The University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team had four recruits playing for the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League. Their head coach is joining them on the path to Madison.
The Badgers are hiring Nick Oliver to fill out Mike Hastings’ first coaching staff, sources said Tuesday. Youth Hockey Hub and The Rink Live were first to report the news.
This newly crowned USHL champion has Wisconsin men’s hockey in his plans
Oliver, 32, coached Fargo to the USHL’s Clark Cup final in his only season as head coach. The team won a league high-tying 40 regular-season games, most by a rookie coach in Force history, and he was named the league’s coach of the year.
Force forwards Owen Mehlenbacher and Tanner Walos, defenseman Joe Palodichuk and goalie Anton Castro are committed to the Badgers, so Oliver will have some familiar faces on the roster in upcoming seasons. Mehlenbacher and Palodichuk signed to join UW in the upcoming season.
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Hastings, who earlier brought associate head coach Todd Knott with him from Minnesota State, completed his staff with a former St. Cloud State captain who spent four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater. Oliver went right from a four-year college playing career to a coaching position as an assistant with Sioux Falls of the USHL in 2015 under Madison native Scott Owens.
Oliver’s rise through the coaching ranks has been fast. He spent three seasons in Sioux Falls before going back to St. Cloud, where the Huskies won a National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular-season championship in 2019 and played in the Frozen Four championship game in 2021.
He took over in Fargo last season and also has been a coach at USA Hockey select camps.
The Madison Capitols’ new coach is moving over from the Wisconsin men’s hockey staff
Andy Brandt was the only member of the former Badgers coaching staff that was retained in the transition from Tony Granato to Hastings. Brandt took a job as head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Madison Capitols on May 1.
UW won’t have a former Badgers player as one of its three paid coaches for the first time since 1994.
Meet the 9 former Wisconsin players chasing the Stanley Cup in 2023
Brian Elliott
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
Position: Goalie
2022-23 regular season stats: 12-8-2, 3.40 goals-against average, .891 save percentage
First-round series: The Lightning, third in the Atlantic Division, play the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs.
Trent Frederic
Team: Boston Bruins
Position: Center
2022-23 regular season stats: 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points in 79 games
First-round series: The Bruins, first in the Atlantic Division, play the second Eastern Conference wild card Florida Panthers.
Jake McCabe
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Position: Defense
2022-23 regular season stats: 3 goals, 22 assists, 25 points in 76 games
First-round series: The Maple Leafs, second in the Atlantic Division, play the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning.
K’Andre Miller
Team: New York Rangers
Position: Defense
2022-23 regular season stats: 9 goals, 34 assists, 43 points in 79 games
First-round series: The Rangers, third in the Metropolitan Division, play the second-place New Jersey Devils.
Joe Pavelski
Team: Dallas Stars
Position: Center
2022-23 regular season stats: 28 goals, 49 assists, 77 points in 82 games
First-round series: The Stars, second in the Central Division, play the third-place Minnesota Wild.
Justin Schultz
Team: Seattle Kraken
Position: Defense
2022-23 regular season stats: 7 goals, 27 assists, 34 points in 73 games
Previous Stanley Cup victories: Pittsburgh, 2016 and 2017
First-round series: The Kraken, the first Western Conference Wild Card, play the Central Division first-place Colorado Avalanche.
Brendan Smith
Team: New Jersey Devils
Position: Defense
2022-23 regular season stats: 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points in 60 games
First-round series: The Devils, second in the Metropolitan Division, play the third-place New York Rangers.
Derek Stepan
Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Position: Center
2022-23 regular season stats: 5 goals, 6 assists, 11 points in 73 games
First-round series: The Hurricanes, first in the Metropolitan Division, play the first Eastern Conference wild card New York Islanders.
Ryan Suter
Team: Dallas Stars
Position: Defense
2022-23 regular season stats: 3 goals, 22 assists, 25 points in 82 games
First-round series: The Stars, second in the Central Division, play the third-place Minnesota Wild.
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