MADISON, Wis. – The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with three Badgers – two on the Edmonton Oilers and one on the Dallas Stars – advancing to the Western Conference Final.
This guarantees that a former UW skater will play for the most famous trophy in sports as the Western Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Final.
All time, 14 Badgers have their names on the Stanley Cup as winning players a total of 22 times. Both are tops among NCAA programs.
Trent Frederic and Ty Emberson, the two Badgers on the Edmonton Oilers, defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to earn a spot in the conference finals. The Oilers will face Brendan Smith and the Dallas Stars in round three, with game one set for Wednesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
This marks the second year in a row that the Oilers and Stars will meet in the conference finals, with Edmonton beating Dallas, four-games-to-two, to advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup finals.
Forward Frederic has one goal and three points in 11 playoff games played this year, while defenseman Emberson is still searching for his first postseason point after playing in nine games.
To earn their spot in the finals, defenseman Smith and the Stars defeated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, four-games-to-two. After playing in 32 regular-season games, Smith is looking to make his playoff debut with the Stars in the third round.
In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in seven games, knocking Badger Jake McCabe out of the playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, whose president of hockey operations and general manager, Bill Zito, earned a law degree from Wisconsin and served as a graduate assistant during his time as a UW law student, will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
McCabe finished his playoff run with four assists in 13 games played.
One Wisconsin alumnus in the AHL is also in the playoffs as Cameron Hughes and the Texas Stars continue their quest for the Calder Cup.
The Stars are currently tied, 1-1, with the Milwaukee Admirals in the Central Division finals after defeating the Grand Rapids Griffins, 3-0, in the division semifinals. In five games played in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, the forward has two goals and nine points, including scoring the game winner in double overtime to send the Stars to the division finals.
In the ECHL, one Badger remains alive as his team chases the Kelly Cup.
Forward
Carson Bantle and the Toledo Walleye won their second-round series, four-games-to-two, against the Fort Wayne Komets, who are home to former Badger skaters Jack Gorniak and Tyler Inamoto. The Walleye are facing the Kansas City Mavericks in the Western Conference Final, and are already up, 2-0, in the series.
In 10 playoff games played, Bantle has two goals and four points.
Before getting eliminated, forward Gorniak notched two goals and three points in 13 playoff games played, while defenseman Inamoto had three assists in 13 games.
Badgers advancing to round three of the NHL playoffs:
Western Conference
Dallas Stars - Brendan Smith (2007-10)
Edmonton Oilers - Ty Emberson (2018-21), Trent Frederic (2016-18)
