regular season last weekend by splitting at Minnesota. The Badgers won 4-3 last Friday, before falling 4-1 last Saturday.
UW COACHING DEBUTS
Bob Johnson fell, 5-4, to then Superior State (Now UW-Superior) on Nov. 2, 1966, in his first game as Wisconsin head coach. Bill Rothwell, who coached one season while Bob Johnson coached the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team, dropped a 3-1 game to St. Louis University on Oct. 31, 1975, in his first game against a college team. Jeff Sauer won a 4-3 contest at Bowling Green on Oct. 15, 1982, in his first game as UW head coach. Mike Eaves and the Badgers lost 5-1 to Rensselaer on Oct. 11, 2002, in Eaves' debut behind the Badger bench. Johnson and Sauer debuted with winning seasons, with Sauer's 1982–83 team winning the NCAA title.
Co-Coaches Art Thomsen and John Riley dropped the first game of Wisconsin men's hockey's modern era, falling 13-6 to St. Mary's (Minn.) on Nov. 29, 1963. Thomsen had already been UW's coach from 1931-35, before UW dropped the program.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
Wisconsin and Northern Michigan both opened last weekend with exhibition games against University of Victoria and both came away with 10-1 victories.
Wisconsin returns 96.8 percent of its goals (90 of 93 goals), 80.4 percent of its assists (135 of 168 assists) and 86.2 percent of its points (225 of 261 points). The Badgers also return 100 percent of their power-play goals (22) from last season.
The Badgers have won 31 season openers since 1963 and the start of the modern era of Badger hockey. UW is 31-20-2 in season openers, but just 1-6-1 over the last eight seasons. That followed a five-game winning streak for season openers from 2003 to 2007.
Sophomore forward Luke Kunin ended last season with points in seven consecutive contests, tallying six goals and nine points during the streak. He finished with nine goals in the last 10 games and 10 goals over the final 12 contests.
EXHIBITION REVIEW
Wisconsin's 10-1 victory last Saturday marked its first game of any kind scoring 10 goals since March 11, 1993, when it won a 10-3 WCHA playoff game against Colorado College at the Dane County Coliseum.
Sophomore forward Luke Kunin led the way last Saturday with a hat trick. Also tallying three points were sophomore forward Seamus Malone, who had two goals and an assist, as well as junior forward Cameron Hughes, who helped set up three goals for three assists.
Seven different Badgers scored goals, including Kunin, Malone, sophomore transfer Dan Labosky, juniors Ryan Wagner, Jason Ford and Matt Ustaski (short handed) and sophomore Will Johnson.
Labosky paced UW's newcomers with a goal and an assist, while freshmen Max Zimmer and Trent Frederic each collected an assist.
Freshmen goaltenders Jack Berry and Johan Blomquist split duties between the pipes, with Berry playing the first 32:12 and making five saves. Blomquist stopped four of five shots in 27:48 of work.
UW's special teams were busy, going 3-for-6 on the power play and 7-for-7 on the kill. Both teams also scored short-handed goals.
FAMILIAR GREEN BAY
Wisconsin and Northern Michigan have met for six games at the Resch Center in Green Bay, with UW 1-4-1 in those contests. The teams played series in the building during the 2006–07 season, 2012–13 year and the 2014–15 campaign.
One of the greatest games in UW history took place in the Resch Center on March 26, 2006. The Badgers skated to a 1-0 triple overtime victory over Cornell during the 2006 NCAA Midwest Regional Final. Madison native Jack Skille scored on UW's 60th shot of the game at 11:13 of the third overtime to send the Badgers to the Frozen Four in Milwaukee. Wisconsin went on to win its sixth NCAA title that year.
Both of Wisconsin associate head coaches served as head coaches in Green Bay. Don Granato coached the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers for the team's first season after a 14-year hiatus during the 1994–95 season. Granato spent three seasons leading the program, directed the team to the league title in just his second year.
Mark Osiecki took over the program from Granato to start the 1997–98 season and spent seven seasons at the helm before moving on to Wisconsin for his first stint as an assistant coach with the Badgers. He led the Gamblers to the league title during the 2000 season.
Junior defenseman Tim Davison hails from De Pere, Wisconsin, located in the Green Bay metro area, while sophomore forward Jarod Zirbel is a Green Bay native.
CAPTAINS
Sophomore forward Luke Kunin was named team captain, the second sophomore captain in school history. Mike Eaves was a sophomore captain for the 1975–76 season.
Joining sophomore forward Luke Kunin as alternate captains are senior forward Grant Besse and junior forward Cameron Hughes. Besse served as alternate captain last season, while Hughes filled in at that capacity for a handful of games last year.
BESSE TO 100
Should senior forward Grant Besse match his point total of 33 from last season, he would become the 74th skater in UW history to reach 100 career points, and would become the first since Tyler Barnes (2010–14) reached the mark with 101 points for his career. He actually needs 31 to reach 100.
Besse currently boasts 30 goals, 39 assists and 69 points in 103 games played.
Besse's 103 games played makes him one of just two Badgers who have played 100 career college games, joining fellow senior forward Jedd Soleway, who has played 102 games.
CAPTAIN KUNIN
Luke Kunin finished the 2015–16 season as the Badgers leading goal scorer with 19 goals, the first UW rookie since Dany Heatley scored 28 goals in 1999–2000 to lead the Badgers in goals. The 19 goals are also the most for a UW freshman since Heatley's 28.
Kunin's 32 points made him the first UW rookie to reach 30 points since Nic Kerdiles tallied 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 32 games during the 2012–13 season. The 32 points were good for second among Big Ten freshmen, while his 0.94 points per game ranked seventh nationally among freshmen.
Kunin finished one back of UW's point lead, narrowly missing becoming the first UW rookie to pace the Badgers in scoring since Kyle Turris, who had 35 points during the 2007–08 season.
Kunin ended the season with points in a career-best seven straight games, tallying six goals and nine points during the active streak.
He scored four goals in the last minute of a period last season to rank second in the country, while his seven points in the last minute were also second. He had nine goals and 14 points in the first and last minute of periods, which both led the country.
Kunin finished conference play as UW's leader with 13 goals and 21 points in Big Ten play. His 13 goals ranked fourth among all Big Ten skaters, while his 21 points shared eighth. Both ranked second among Big Ten freshmen.
20/20 VISION
Wisconsin welcomes five skaters back from last year who had 20 points, including Grant Besse (33), Luke Kunin (32), Seamus Malone (26), Cameron Hughes (22) and Ryan Wagner (22). This marks the first time UW returns five 20-point scores since the 2013–14 team welcomed six 20-point scorers back. That year, Michael Mersch (36), Nic Kerdiles (33), Mark Zengerle (32), Tyler Barnes (30), Joseph LaBate (23) and Jake McCabe (21) each returned to the Badgers. Prior to 2013–14, UW had last returned at least five 20-point scorers for a season when seven began the 2009–10 campaign.
FEELING A DRAFT
Wisconsin begins the season with eight NHL draft picks on its roster, including two first-round picks in Luke Kunin and Trent Frederic, third-round pick JD Greenway, fourth-round pick Max Zimmer, fifth-round selection Grant Besse, sixth-round choice Cameron Hughes and seventh-round picks Jedd Soleway and Matt Ustaski.
UW's top four picks were all chosen in the 2016 draft.
This year marks the first time since the 2010–11 season that UW boasts a first-round draft pick on its roster (Jake Gardiner), and the first team since the 2009–10 squad to boast more than one first-round pick (Gardiner, Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith).
Forwards Kunin and Frederic give UW its first first-round draft picks at the forward position since Kyle Turris played for UW during the 2007–08 season.
Kunin and Frederic give Wisconsin two first-round draft picks on the same team at forward for the first time in school history.
CURRENT UW DRAFT PICKS
LINHART AND SOUL
Junior defenseman Jake Linhart's led UW rear guards and ranked fourth on the team last season with eight goals. Linhart's goal total was tied for second among Big Ten defensemen behind Michigan's early-departure Zach Werenski, who finished with 11. That means Linhart shares the title the "Big Ten's top goal-scoring defenseman returning."
Linhart also led UW defensemen with 18 points, which was tied for ninth among Big Ten blue liners.
GOOD TO HAVE GOAL(IES)
Sophomore Matt Jurusik returns to the Badgers as their only experienced netminder after playing in 33 games last season as a freshmen. Jurusik went 8-16-7 with a 3.46 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and one shutout.
Jurusik will be pushed this season by a pair of freshmen in Jack Berry and Johan Blomquist. who played last season in New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively.
GETTING YOUNGER
While Wisconsin boasted one of the youngest rosters in the country last season with regards to age, they get even younger this year. The team average 20 years, 10 months at the start of October last season. This year, the team averages 20 years, 5 months.
WHERE'S HOME?
Wisconsin's two new goaltenders, Jack Berry and Johan Blomquist, hail from places that have been rare at Wisconsin of late.
Berry comes from Holly, Michigan, The Badgers first player from Michigan since Jon Krall (2000–04), who came from Temperence, Michigan.
Blomquist, from Stockholm, Sweden, arrives as just the second Swede to play for Wisconsin. He joins Jan-Ake Danielson (1981–84), who came from Insjon, Sweden.
SEASONS STREAK
In the modern era of Wisconsin hockey (since 1963), the Badgers have never posted three consecutive losing seasons. UW had losing seasons the last two years, marking the third time that has happened in the modern era.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin plays its home-opening series against No. 5/9 Boston College on Friday and Sunday, Oct. 14 and 16 at the Kohl Center. Friday's game starts at 7 p.m., while Sunday is a 3 p.m. contest.
