FROZEN CONFINES TICKETS
MADISON, Wis. – The Badger men's hockey team returns to Big Ten play for the first time in three weeks with a series at No. 1 Michigan State on Thursday and Saturday, Jan. 2 and 4. The Jan. 2 game takes place at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, while the Jan. 4 contest will be played outdoors at Wrigley Field in Chicago as part of the Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series.
Thursday's game starts at 5:30 p.m. CT and Saturday's begins at 8 p.m. Both contests air on the Big Ten Network.
Here's six quick things to know before tuning in:
Rosters: Wisconsin || Michigan State
1 - TAKE ME OUT TO THE HOCKEY GAME: Badger men's hockey is taking things outside, playing in its first outdoor hockey game in nearly 12 years. UW will face Michigan State at Wrigley Field in Chicago at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4 as part of the Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series.
The Badgers are 3-0-0 in outdoor hockey games beginning with a 4-2 triumph over Ohio State at Lambeau Field on Feb. 11, 2006, in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Badgers also beat Michigan by a 3-2 score in the Culver's Camp Randall Hockey Classic on Feb. 6, 2010, and Minnesota by the same 3-2 count over Minnesota in the OfficeMax Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago on Feb. 17, 2013.
The Frozen Confines mark UW's first outdoor game played at a baseball stadium or any non-football arena, and its second outdoor game played in Chicago.
Starting at 1 p.m. on Jan. 4, fans are invited to a pre-game event at Sluggers Bar, presented by UW Credit Union. There will be Wisconsin swag giveaways and food and drink available to purchase, among other activities. The Badger women's hockey team is also participating in the Frozen Confines, playing Ohio State in a rematch of the last two national championship games at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
2 - MORRISSEY'S ON TOP: Freshman forward
Gavin Morrissey is the current leading scorer among freshmen in the nation with 22 points (5g, 17a) in 20 games played. His 22 points are tied for ninth place in the country and fourth place in the conference, while his 17 assists rank second in the league.
Morrissey leads the Badger roster in assists and ranks second on the team in points, recording six over his last four games.
3 - FANTASTIC MR. FINLEY: Sophomore forward
Quinn Finley has continued to be an offensive powerhouse, with his 15 goals ranking first in the NCAA. His 26 total points are good for second in the nation and first in the Big Ten, and his seven power-play goals are tied for the national lead.
The sophomore notched three goals and four points in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off tournament to earn most outstanding forward of the the event last weekend.
4 - ON A ROLL: After starting the season 2-6-0, Wisconsin has found some winning momentum as of late, going 5-2-1 in its last eight games. The Badgers are currently on an 11-game point streak dating back to a 3-2 overtime loss to then-No. 3 Minnesota on Nov. 9. Over that period, UW owns a 7-3-1 record, with all three losses coming in overtime to top-10 ranked teams.
5 - FIELD OF DREAMS: There is nothing better than an outdoor hockey game. For
Owen Lindmark,
Jack Horbach and
Jack Phelan – the three Illinois natives on the Wisconsin men's hockey team – getting to play in the Frozen Confines at Wrigley Field is more than just an outdoor hockey game. It's a childhood fantasy turned reality, skating at one of the most historic venues in the country in front of all their friends and family – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Click here to read more about our Illinois natives and how they're preparing for such a special game.
6 - LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers enter the series after being crowned 2024 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off champions, beating Ferris State in the semifinals and UConn in the championship game to claim their second-consecutive and third overall title in the four years of the tournament's existence.
Wisconsin opened the tournament with a dominant 8-0 win over Ferris State. UW got on the board 4:40 into the first period thanks to
Quinn Finley's national-best 13th goal of the year.
Ryland Mosley extended UW's lead with 1:25 remaining in the opening frame. The Badgers scored five goals in the second period, with
Kyle Kukkonen, Mosley,
Cody Laskosky (twice) and
Quinn Finley finding the back of the net to give UW a 7-0 lead heading into the third. Kukkonen scored his second goal of the night with 0.8 seconds left in regulation to give Wisconsin the 8-0 victory.
Tommy Scarfone stopped all 23 Ferris State shots on goal to notch his third shutout of the season.
In the Holiday Face-Off final, the Badgers defeated the UConn Huskies, 4-3, in a wild game. The first two periods were silent as both teams headed into the third period scoreless. The game remained that way until
Owen Lindmark got Wisconsin on the board first with a short-handed goal 2:45 into the third. Less than three minutes later at 5:40,
Quinn Finley made it a 2-0 game for UW on the power play. UConn got on the board at 7:07, then tied the game at two with 4:05 remaining in regulation.
Christian Fitzgerald restored the Badgers' lead with 2:28 left in the contest before
Cody Laskosky recorded what proved a key empty-net goal at 18:36 to make it 4-2. The Huskies added a goal with a second left in the game, but UW claimed the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off title with a 4-3 victory.
OVERTIME - SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE: The top-ranked Spartans currently have a 15-2-1 record through the first half of the season. They are 7-1-0 in conference play and are tied with Wisconsin for second place in the Big Ten standings with 19 points. MSU heads into the series after winning the Great Lakes Invitational, beating Northern Michigan, 2-0, on Dec. 29, and Western Michigan, 3-1, on Dec. 30.
Junior forward Isaac Howard leads the roster with 11 goals and 22 points in 18 games played. Sophomore goaltender Trey Augustine, who will miss the series due to being part of Team USA's 25-man roster currently competing at the 2025 World Junior Championships in Canada, leads all MSU goaltenders with 11 wins in 14 starts, accumulating a .930 save percentage and 1.98 goals-allowed on average. Sophomore goaltender Luca Di Pasquo has four wins in four starts with a .500 goals-allowed and a .97 save percentage.
The last time the Badgers and Spartans met this season was on Dec. 6-7, 2024. Wisconsin won the first game, 4-0, before falling, 3-2, in overtime in game two.
SHOOTOUT - HOW TO WATCH: Thursday's game starts at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday's begins at 8 p.m. Both contests air on the Big Ten Network. Audio play-by-play can be found on 1310 WIBA or on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
