Badgers Open Season Ranked No. 6 in Preseason USCHO Men's Poll
Yahoo Sports
The short version
- Wisconsin is ranked No. 6 in the preseason USCHO Division I Men's Poll.
- Denver is No. 1 with 35 first-place votes after winning last season's national title.
- Michigan (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 3), North Dakota (No. 4) and Minnesota Duluth (No. 5) all rank ahead of Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin lost to Denver in last season's championship game.
- Head coach Mike Hastings is pursuing a national title despite roster turnover.
Wisconsin starts the 2026-27 campaign just outside the top five after last season's run to the national title game.
The first USCHO Division I Men's Poll of the 2026-27 season places Wisconsin at No. 6, putting the Badgers just outside the top five as the new campaign begins.
Denver holds the No. 1 spot after beating Wisconsin in last season's national championship game. The Pioneers collected 35 first-place votes.
Michigan is No. 2 with six first-place votes, Michigan State sits third with seven, and North Dakota is fourth with two. Minnesota Duluth also ranks ahead of Wisconsin at No. 5.
The Badgers reached the title game last year on an unexpected tournament run before falling to Denver by one goal. The program lost several key skaters from that team, and head coach Mike Hastings is seeking the program's first national championship since that runner-up finish.
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Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
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