Caufield scores 50+, NHL playoffs begin April 18 for Badgers in the Bigs
April 18, 2026 | Men's Hockey, NHL Badgers
Forward becomes second Badger to score 50 goals, sets school single-season NHL mark
MADISON, Wis. – Cole Caufield has been a scoring machine lately, notching his 50th goal of the season on Thursday, April 9, just 23 days after he scored his 40th goal of the season on March 17.
Of course he does it tonight 🙌 https://t.co/VRpwwRtkWF
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
The Montreal Canadiens forward became the second Badger to score 50 goals in a season, matching Dany Heatley's accomplishment in 2006 and 2007.
Caufield did one better than Heatley and finished the regular season ranking second in the NHL with 51 goals. He posted 88 total points in 81 games played to tie for 15th in the league in the category and sit second on the Canadiens' roster.
Congrats Cole Caufield!!!
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
The second Badger in school history to score 50 goals in an NHL season
Dany Heatley did it twice pic.twitter.com/xBtVFDbjlA
Atlantic Division three-seed Montreal begins its hunt for the Stanley Cup with a best-of-seven first-round matchup against the Atlantic two-seed Tampa Bay Lightning starting Sunday, April 19 at 4:45 p.m. CT on TNT.
Tampa Bay is home to Badger defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who has six goals and 21 points in 48 games played to rank fourth among defensemen on the roster in scoring. McDonagh missed time with an injury.
⚡️ Erik Cernak (#81) puts it home in the slot for his 3rd goal of the season! Ryan McDonagh (#27) and Zemgus Girgensons (#28) pick up the assists.#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/OFaKHR6Y2F
— Future Bolts (@FutureBolts_) April 15, 2026
Defenseman K'Andre Miller plays for the Metropolitan Division top-seed Carolina Hurricanes, who will play the Eastern Conference second Wild Card, the Ottawa Senators, starting Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In 72 regular-season games played, Miller has eight goals and 37 points to rank second among defensemen on the roster in scoring.
Key is 6'5" but only Cares saw him coming pic.twitter.com/LsLtOLfi5e
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 10, 2026
On April 9, Dallas Stars forward Cameron Hughes scored his first career NHL goal in his fourth major league game after skating in 456 AHL contests. He skated in his fifth NHL game on April 11 before being loaned back to the Texas Stars to prepare for the AHL playoffs.
Central Division two-seed Dallas starts its Stanley Cup playoffs against the Central three-seed Minnesota Wild on Saturday, April 18, at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
FIRST CAREER NHL GOAL!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐
— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2026
29-year-old Cameron Hughes nets his first one for the @DallasStars after playing 456 AHL games! 👏
📺: @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
️ pic.twitter.com/ddeZ6mZqVM
Also in the playoffs for the West are defenseman Ty Emberson and forward Trent Frederic, who both skate for the Edmonton Oilers. In 72 games, Emberson has two goals and 12 points, while Frederic has four goals and seven points in 74 games played.
The Oilers, the second seed in the Pacific Division, will take on the Anaheim Ducks, the division's third seed, in the best-of-seven opening round starting Monday, April 20, at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
Freddy finds it 👀 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/oSmDVrrBez
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 17, 2026
Alex Turcotte, a forward on the West's second wild card team, the L.A. Kings, has three goals and 14 points in 62 games. In round one, the Kings are set to play Central Division and overall top-seed, the Colorado Avalanche, starting Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. CT on TNT.
Freddy finds it 👀 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/oSmDVrrBez
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 17, 2026
Forward Dylan Holloway and the St. Louis Blues finished the regular season with 86 points, just four out of the second Wild Card spot in the West. Holloway was tied for second on the Blues' roster in scoring with 51 points and was second with 22 goals in 59 games played, marking his second consecutive 20-goal season.
Congrats to Dylan Holloway!!!
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
Notched his second straight 20-goal season last night for the St. Louis Blues pic.twitter.com/9GhUD98bGM
Defenseman Jake McCabe of the Toronto Maple Leafs finished the year with five goals and 25 points in 80 games played.
Jake McGoals!@OREO | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/IJOKsR30U9
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 29, 2026
Through 62 games played, Florida Panthers forward Luke Kunin had four goals and 10 points.
KUNIN BUILT A SNOWMAN pic.twitter.com/19wkNFO5yH
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 16, 2026
Wisconsin alumni at the AHL and ECHL levels have also had strong seasons
Forward Blake Montgomery, who just signed an entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators, made his professional debut with the AHL's Belleville Senators on April 15 after joining the team on an Amateur Tryout Agreement contract for the remainder of its season. He scored his first professional goal in his second career game on Friday, April 17.
🚨 FIRST AHL GOAL for Blake Montgomery at 2:05
— Belleville Senators (@BellevilleSens) April 18, 2026
🍎 Graeme Clarke
🍎 Scott Harrington https://t.co/Ij06k8r9Nk pic.twitter.com/omIAQMCRJa
Defenseman Ben Dexheimer made his professional debut on April 17 with the AHL's Iowa Wild, where he is finishing the season on an Amateur Tryout Agreement contract before starting his one-year entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild next year.
Big day for Dex! 🥳
— Iowa Wild (@IAWild) April 18, 2026
Join us in congratulating Ben Dexheimer on playing in his first AHL game tonight 👏#WildTerritory x @BadgerMHockey pic.twitter.com/tyBDi75zPF
There are currently two Badgers on the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets – defenseman Corson Ceulemans and forward Roman Ahcan.
Ceulemans has eight goals and 24 points in 62 games played to rank second among defensemen on the team in scoring, while Ahcan has 16 goals and 24 points in 65 games to rank third on the roster in goals.
Ro is too good at finding the camera fr 📸 https://t.co/KNGo9kfdeW pic.twitter.com/VvUxkJhkmD
— x-Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) April 15, 2026
The Monsters have clinched a playoff spot and will play for the Calder Cup starting later this month.
Ryland Mosley, who skated for the Monsters in the first half of the season, was traded to the Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, in March. In four games played for Rockford, the forward has one assist. Ahead of the trade, Mosley also spent a period of time with the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, racking up five goals and seven points in 12 games played.
Mosley² ™️ https://t.co/lDE5QA3jGY pic.twitter.com/8O4DYBBYrR
— x-Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) March 8, 2026
Multiple other Badger forwards have been picking up points in the AHL. In Calgary, forward David Silye has three goals and nine points in 56 games played for the Wranglers. Forward Carson Bantle of the Grand Rapids Griffins has three goals and seven points in 52 games played. He was loaned back to the ECHL's Toledo Walleye ahead of the ECHL playoffs.
Bishop finds Silye at the slot 💥 pic.twitter.com/vXjD7E5o6y
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) April 11, 2026
Mathieu De St. Phalle has two goals in 11 games played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, while splitting time with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers, where he has 12 goals and 36 points in 52 games to rank third on the team in scoring.
🚨MATTY DE ST. PHALLE GETS THIS GAME STARTED🚨
— xy-Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) April 11, 2026
🚨Matty De St. Phalle#SteelTheMoment pic.twitter.com/54kt1XGgIh
Also in the ECHL, forward Owen Lindmark has four goals in 13 points in 28 games played for the Tulsa Oilers after missing some of the season due to injury, while also skating in three games for the AHL's San Diego Gulls this year.
LINDMARK PUTS THE PUCK INTO THE EMPTY NET AND IT'S A SWEEP ON THE WEEKEND! 6-3 OILERS pic.twitter.com/8xYfqID8Rz
— Tulsa Oilers (@tulsa_oilers) March 1, 2026
Forward Cody Laskosky has 12 goals and 20 points in 49 games played for the ECHL's Indy Fuel, after tallying three goals and six points in 11 games for the Tahoe Knight Monsters to start the season before being traded to Indy. His totals of 15 goals and 38 points tie for second on the Fuel in both categories.
Cody Laskosky ties the game 1-1 with a goal at 7:25 assisted by Marcus Joughin and Jesse Tucker. https://t.co/QzOFwoobCd pic.twitter.com/Pn5G1v3Mo1
— Indy Fuel (@IndyFuel) April 15, 2026
Ryan Wagner, a forward on the ECHL's Rapid City Rush, affiliate of the Calgary Flames, has 21 goals and 60 points in 68 games played to lead the team in scoring.
THE CAP 🫡
— Rapid City Rush (@RapidCityRush) March 29, 2026
🚨 R. Wagner
🍎 B. Russell
🍎 Q. Olson pic.twitter.com/DcTvYk5ppu
Wheeling Nailers defenseman Daniel Laatsch, affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has three goals and 11 points in 29 ECHL games played. He also played 10 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, notching three assists.
🚨MIKE POSMA TIES THIS GAME IN THE 1ST🚨
— xy-Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) March 8, 2026
🚨Mike Posma
🍎Daniel Laatsch
🍏Tanner Andrew#SteelTheMoment pic.twitter.com/aoV3GIrAIa
On the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads, affiliate of the Dallas Stars, is forward Ty Pelton-Byce, who has 13 goals and 41 points in 59 games played to rank sixth on the roster in scoring.
🚨 PELTON-BYCE 🚨
— Idaho Steelheads (@Steelheads) April 12, 2026
Making it 4-2 with just over 7 left in the second
🍏 Portz, Punnett pic.twitter.com/a20pbdyXrx
Between the pipes in the ECHL are former Badger goalies Kyle McClellan and Tommy Scarfone. McClellan had three wins in 12 games played for the Cincinnati Cyclones until he was traded to the Florida Everblades in March, where he has three wins in three starts, accumulating a .952 save percentage, 1.00 goals-against average and one shutout.
that one's gonna sting in the morning pic.twitter.com/vo4W0fPKTw
— Florida Everblades (@FL_Everblades) April 12, 2026
Scarfone, who, along with McClellan, made up an all-Badger goalie tandem in Cincinnati, has seven wins in 18 games played for the Cyclones, accumulating 3.59 goals-allowed on average and a .883 save percentage.
