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Wisconsin Men's Hockey Falls in Polls During Bye Week

Voters set up a high-profile exhibition contest when the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team his the road this weekend
Kedrick Stumbris|
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings answers a question following practice for the Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday April 8, 2026.
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings answers a question following practice for the Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday April 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After a momentary rise into the nation's top-five, Wisconsin men's hockey has returned to the same spot it held in the preseason rankings.

The Wisconsin Badgers (4-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten) rose in last week's polls after earning an impressive two-game series sweep over the Minnesota State Mavericks. That pair of wins over UW head coach Mike Hastings' former program bumped Wisconsin up two spots after a closer-than-expected series with the Robert Morris Colonials.

Following a bye week, the Badgers are down a spot, right back where they started.

Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey Ranked Sixth in National Polls; Sets up No. 5 vs. No. 6

Wisconsin lost only a handful of voting points in each poll, but teams at the top of the rankings consolidating additional votes squeezed UW out of the top-five, down to No. 6. The Western Michigan Broncos rose one spot, overtaking the Badgers, after WMU's home-and-home sweep of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The result sets up a No. 6 Wisconsin going on the road to visit No. 6 Western Michigan this weekend for an exhibition contest. The matchup is a rematch of last year's Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off championship game.

The night before the Badgers face the Broncos, WMU goes on the road to face the nation's new top-ranked team: the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan visited the Denver Pioneers last weekend, sweeping the reigning national champions in a rematch of their Frozen Four meeting in the penultimate game of the 2025-26 season.

Wisconsin and Western Michigan play inside WMU's Lawson Arena on Saturday, October 24th. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. central. The game can be streamed on NCHC.tv.

The Badgers return to regular-season play on Friday, October 30th when they host Notre Dame for a two-game series inside the Kohl Center.

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Kedrick Stumbris
KEDRICK STUMBRIS

Kedrick Stumbris has covered the Wisconsin Badgers since 2022 with a focus on the Badgers football, men's basketball, and women's hockey programs. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

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