Wisconsin men’s hockey: non-conference schedule released

On Monday afternoon, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team announced their full non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 season. After playing all of their home games at La Bahn Arena last season, the Badgers will be back at the Kohl Center starting on Oct. 8 for a series against Michigan Tech.

The defending Big Ten champion Badgers haven’t played their old WCHA rival Huskies since 2018, but it’ll be nice to see a familiar old jersey in the barn to open the season. The next weekend sees the Badgers host Army, a team they haven’t played since 1967. The Black Knights will be in town the same weekend as their football team which is a fun little bit of synergy, isn’t it?

Next up is Wisconsin’s first road trip of the season and it’s a doozy. St. Cloud State were national runners up last year and will definitely be looking to knock off the Badgers as these two teams were also old conference rivals. UW hasn’t played the Huskies since 2013. Clarkson comes to Madison over Thanksgiving weekend and then UW plays the US Under-18 Developmental Team on Dec. 3.

The non-conference slate finishes up with the Holiday Face-Off at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Dec. 28-29. Originally scheduled for last season, but postponed due to COVID-19, the mini tournament features UW, Bowling Green, Providence and Yale. This will be UW’s first game in the home of the NBA-champion Milwaukee Bucks and will mark UW’s first game in the Cream City since winning the 2006 NCAA championship against Boston College at the Bradley Center.

The Badgers will have a much different look than last season as Hobey Baker Award winner Cole Caufield is now starring for the Montreal Canadiens and his sidekick Dylan Holloway is preparing to try and make the Edmonton Oilers roster.