The reframing of the outlook for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team started in the first 10 games that coach Mike Hastings spent behind the bench.
The Badgers finished October with an eye-opening sweep of then-No. 1 Minnesota in Minneapolis, a season-building set of results. They opened November with a home sweep of Michigan in a series that featured a reawakening of the Kohl Center crowd.
Their 9-1 start got them to No. 1 in the national rankings by the middle of November, a stunning climb to prominence that changed expectations for the season.
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Hastings and Wisconsin players viewed the end of the season through a much harsher lens Friday night after they lost in overtime to Quinnipiac in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But goalie Kyle McClellan, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, offered some perspective on the six months of ups and downs that he and the Badgers experienced.
The Badgers brought excitement and passion back in 2023-24, forward Cruz Lucius said.
Wisconsin started the season outside the national top 20 and picked for fifth of seven teams in the Big Ten. It likely will finish in the top 10 nationally after playing for the league championship on the final weekend of the regular season.
“I’m proud of the group,” McClellan said outside the Badgers locker room Friday after the season finished with a…
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