With the NHL currently running through its franchises and picking first and second-teams for the quarter century, we polled media members to get their takes on who would make it for the Wisconsin men's hockey program.

Qualifications for the Quarter-Century teams included players' performance from Jan. 1, 2000 through Dec. 31, 2024.

Wisconsin Badgers Quarter-Century Teams
First Team
Forwards
Joe Pavelski
Cole Caufield
Blake Geoffrion
 
Defensemen
Justin Schultz
Jamie McBain
 
Goaltender
Brian Elliott

Forwards
In just two seasons at Wisconsin, Joe Pavelski (2004-06) became the ninth Badger to eclipse 100 points through two years in Madison with 101 in 84 games. He led UW to its sixth NCAA title with 56 points as a sophomore, which ranked fourth in the nation. He was a second-team All-American and NCAA Midwest All-Region skater during the championship run. His first year, he shared the national freshman lead with 45 points. Cole Caufield (2019-21) dominated during the pandemic with UW's first 30-goal season in over 30 years, 11 more than the nation's next-closest goal-scorer. He also led the nation with 52 points in just 31 games on the way to winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and helping his team with the Big Ten. Also led the Badgers in scoring as a rookie with 19 goals and 36 points. Blake Geoffrion (2006-10) won UW's first Hobey with a 28-goal, 50-point season and captained the Badgers to the 2010 NCAA title game that same year. The Tennessee native showed marked improvement over his four seasons, starting with a two-goal, six-point freshman season, posting 10 goals and 30 points, and 15 goals and 28 points as a sophomore and junior, respectively, before his award-winning season.

Defensemen
One of two Badger rear guards with two first-team All-American nods in history, Justin Schultz (2009-12) was also one of 12 Badger defenseman to reach 100 career points and the most recent. UW's only two-time Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist, Schultz shares second (18 goals) and fifth (16 goals) on UW's single-season goal list by a defenseman and helped UW to the 2010 NCAA title game. Jamie McBain (2006-09) was UW's first Hobey Top-10 Finalist on the blue line, a 2009 First-Team All-American and UW's only defenseman named WCHA Player of the Year. He was on the WCHA All-Rookie Team (2007), Third-Team All-WCHA (2008) and First-Team All-WCHA (2009) while also earning 2008 NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament accolades. He led the Badgers in scoring in 2008-09, which tied for second in the nation among rear guards.
 
Goaltender
The greatest statistical career of any Badger goaltender in history for shutouts (16), save percentage (.931) and goals-against average (1.78), Brian Elliott (2003-07) backstopped UW to the 2006 NCAA title as a Hobey top-three finalist. One of two on the list already in the UW Athletics Hall of Fame (Geoffrion).

Second Team
Forwards
Dany Heatley
Mark Zengerle
Robbie Earl

Defenseman
Brendan Smith
Tom Gilbert

Goaltender
Bernd Bruckler

Forwards
UW's only two-time All-American forward this century, Dany Heatley (1999-01) was a finalist for the 2001 Hobey Baker Award and could very easily been on the first team. Taking away his 15 goals and 23 points from his 1999 games for UW, he still owns 39 goals and 90 points in 59 games in the 2000s. He helped UW win the 2000 regular-season title and a pair of NCAA tournaments. Mark Zengerle (2010-14) is the highest-scoring Badger of the quarter century with 162 points and 125 assists, the seventh-most at UW all-time. He twice led the Badgers in points, including 50 in 2011-12, and scored OT winning goal for the first-ever Big Ten hockey title in 2014. Among the most dynamic skaters of the quarter century, Robbie Earl (2003-06) got fans out of their seats when he had the puck with the threat of seeing something special. The 2006 NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player is one of two players with a pair of 20-goal seasons in the 2000s and scored 58 goals and 121 points in 125 games played.

Defenseman
First-team All-American Brendan Smith helped win the Camp Randall Hockey Classic with a pair of third-period power-play goals over Michigan, was a top-10 Hobey finalist and finished with 15 goals and 52 points in 42 games to lead the nation's defensemen during 2009-10. The offensive rear guard was on the 2010 Frozen Four All-Tourney Team after tying the NCAA record with five assists in the semifinals, and was WCHA Defensive Player of the Year that same season. Game-winning goal scorer in the 2006 NCAA Championship Game against Boston College, Tom Gilbert earned second-team All-America honors and was on both the NCAA Frozen Four and NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Teams. UW's top scorer from the blue line as both a freshman and senior, he shared for the national lead with 12 goals among defenders. He also finished plus-70 for his UW career.

Goaltender
A First-Team All-American in 2004 and the NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player, despite UW falling in the regional final, Bernd Bruckler (2001-05) won 51 games and ranks fifth on UW's all-time career save percentage list with a .916 mark and fifth with a 2.48 goals-against average. He also ranks fifth with eight career shutouts.

Honorable Mention
Forwards: Derek Stepan, Dylan Holloway, Michael Mersch, Luke Kunin, Craig Smith, Linus Weissbach
Defenseman: Jeff Dessner, Ryan McDonagh, Jake McCabe, Ryan Suter, Jake Gardiner
Goaltenders: Kyle McClellan, Joel Rumpel, Graham Melanson, Scott Gudmandson