Wisconsin men’s hockey team prepares for preseason trip

Per a press release from Paul Capobianco, the Badgers men’s hockey team is beginning practice on Monday before it’s preseason foreign tour to British Columbia. Coach Tony Granato’s lads will play two games against University of British Columbia between August 28th and September 2nd. Hopefully this preseason bonding will lead the team back to the NCAA Tournament this year.

Here is the release in full:

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men’s hockey program begins its summer practice schedule on Monday in preparation for its preseason foreign tour to Canada where it will skate in a pair of exhibition contests against the University of British Columbia.

Wisconsin’s trip will run from Aug. 28 through Sept. 2.

UW begins practice on Monday, July 8. The Badgers will hold a second practice on Wednesday, July 10 beginning approximately 5:15 p.m. at their Kohl Center/LaBahn Arena complex. Coaches and student-athletes will be available to the media following Wednesday’s practice.

Wisconsin will practice four more times through the end of the month and is expected to conduct four additional practices in August prior to departing for the trip.

The Badgers are scheduled to take on British Columbia on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. local time, and again on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. local time.

Led by head coach Tony Granato, who will enter his fourth season behind the bench, the Badgers open the 2019-20 campaign on Friday, Oct. 11 at Boston College. UW opens its home slate with a Kohl Center series on Oct. 18-19 against two-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth.

The Badgers welcome the return of six of their top seven scorers and six of their top-nine goal scorers from the 2018-19 season to a program that adds four NHL draft picks, including a pair from the top 15 of the 2019 NHL Draft. That doesn’t include a third projected first-round NHL draft pick for the 2020 NHL draft.