Revisiting Wisconsin men's hockey's last Frozen Four appearance

It's been 16 long years since the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team last made the Frozen Four. While Mark Johnson has led the women's team to back-to-back National Championships , Wisconsin can at least say it is the only school in the NCAA to have both its men's and women's teams make the Frozen Four in 2026. Now, it's Mike Hastings' turn.

The Spencer Penrose Award finalist had great success at Minnesota State, making it to a pair of Frozen Fours and one National Title game in his 11 seasons. Hastings is well aware of this program's hunger for tournament success, as this is the farthest its men's squad has made it since 2010. That year, Wisconsin made it all the way to the national title game before it was shut out by Boston College.

That year, Wisconsin took care of business in the West Regional. It made the short trip to St. Paul, MN, where it took down No.

4 Vermont, 3-2, and defeated No. 2 St. Cloud State, 5-3, to advance to the Frozen Four.