MADISON, Wis. – After returning to the men's hockey program in December as the interim director of hockey operations, Wisconsin men's hockey is pleased to announce that Shane Connelly will shed the interim tag and is now the full-time director of hockey operations.

"Shane is a proud alum who has been a great addition to our staff since he started in December. He fit right in with the rest of the staff and our players," head coach Tony Granato said. "It is always great to have another Badger around."

After joining the team on December 29, 2016, the Badgers finished with a 12-8-0 record, a second-place finish in the Big Ten regular-season and were just one goal away from making the NCAA tournament.

As director of hockey operations, Connelly takes on travel and scheduling arrangements, among a myriad of duties.

A Badger from 2005-09, Connelly finished his career in goal with a 41-36-11 mark, while ranking among the school's top five with a 2.39 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and eight shutouts.

His career highlights during his time at Wisconsin include being part of the 2006 NCAA championship team, as well as the winning goaltender in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic played outdoors at Lambeau Field.

He also once made 43 saves in a 4-0 shutout over North Dakota on Nov. 10, 2007, which ranks as the third-most saves for a UW goaltender in a shutout.

The Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, is back in Madison with related experience after having spent three years as operations director with Bowling Green.

He left the Falcons following the 2013-14 season to become an assistant coach with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. That is where he spent his time through last November, before returning to Wisconsin.

"I'm very excited about the direction of the program in all aspects. It is a surreal experience having played here and now working here and seeing all the behind the scenes work that goes into this program," Connelly said. "Since I came in January, it has felt like the right fit for me within this staff. The athletic department has been great in helping me get comfortable right away so I could dive right into the job mid-season.  I couldn't be more pleased to continue to work with everyone associated with Badger hockey and Wisconsin athletics.
 
"This is home for me and I am proud of what has been accomplished this past season.  In the short time I have been here, I have been able to learn a great deal from Tony (Granato), Donny (Granato) and Oz (Mark Osiecki). It's exciting to come into work every day and interact with the players as well as everyone who works so hard to make the University of Wisconsin the special place that it is. I have really valued connecting with our great alumni base and fans. I will continue to work hard to further strengthen those bonds and look forward to all the great things this program has on the horizon."