Badger men's hockey vs. #2 Michigan, NCAA Tournament bubble
After slipping down the national rankings, Wisconsin men's hockey could earn a significant boost to its NCAA Tournament chances this weekend
Madison, WI — With only four regular-season games remaining, Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey has plenty to play for. After dropping six straight games, UW has managed to win three of its past four, but the competition jumps back up a notch this weekend in Madison.
No. 13/14 Wisconsin (18-10-2, 11-9-0 Big Ten), sitting in a precarious position in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament picture, welcomes the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines to Madison for a two-game series. As the Badgers hope to cling to their position in the conference standings, with the Ohio State Buckeyes trailing closely behind, UW head coach Mike Hastings is hoping for an assist from the home crowd one last time this regular season.
“We’ve gotta utilize it,” Hastings said of the advantage gained from playing in front of a home crowd this weekend. UW could clinch home ice for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament with a sweep this weekend, depending on how OSU fares against Penn State.
“Chasing a game is not real entertaining if you’re the home crowd,” continued Hastings. “So, for us, getting off to good starts, trying to get [the fans] involved, because we’re doing what we need to be doing on both ends of the rink.”
Finding a way to get those “good starts” will be critical against a Michigan team that can score at will. Especially while Wisconsin remains shorthanded defensively due to injuries.
Who to watch: Wisconsin men’s hockey senior class
Although Wisconsin has an opportunity to play at least one more home game after this weekend, if it holds onto or improves its fourth-place position in the Big Ten, in the conference tournament, UW will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday. Before its regular-season home finale, the seven Badgers will be honored.
Captain Ben Dexheimer
“From where he was three years ago to where he’s at today, as a young man, representing our program as a leader, representing his family, and how his game has grown, we need to lean on him through this time, but that’s something that he wants,” Hastings said about Dexheimer. “And it’s something that he wanted this summer was to be a part of that leadership group, and I think he earned that. Hopefully he can finish his career here on a high.”
Before mentioning the possibility of team success, Dexheimer is indeed finishing his career in Madison on a high note. His six goals this season are a career-high, his 15 points in Big Ten play lead the conference in scoring among all defenseman, and he’s played an integral role in quarterbacking UW’s power play that ranks fourth nationally.
Kyle Kukkonen
After transferring to UW from Michigan Tech, Kyle Kukkonen has tallied 25 points in his past two seasons for the Badgers. This season, as Wisconsin has had its depth tested by injuries, the Anaheim Ducks draft pick has been relied upon as a top-six forward for UW.
Simon Tassy
The transfer by way of Minnesota State, coming to Madison along with the hiring of Hastings, is currently riding a three-game goal streak after ending an 11-game absence from the scoresheet.
“Those offensive guys need a little bit of candy to feel good about it,” Hastings said of the forward’s recent success. “And he’s moving in a good direction.
Christian Fitzgerald
Along with Tassy, Hastings, and associate head coach Todd Knott, forward Christian Fitzgerald made the move from Mankato to Madison after his freshman year. On the ice, Fitzgerald leads the Badgers in goals. But it is off the ice that he and Tassy may have made the larger impact for Hastings.
“They’ve been guys I’ve leaned on—or we’ve leaned on—to deliver messages early in the process,” Hastings explained. “And then at the end of the day, they just became part of the rest of the group. And again, they’ve had some peaks and valleys throughout their time here, but they’ve stuck with it.
“They’re both prepared not only in the hockey side, but the life side of what’s gonna go in front of them.”
Tyson Dyck
Ottawa Senators prospect Tyson Dyck joined the Wisconsin men’s hockey team as a sophomore. After one season at UMass, Dyck entered the portal and joined UW the same offseason as Hastings. The British Columbia native’s offensive game has flourished in his final campaign. The left-handed forward has scored a career-high five goals and 15 points this season.
Jack Horbach
Naperville, Illinois native Jack Horbach has done a little bit of everything for the Badgers. Due to injuries and absences of UW’s top players participating in international tournaments, the former USHL Madison Capitols captain has played on the wing, at center, and as a defenseman for UW.
Among all current Badger men’s hockey players, Horbach leads the way in shorthanded scoring with three goals on the PK in his career.
Aiden Dubinsky
After three seasons with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, Aiden Dubinsky transferred to UW this offseason. His first goal as a Badger came in Wisconsin’s 6-1 victory over the Michigan Wolverines earlier this season.
What to watch: UW’s precarious goaltending situation
Any debate over who should be Wisconsin’s starting goaltender has been put to the side, at least for now. Last weekend, in the second period of UW’s series-opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Badgers goaltender Daniel Hauser suffered an injury that left him sidelined the remainder of the weekend.
On Tuesday, Hastings said that Hauser, who has started 23 of 30 games for Wisconsin this season, was “questionable” to play this weekend against the Wolverines.
“Everything we’ve got back from the docs is that structurally, he’s good,” Hastings said of the Alberta native’s injury. “So now it’s gonna be range of motion, and can he get back to where he needs to get back to so that we can rely upon him. Right now it’s day-to-day.”
Hauser’s potential absence leaves Eli Pulver, who allowed five goals on 39 shots for an .872 save percentage in Columbus, as Wisconsin’s presumed starter this weekend. The sophomore’s season has been marred by ups and downs.
He earned his first two starts this season in East Lansing, leading UW to a sweep of the top-ranked Michigan State Spartans.
In Pulver’s last five starts, he has been pulled three times (keeping in mind that Hauser was unavailable due to injury in Pulver’s most recent outing). Since those wins over MSU, Wisconsin is 1-3 in games where Pulver is in the net at the final buzzer.
Hastings’ hope seems to be that a slight change in mindset and preparation might level-set Pulver ahead of this weekend.
“Maybe he feels a little more comfortable by not seeing somebody competing against him day in and day out right now,” said Hastings. “But at the end of the day, you’ve gotta be prepared.”
Meanwhile, Hastings confirmed that turning to defensemen Zach Schulz and first-round NHL Draft pick Logan Hensler, who suffered injuries earlier this season, “is not going to be an option.”
So, the defense will continue to hang on for dear life against a Wolverines squad that boasts the highest scoring offense in the country, netting 4.7 goals per game.
Why to watch: It’s do-or-die time for these Badgers
After UW’s best start to a season in 44 years, its hopes of making the NCAA Tournament are on life support. Wisconsin’s fall from the top ranks of college hockey has been stark.
“It’s our last two home games of our regular season, and we’re playing for our playoff life. We’re playing for the NPI [NCAA Percentage Index],” Hastings said. “At the end of the day, we’re playing for Friday.”
Yes, Wisconsin has to take things one game at a time, but, as Hastings illustrated, the postseason picture looms large. In the NPI, the metric used to seed and select teams for the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers sit at 15th—the last team in the field of the 16-team tournament.
That is assuming all conference tournaments break the right way for Wisconsin. If UW cannot improve its spot in the NPI (a win over No. 2 Michigan would go a long way), any team outside the top-16 that wins its conference tournament could take a spot that might otherwise go to Wisconsin.
No teams from Atlantic Hockey are in the top-16 (Bentley is closest at 28th), so the 16th spot in the field will be given to that conference’s automatic qualifier. If Minnesota State, Augustana, Michigan Tech, or Bowling Green (coming in at 16th through 19th of the NPI) knock off St. Thomas (13th) in the CCHA conference tournament, the Tommies would liekly remain in the field ahead of the Badgers, the CCHA Tournament champion would be guaranteed an auto-qualifying spot, and UW would see its place on the postseason bubble popped.
That scenario would be the most likely to keep UW out of the field because St. Thomas is currently the only CCHA team in the top-15 of the NPI, making any other CCHA Tournament champion a threat to Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament hopes. Unlikely championship runs by teams in any of the other four conferences, however, would have the same result.
The easiest way for Wisconsin to guarantee its spot in the NCAA Tournament field is to start collecting some big wins this weekend before hoping to earn more against Penn State (5th in the NPI) on the road.
Where, when, how to watch Wisconsin men’s hockey vs. Michigan Wolverines: Streaming, radio
Where: Kohl Center — University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, Wisconsin
Game 1 - Fan Appreciation Night
When: Friday, February 20, 2026 — 7:00 p.m. Central
Watch: Big Ten Plus
Listen: 1310 AM WIBA // Varsity Network App // Badger Sports Network (Play-by-play: Brian Posick; Analyst: Ian Perrin)
Game 2 - Senior Night
When: Saturday, February 21, 2026 — 6:00 p.m. Central
Watch: Big Ten Plus
Listen: 1310 AM WIBA // Varsity Network App // Badger Sports Network
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