MADISON, Wis. — The future of Wisconsin men's hockey takes a step forward with the announcement of the Badgers' nine-member recruiting class expected to arrive on campus in the fall of 2021.
Among this year's class of signees are Caden Brown (St. Louis), Corson Ceulemans (Beaumont, Alberta), Noah Grannan (Germantown, Wisconsin), Daniel Laatsch (Altoona, Wisconsin), Liam Malmquist (Edina, Minnesota), Jacob Martin (Eagle River, Wisconsin), Brayden Morrison (Calgary, Alberta), Robby Newton (Milwaukee) and Zach Urdahl (Eau Claire, Wisconsin).
"I think with this group, maturity comes to mind," Wisconsin men's hockey head coach Tony Granato said about the incoming class. "They've been through the ringer with a lot of guys from the USHL and the U.S. program. A lot of Wisconsin ties and hockey ties. It is a fun group in that way. They eat, breathe and live hockey and understand what the Badger program means and what it means to them. They will be a fun group to coach."
Caden Brown
Forward, 5-11, 180, L
St. Louis, Mo.
U.S. Under-18 Team
A member of the U.S Under-18 Team, Brown has three goals and 10 points in 13 games played this fall. He posted seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 40 games played last season for the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 Team. On the international stage, he had a point in four games at the 2020 U17 Five Nations tournament, while scored two goals and five points in three games at the 2019 U17 Four Nations tournament. He also record a goal and three points in seven games at hte 2019 U17 Challenge.
He earned a C-grade rating from the NHL Central Scouting and remains a possible draft pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Brown's older brother Logan was a first-round draft pick in 2016 and currently plays for the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. His father Jeff played 13 seasons in the NHL and
Before joining the NTDP, Brown recorded nine goals and 22 assists for 31 points in 36 games with the AAA St. Louis Blues. He also spent some time in Canada playing for the AAA Ottawa Jr. 67s.
Granato on Brown
"He comes from great stock with his brother and dad playing. He's been around the game a long time. He's just a competitor. A good-two way forward. He's good on faceoffs. He's a good all-around player. He hates to lose. Really humble kid who is great to talk to and easy to coach. He's another St. Louis player who falls right in line with Luke Kunin and Trent Frederic."
Corson Ceulemans
Defense, 6-2, 196, R
Beaumont, Alberta
Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
Ceulemans skates in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) for the Brooks Bandits, tallying two goals and three assists for five points in two wins so far this season. Over the 2019-20 season, he netted five goals and 30 assists for 35 points in 44 games and finished second among under-17 players in the league for points, helping his team go 46-10-2 on the year. Ceulemans attended Hockey Canada's Summer Under-18 Selection Camp for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2020. Before joining the Brooks Bandits, Ceulemans played for OHA Edmonton Prep and the Leduc Oil Kings.
NHL's Central Scouting gave him an "A" grade for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, making him a potential first-round selection.
Ceulemans represented Canada in the 2019 World Junior A Challenge and World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he recorded four assists over four games.
Granato on Ceulemans
"He's an elite skater. In the blink of an eye, he's up in the play. He sees the game unbelievably well and seems to know where his other four teammates are on the ice at all times. He's gifted at the offensive blue line, that is for sure."
Noah Grannan
Goaltender, 6-2, 183, L
Germantown, Wis.
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
Grannan, a Wisconsin native, stopped pucks for the U.S Under-18 Team last season, posting a 2.77 goals-against average and .881 save percentage over 21 games with a 11-10-0 record, including two wins against NCAA opponents. Grannan got a taste of Badger Hockey in January of 2020 when he faced the Badgers in an exhibition game and stopped 29 shots. As a member of the Under-17 squad, he recorded a .845 save percentage and 4.28 goals against average for 17 games. Grannan participated in the 2020 Biosteel All-American Prospects Game and stopped all 13 shots he faced.
He sits 2-3-0 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in five games played so far this fall for the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede.
Before joining the U.S Under-17 Team, Grannan net-minded for the AAA Milwaukee Junior Admirals. NHL Central Scouting ranked him as a 'C' prospect for the 2021 Entry Draft, marking him as a fourth-to-sixth-round candidate.
Granato on Grannan
"He's big and calm, and like all goalies just needs time. He looks the part. He has a chance because of his size and his athleticism. When he is on he doesn't give up rebounds and tracks the puck really well. And being a Milwaukee-area native, his addition is big for the program."
Daniel Laatsch
Defense, 6-5, 180, L
Altoona, Wis.
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Laatsch skated in all 40 games with the U.S Under-18 Team last season, including 17 games against NCAA opponents. He notched two goals and six assists for eight points in those contests. In October of 2019, Laatsch was named USHL defenseman of the week for his three-point game against the Green Bay Gamblers. He is set to join the Badgers after another year in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers. So far this season, he has one assist in seven games played for Sioux City.
On the international stage, Laatsch played in a pair of Five Nations Tournaments, skating in six total games. He also played in a Five Nations Tournament in 2019, playing four games, and at the World Under-17 Challenge in 2018, playing in six contests.
Granato on Laatsch
"A Wisconsin-born kid who bleeds red. You can't teach the size that he has and he plays long. Really good stick. Smart. His hockey sense is upper end. He will continue to grow into his body. He's almost 6-5."
Liam Malmquist
Forward, 5-10, 153, L
Edina, Minn.
Penticton Vees (BCHL)
In 13 games played this season for Penticton in the British Columbia Hockey League, Malmquist has a goal and 15 points to rank third on the squad, helping the team to a nearly-perfect 13-1-0 record. He tallied 16 goals and 39 points in 58 games during the 2019-20 campaign in his first season in Canada.
Malmquist played high school hockey in Minnesota for the 2018-19 season alongside current UW defenseman Mike Vorlicky for Edina, totaling 52 points (23g, 29a) in 24 games played during their Minnesota State High School Hockey Class AA championship run. That run included a hat trick in the semifinals.
Malmquist boasts connections to college hockey as his brother Dylan skated at Notre Dame.
Granato on Malmquist
"High-character kid and a bit of a sleeper. He's got a lot of offensive instincts and is really having a great start to the year. I love how he thinks the game. He's another kid who we watched and who kept on growing on us. He's coming out of an Edina program where they win championships so he's a winner. Another player who comes in to help build our foundation. He's a really, really fun hockey player to watch.
"He comes from championships. He knows how to win and is a leader. He is a competitive, really high hockey-IQ playmaker."
Jacob Martin
Defense, 5-11, 180, R
Eagle River, Wis.
U.S. Under-18 Team
Martin boasts five assists in 13 games this fall playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-18 Team. He racked up three goals and 12 assists for 15 points and won a silver medal at the 2019 World Hockey Challenge as a member of the U.S Under-17 Team last season. He's also had a point at the 2020 U17 Five Nations tournament and a goal and an assist at the 2019 U17 Four Nations tournament. Before joining USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, Martin played for Gentry Academy in Minnesota and scored six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 13 games.
NHL Central Scouting has Martin listed as a possible selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft as a 'C' rated prospect in its preliminary players to watch list.
Granato on Martin
"He's like a Ty Emberson. He skates really well and is strong. Sees the game well. A lot of times you watch him, he's quiet. That means he's in position and is smart. He has a really good first pass."
Brayden Morrison
Forward, 6-0, 170, L
Calgary, Alberta
Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)
Morrison followed a development path similar to current Badger forward Dylan Holloway, who also played for the U18 Calgary Flames and Okotoks Oilers of the AMHL and AJHL, respectively. During the 2019-20 season, Morrison tallied 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points over 53 games. He was selected to play in the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Prospect Game back in January of 2020. Morrison has two goals and four points in three games played for Okotoks this fall.
Morrison has roots in college hockey with his father, Brendan Morrison, the 1997 Hobey Baker Memorial Award-winner and 1996 NCAA Championship game-winning goal scorer for Michigan. Brendan, a 14-year NHL veteran, is the all-time leading scorer at Michigan.
Granato on Morrison
"Comes from a great hockey family with his dad winning the Hobey Baker Award at Michigan. He's just a hockey sponge. Every time you talk to him, he wants to be educated about the sport and takes it all in. He's a very good skater and two-way player. He makes anyone who he plays with better."
Robby Newton
Forward, 5-9, 193, R
Milwaukee, Wis.
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Newton, also a member of Team Wisconsin, previously played for University School in his hometown of Milwaukee and tallied 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points in 24 games in the 2018-19 season. After the high school hockey season ended, he had a quick six-game stint with the Janesville Jets of the NAHL where he scored two goals and one assist. Newton made the jump to the USHL last season, beginning the season with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders before joining the Sioux City Musketeers where he became teammates with current Badgers Luke LaMaster, Anthony Kehrer, and Sam Stange. He recorded nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points across 43 USHL games played in the 2019-20 season. Newton has skated in five games for Sioux City this fall.
Granato on Newton
"He's a leader. He's been the glue wherever he has played. He's a smart hockey player who is a really good skater and is an older, mature player who will add more maturity to our team."
Zach Urdahl
Forward, 6-0, 165, L
Eau Claire, Wis.
Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Urdahl has skated in just six games this fall due to the pandemic, but leads the USHL's Lincoln Stars with four goals and six points. He posted nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 47 games played with the Lincoln over the 2019-20 season, which helped him become alternate captain this year. He had three goals and four points in eight games at the tail end of the 2018-19 season after wrapping up play for Eau Claire North High School alongside current Badger freshman Sam Stange.
His junior year at Eau Claire North in 2018-19, Urdahl netted 40 goals and 21 assists for 61 points in just 24 games. He was also a member of Team Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, where he recorded nine goals and eight assists in 21 games with the squad.
Granato on Urdahl
"Really good motor. He's kind of a combination of Jack Gorniak and Sam Stange. He's got a high compete level and likes to drive to the net. He has good feet and strength. His compete factor is fun. He likes to play on the edge."
