MADISON, Wis. – The 2025-26 NHL season is officially underway, and many Badgers in the professional ranks are off to a great start.
Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield is already top 10 in the NHL in goals, tying for seventh with five goals in seven games played, including scoring electric game-tying and overtime-winning goals in Montreal's 3-2 win over the Predators on Oct. 16.
In addition to five goals, Caufield has three assists for a total of eight points, enough to rank second on the Canadiens roster.
The only team to start its season with multiple Badgers is the Edmonton Oilers. Defenseman Ty Emberson has two assists in six games played, while forward Trent Frederic has one goal in six games.
To round out the forwards, Alex Turcotte of the Los Angeles Kings has one assist in six games, Luke Kunin of the Florida Panthers has one assist in seven games and Dylan Holloway of the St. Louis Blues has one goal in five games.
In six games played with his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes, after being traded there from the New York Rangers over the summer, defenseman K'Andre Miller has two goals and four points, tied for second among defensemen on the roster. Both of his goals so far came in the Hurricanes' season opener on Oct. 9.
Also on the blue line is the Tampa Bay Lightning's Ryan McDonagh, who has two goals and three points in six games played.
Jake McCabe, a defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs, is tied for 10th in the league in plus-minus with a plus-six rating. In six games played, he has one goal and two points.
Wisconsin alumni at the AHL and ECHL levels have also started their seasons.
There are currently four Badgers on the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets – defensemen Corson Ceulemans and Brendan Smith and forwards
Ryland Mosley and Roman Ahcan.
Mosley reached a milestone recently, scoring his first professional goal in his third game of the season on Oct. 18.
Ceulemans and Smith are still searching for their first points of the year, while Ahcan has an assist.
Forward Joseph LaBate of the Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, has two goals and three points in four games played.
Cameron Hughes, a forward on the AHL's Texas Stars, affiliate of the Dallas Stars, has two assists in four games played.
Multiple other AHL Badgers – Calgary Wranglers forward David Silye, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Matthieu de St. Phalle, Grand Rapids Griffins forward Carson Bantle, San Diego Gulls forward
Owen Lindmark and Springfield Thunderbirds defenseman
Anthony Kehrer – are still searching for their first point of the season.
In the ECHL, forward
Cody Laskosky of the Tahoe Knight Monsters, an affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, scored his first professional goal in his first professional game – Tahoe's first of the season. He has one goal in three games played.
Coming off his historic season for the Rapid City Rush, affiliate of the Calgary Flames, Ryan Wagner has two assists in two games played, tallying his 100th career ECHL point on Oct. 17. Wagner set the franchise mark last season with 50 assists and tied the top franchise mark with 79 points.
Recent Wisconsin graduate
Daniel Laatsch, a defenseman on the Wheeling Nailers, affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, had two assists in his first professional game.
On the Idaho Steelheads, affiliate of the Dallas Stars, is forward Ty Pelton-Byce, who has one goal and two points in three games played.
