MADISON, Wis. – The 2025-26 Badger men's hockey roster is complete with the addition of 10 talented newcomers, including two via transfer portal and eight freshmen.
Among this stellar group is the USHL Defenseman of the Year, an OHL and Memorial Cup champion, the record holder for most career WHL wins by a goaltender, a three-time NCHC Academic All-Conference Team member, a finalist for 2025 WHL Player of the Year, a USHL regular-season champion who sat second in the league in points per game, and more.
"Overall, we couldn't be more excited about this group and feel we addressed specific needs going into the 2025-26 season," Associate Head Coach Todd Knott said. "There is a combination of talent and grit within this group, and we're going to need both. We are also excited about the character of this group, as many of them were in leadership roles on their previous teams."
The newest skaters joining Badger hockey include transfer portal defenseman Aiden Dubinsky (Highland Park, Ill.) and goaltender Eli Pulver (Vancouver, British Columbia). Dubinsky comes to UW from Minnesota Duluth, while Pulver hails from Minnesota State. Forward Bruno Idžan is officially also part of the class.
Read more about the newcomers and the entire class.
Aiden Dubinsky
Senior, Defense, 6-0, 181, R
Highland Park, Illinois
University of Minnesota-Duluth, NCHC/Tri-City Storm, USHL
Dubinsky finished his junior year at UMD with a career-high four goals and 14 points after appearing in all 36 games last season. A team alternate captain in 2024-25, Dubinsky was a top defensive defenseman for the Bulldogs, with his 14 points ranking third among all blue liners on the roster.
As a sophomore, the defenseman tallied three goals and 12 assists to total a career-high 15 points in 37 games played. After the 2023-24 season, Dubinsky received the team's Mike Sertich Award as the Bulldog's Most Improved Player after tripling his point production from five points (all assists) as a freshman to 15 in his second year.
The defenseman has seven goals and 34 points in 102 collegiate games played over three years at UMD, and he is a three-time NCHC Academic All-Conference Team member and a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. The Highland Park, Illinois, native was invited to the Florida Panthers' development camp in 2024 and the Calgary Flames' camp in 2023.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Dubinsky skated for the USHL's Tri-City Storm in 2021-22, tallying three goals and 15 points in 59 games played. He also spent a season with the Omaha Lancers in 2020-21, totaling one goal and 12 points in 49 games.
Associate Head Coach Todd Knott on Dubinsky:
"He has played a lot of college hockey and will give us very dependable and predictable minutes, replacing guys like Anthony Kehrer and Daniel Laatsch in our lineup."
Eli Pulver
Sophomore, Goaltender, 6-1, 185, L
Vancouver, British Columbia
Minnesota State University, CCHA/Salmon Arm, BCHL
Pulver joins Wisconsin after spending a year at Minnesota State, playing in one game for the Mavericks. He made his first collegiate start on March 1, backstopping MSU to a 5-1 victory over Bemidji State in its final regular season contest of the year. In his first career start, Pulver made 23 saves and finished the year with a .958 save percentage and 1.00 goals allowed on average.
In that same game, Pulver recorded an assist on a Maverick empty-net goal with 2:08 left in the contest, and he received CCHA Rookie of the Week honors on March 3 for his efforts.
Before standing between the pipes for MSU, Pulver spent three years in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (2023-24) and Surrey Eagles (2021-23). In his year with the Silverbacks, the Vancouver, British Columbia, native recorded 23 wins in 38 games played, achieving a .924 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average. In the playoffs, he backstopped the Silverbacks to a conference finals appearance, posting 11 wins in 18 games while maintaining a .943 save percentage and an average of 1.92 goals allowed. In 2023-24, Pulver was also a runner-up for the BCHL's Michael Garteig Trophy, given to the league's top goaltender.
During his first year with the Surrey Eagles in 2021, Pulver amassed 11 wins in 21 games played and a .909 save percentage and 2.80 goals-allowed on average. In his second year, the netminder recorded 23 wins, including six shutouts, in 35 games played for the Eagles, posting a .930 save percentage and 2.29 goals-allowed on average.
Assistant Coach Kevin Murdock on Pulver:
"He's a very solid all-around goaltender. He's calm in net and lets the play come to him. He's had success at every level he's played and gained valuable experience this last year learning how to manage the workload of being a student-athlete."
Also joining the roster is incoming freshman Bruno Idžan (Zagreb, Croatia), who comes to Wisconsin from the USHL's Lincoln Stars.
Bruno Idžan
Freshman, Forward, 6-1, 194, L
Zagreb, Croatia
Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Idžan (pronounced EED-JUHN) comes to Wisconsin after splitting the 2024-25 season between the AlpsHL's KHL Sisak in Croatia and the USHL's Lincoln Stars. He tallied 21 goals and 30 points in 19 games played for KHL Sisak before joining the Stars in mid-December 2024. The forward then notched 22 goals and 44 points in 36 games played for the Stars to rank fifth on the team in points despite playing at least 20 fewer games than those above him.
The forward finished the season ranking second in the USHL with 1.22 points per game (among players who skated in at least two games), helping the Stars to the regular-season championship. In the playoffs, Idžan posted three goals in six postseason games to propel Lincoln to a conference finals appearance. Idžan also skated for Team Croatia at the U20 World Championship - Division I, Group B in 2024, and he helped his national team to a gold medal at the 2023 U20 World Championship - Division 2, Group A.
Before playing for KHL Sisak and the Stars, Idžan skated for HV71 and the Malmö Redhawks in Sweden in 2023-24. He also skated for HV71's J18 and J20 teams in 2022-23, totaling 53 points in 55 games played.
The Zagreb native is the first Croatian-born player to commit to an NCAA Division I men's ice hockey program, and he will be the first Croatian skater to play for the Badgers.
Born in 2006, Idžan is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, clocking at No. 67 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking for North American skaters. The draft runs from Friday to Saturday, June 27-28, with round one taking place on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Rounds 2-7 air on NHL Network on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Associate Head Coach Todd Knott on Idžan:
"He won a regular season championship with the Lincoln Stars and finished second in the USHL in points per game. He's a guy who can really shoot the puck and loves to do so. He plays a very direct game and loves being around the net."
In addition to Idžan, UW men's hockey welcomes seven other previously announced incoming freshmen to its 2025-26 roster.
Forward Finn Brink spent the 2024-25 season as the captain of the USHL's Madison Capitols. In his third season, and second full season, skating for the Capitols, the forward tallied 22 goals and 43 points in 57 games played to rank fifth on the roster. In the playoffs, Brink notched one goal and five points in six postseason games played. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native is a two-time World Junior A Challenge medalist for Team USA, winning gold in 2024, alongside fellow incoming Badger Luke Osburn, and bronze in 2023.
Forward Grady Deering, an assistant captain for the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks, finished the year with 15 goals and 37 points in 60 games played to rank fourth on the team in scoring. The Des Moines, Iowa, native helped the Black Hawks to the 2025 Clark Cup finals, tallying five goals and 10 points in 15 playoff games played as Waterloo fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the winner-take-all game five of the finals. Deering was also a finalist for the USHL's inaugural Gaudreau Award in 2025. Created in memory of Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, the award is given to a player who shows excellence on the ice, care and responsibility, and the spirit of the game.
Goaltender Daniel Hauser comes to Wisconsin after a stellar final season in the Western Hockey League, standing between the pipes for the Wenatchee Wild for the first half of the 2024-25 season before being traded to the Calgary Hitmen in January. In his historic year, Hauser recorded his 123rd career win on March 19, 2025, to set the record for most career WHL wins by a goaltender. The Chestermere, Alberta, native also set a franchise record for the Hitmen after going over 243 minutes without allowing a goal. At the end of the season, Hauser was named one of six finalists for the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy, given annually to the WHL's goaltender of the year. He recorded 28 wins in 47 regular-season games played in 2024-25, ranking second in the league with 2.55 goals-allowed on average and third with a .913 save percentage. Hauser was also named to the WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team for his performance during the season.
Forward Blake Montgomery had a successful season with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights after joining the team in November, helping the Knights to an OHL Championship title and their second consecutive OHL regular season championship trophy. Montgomery tallied 23 goals and 50 points in 51 games played for the Knights, as well as three goals and 10 points in 17 playoff games for London en route to its league championship. His 23 goals were good enough to rank sixth on the roster, while his 50 points placed him in ninth. To cap off his season in the OHL, the 2024 Ottawa Senators draft pick scored the game-winning goal to send the Knights to the 2025 Memorial Cup finals, where they won, 4-1, in the title game against the Medicine Hat Tigers to take home the tournament crown. In five Memorial Cup games played, Montgomery totaled one goal and two points. Prior to joining London, the Annapolis, Maryland, native played for the USHL's Lincoln Stars, recording three goals and 10 points in 10 games played in October 2024 before starting with the Knights.
Defenseman Luke Osburn finished his final season of junior hockey strong, earning 2025 USHL Defenseman of the Year honors. In his second season with the Youngstown Phantoms, Osburn tallied 10 goals and 41 points in 55 games played, leading all defensemen on the team in goals, assists and points. His 41 points were good to rank fourth among all USHL defensemen, and his 0.75 points per game led all blue liners who played at least two games. The Plymouth, Michigan, native set a new franchise record on April 12, 2025, for most career goals by a defenseman with 18, and he received First-Team All-USHL Honors for his efforts over the season. The 2024 Buffalo Sabres draft pick finished the 2024-25 season with 20 power-play points, including 19 assists, and a plus-10 rating. He also helped the Phantoms to the second-lowest scoring defense in the nation with a 2.69 goals-against average. Like incoming freshman Finn Brink, Osburn was also part of Team USA's gold medal-winning roster at the 2024 World Jr. A Challenge.
Forward Oliver Tulk skated in his fourth season for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen in 2024-25, tallying 38 goals and a career-high 100 points in 65 games played. His 100 points led the Hitmen roster during the regular season and ranked sixth among all WHL skaters, earning him WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team honors. The Gibsons, British Columbia, native was one of six finalists for two major WHL awards: the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, given to the WHL player of the year, and the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy, given out to the league's most sportsmanlike player. The well-rounded forward also finished the regular season with a 65.6-percent success rate in the faceoff circle, which topped centers with at least 800 faceoff attempts. In the playoffs, Tulk recorded four goals and nine points in 11 postseason games played before the Hitmen fell in a winner-take-all game seven to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in round two of the playoffs.
Finally,
forward Vasily Zelenov finished his season with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers with 14 goals and 33 points in 54 games played. He ranked third on the team in goals and fifth in points and assists. A native of Moscow, Zelenov will be the first Russian-born player to skate for UW men's hockey. The forward is one of three incoming freshmen drafted to NHL teams as seventh-round pick (204th overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He joins Osburn (fourth round, 108th overall) as a 2024 Sabres draft pick, while Montgomery was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round at 177th overall in that same year.
These 10 talented newcomers join Wisconsin's 16 returning skaters, including the Badgers' 2024-25 leading scorer
Quinn Finley and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selections
Gavin Morrissey and
Logan Hensler, to make up UW's 2025-26 men's hockey roster.
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Wisconsin men's hockey campaign are available here. Don't miss the chance to join the fun and spend next fall and winter with fellow Badger fans to help build on the great tradition at the Kohl Center.
| NAME |
POSITION |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
LAST TEAM |
| Aiden Dubinsky |
Defenseman |
Sr. |
Highland Park, Ill. |
Minnesota Duluth (NCAA) |
| Eli Pulver |
Goaltender |
So. |
Vancouver, B.C. |
Minnesota State (NCAA) |
| Bruno Idžan |
Forward |
Fr. |
Zagreb, Croatia |
Lincoln (USHL) |
| Finn Brink |
Forward |
Fr. |
Maple Grove, Minn. |
Madison (USHL) |
| Grady Deering |
Forward |
Fr. |
Des Moines, Iowa |
Waterloo (USHL |
| Daniel Hauser |
Goaltender |
Fr. |
Chestermere, AB |
Calgary (WHL) |
| Blake Montgomery |
Forward |
Fr. |
Annapolis, Md. |
London (OHL) |
| Luke Osburn |
Defenseman |
Fr. |
Plymouth, Mich. |
Youngstown (USHL) |
| Oliver Tulk |
Forward |
Fr. |
Gibsons, B.C. |
Calgary (WHL) |
| Vasily Zelenov |
Forward |
Fr. |
Moscow, Russia |
Green Bay (USHL) |
