MADISON, Wis. -- Dino Ciccarelli's NHL playing career ended when Ryan Wagner was about three years old, so the Wisconsin sophomore forward never got a good look at the 50-goal scorer during the Hall of Famer's 19-year playing career (1980-99).

Ciccarelli was a 5-10 and 180-pound forward who wasn't ever the largest skater on the ice when he laced up his skates.

However, Ciccarelli made a living going to the one place on an ice sheet that may be the most difficult to get to – the front of the net.

"It's just a matter of getting the puck on the net and getting traffic in front of the goalies," Ciccarelli explained. "I don't know why more teams don't do it."

Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves prefers a different comparison.

"The guy I would mention is Brian Gionta who played at Boston College. In the National Hockey League, he stayed in front of the net. Same tenacious kind of personality on the ice as Ryan and both have skill, determination with a quick stick and are smart in that area of the ice.

"They aren't exactly the same, but they have the same demeanor and that is what makes them effective."

It seems a simple concept. Stand in front of the net where the puck will eventually go. Might be off a goaltender's pad from the rebound of a shot, might be a centering pass from the corner of the ice, might be a point shot from a defenseman on the power play. The puck will eventually find its way there. Former Badger Michael Mersch, who just so happens to come from the same hometown as Wagner, made a living there.

"The other team doesn't like it when you are in front of their net, messing with their goalie, spraying their goalie. Just wreaking havoc," Wagner remarked. "It is a battle to get to the front of the net.

"The defenseman on the other team are pretty much, at all costs, trying to make a path for the goalie to see the puck. They are hacking and whacking and doing whatever they can to try and not allow you to get there and you are, on the other hand, trying to get past them. They make it pretty hard, but you just have to keep your feet moving and grind your way through it."

That grind is something the 5-8, 185-pound Wagner is incorporating into his game this season. It has already paid dividends, like last Friday when Wagner produced his first career two-goal game, both from in front of the Arizona State goal.

"I think we've seen more this year of the Ryan Wagner we saw before he came to Madison," Eaves explained. "He is an offensive player. He's shown some flare so far this year."
 
 Wagner agrees that his confidence is already at a higher level.

"I already have five points this year and we are only eight games in, so I definitely think I've improved since last year," Wagner said. "I'm a smaller guy on paper, but I don't look at myself like a smaller guy. I love getting into the dirty areas and roughing it up with people and throwing them off their own game. I like to play fast. I like to get physical. I just like to have fun with it."

"My first goal last Friday, Jarod Zirbel passed it to Jason Ford and then Jason made an unbelievable backhand pass. I was going hard to the net and I was able to redirect it to the back of the net. It is definitely rewarding once you work hard enough to get to the net, but it is very tough to get there."

One large area of improvement this season for the Badgers has been their power play, and Wagner seems to have carved out a niche on one of the team's two units, similar to that of the much larger Jedd Soleway on UW's other power-play unit.

"On the power play, I might not be the biggest guy, but I can take the eyes away from the goalie by tying up the other team and creating a double screen," Wagner stated. "Maybe tip pucks. Last weekend, Kevin Schulze's shot actually hit off me and I spun around and whacked it out of the air. It is good to have a guy in front of the net who has pretty good skill and I think that has been working out pretty well for us this year."

Getting in front of the net is not the only reason for Wagner's good start to the 2015-16 season.

"Knowing the style of play in college after playing a year, it is a lot quicker and the guys are a lot stronger than what you are used to. You develop some poise and confidence your second year," Wagner stated. "Also getting in a second summer training off the ice with Jim Snider, who is one of the best strength coaches there are. He has helped improve a lot to get stronger and get a faster, tougher game."

Everyone gets in the weight room to improve their game, but not everyone has the toughness that Wagner brings to his game. How does someone just 5-8 gain that love for playing a gritty game?
That could date back to how Wagner's hockey career started. Growing up in Park Ridge, Illinois, it was all in the large family for Wagner.

"I'd probably say my toughness comes from my mom's side," Wagner said. "She is one of 16 brothers and sisters so I have 56 first cousins just on my mom's side of the family.

"Everyone always wanted to be the best. That is where it came from. We were always competing, whether it was basketball, hockey, soccer, swimming or whatever.  

"Whenever the dinner bell came, it was a race to see who could get in line first, or whatever it was -- sitting in the best seat to watch television. There was always fights for just the littlest things."

Part of Wagner's extended family lived a short two-minute walk away in Park Ridge when the sophomore was growing up, and hockey was a big part of their life.

"First they had a sport court in their backyard so we were always rollerblading back there, and they ended up getting synthetic ice," Wagner said. "It was a pretty decent size. I would say 30 feet by 40. You could easily have six people out there to play three on three with a goal. They had a big net behind the goal so pucks wouldn't go into neighbors' yards. It was a fun time growing up. I enjoyed it and I miss it a lot.

"I was pretty much over there every day. I was called their seventh son because I was always over there playing hockey. I would just head over there after school. I would do my homework and then head straight over there. I would eat pretty much dinner there and sleep over there if I didn't have school the next day."

Those weren't just any old cousins. One of those cousin's was Austin Farley, now a senior for Minnesota Duluth, who Wagner considered a role model.

Wagner will see some more familiar faces this weekend with the Badgers trip to No. 1 North Dakota.

"[North Dakota's] Shane Gersich was on the national team with me and Nick Schmaltz was on the team with Seamus Malone, Peter Tischke, Jake Linhart and I on the Chicago Mission. So I am pretty good buds with both of them and really excited to get out there and play against them," Wagner stated.

He also played with Auston Poganski at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament. 

Along with Kevin Schulze, Eddie Wittchow and Luke Kunin, Wagner is among a small group of Badgers who have skated against North Dakota at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

"It is a fun atmosphere to go in there to try and steal a few points," Wagner stated. I am really excited to head out there, hopefully keep things rolling and get a few more wins. It is definitely in our plans going forward."