When it comes to NCAA hockey, there are a number of institutions, such as Minnesota, Boston College and Denver, that are always kicking around during championship season. And while they may not have much recent success on the men’s side, the University of Wisconsin is another program with a deep history of winning, and the men’s team is certainly looking to get back to the greatness of past regimes.
Although coach Mike Hastings is a newer guy around campus, he knows what it’s going to take for the Badgers to be winners again. “The most important part of a program is the players,” he said. “Once you start investing in the players, that’s the start of any culture.”
A strong believer in the Badgers, Hastings also wants to align his staff and players to ensure they remain on the same page. And while Hastings believes the program provides the resources needed to be the best both academically and athletically, he knows it must be worked for – and that’s what sets them apart. “You have to earn what you get both on and off the ice here,” he said.
With this in mind, Hastings also knows that building up his players and who they are away from the rink is of equal importance. “I think it’s really important that you provide these players with a platform so that they can be prepared when they get out into the real world,” he said, “We try to invest in the entire human being and not just the idea of the hockey side.”
For Hastings and his staff, investing in the entire human being begins in the recruiting process. They evaluate what the player is good at, what they struggle with and how they can help them improve. They also learn about the players’ goals and who they are as people. “The recruitment process is recruiting the player but also the person,” Hastings said.
The opportunity to develop elite talent was a primary draw for Hastings when he joined the Badgers in 2023. Beyond player development, though, he was motivated by the program’s storied history and how special it is. The men’s program has captured six national championships across nine appearances and has been a regular in the tournament over the years. The program has also graduated dozens of players to the NHL, the Olympics and even the Hall of Fame, with players like Chris Chelios, Joe Pavelski, Dany Heatley and Curtis Joseph coming to mind.
Thanks to Mark Johnson and his staff churning out talent left and right, women’s hockey at Wisconsin has also been wildly successful. The program has won eight national championships across 12 appearances, including three since 2020, and have made the Frozen Four nearly every year since 2006. As for Olympic and PWHL talent, names like Hilary Knight, Sarah Nurse, Emily Clark and Carla McLeod are a few to have donned the cardinal and white.
Although the great history of winning doesn’t guarantee anything, as Hastings points out, with the women’s program continuing to dominate and the men’s side seemingly back on the rise, the Badgers seem poised to continue to make noise across the NCAA for years to come.
By Jackson Scherger
Jackson Scherger is a journalism student at MacEwan University in Edmonton. Originally from Macklin, Sask., Jackson looks to continue to gain experience in sports journalism as he pursues a career in this field.