Wisconsin Badgers' Cruz Lucius (51) during an NCAA menÃ?s hockey match against Lakehead on Sunday October 2, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin.Photo by Tom Lynn/Wisconsin Athletic Communications

Tom Lynn

Men's Hockey October 06, 2022 Clara Boudette

Quick Six: Badgers open regular season at Ohio State

Wisconsin jumps into Big Ten conference play with two-game series against the Buckeyes

Men's Hockey October 06, 2022 Clara Boudette

Quick Six: Badgers open regular season at Ohio State

Wisconsin jumps into Big Ten conference play with two-game series against the Buckeyes

Jared Moe lines up ahead of UW men's hockey exhibition game

MADISON— The Wisconsin men's hockey team begins the regular season Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, with a pair of Big Ten matchups against Ohio State in Columbus.

Here are six quick things to know before tuning in:

Rosters: Badgers || Ohio State

1 - GO B1G OR GO HOME: For the first time outside of the 2020-21 season, the Badgers are opening their regular season with a Big Ten match up. In past seasons, Wisconsin began the year with non-conference opponents before kicking off conference play. This season's schedule provides the Badgers with an opportunity to take a stab at conference opponents straight out of the gate.

Other than the 2020-21 season, this marks the first time since the 2009-10 campaign that UW opens its season with conference play. UW played host to Colorado College on Oct. 16-17 that season.

UW did play earlier Big Ten contests in 2017-18 when it played host to Ohio State on Oct. 6 and 7, but had opened with a victory over Michigan Tech on Oct. 1.

The UW-OSU series will be the only Big Ten series played until Oct. 28-29 when three league series are played.

2 - LOOK OUT FOR LUCIUS: Freshman forward and Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Cruz Lucius established himself as a player to watch when he scored in the Badger's exhibition contest against Lakehead.

Lucius signed on to the Badgers this summer and comes to Wisconsin from the U.S NTDP where he spent two seasons. Carolina selected him in the fourth round, 124th overall, during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

🎥: Freshman Cruz Lucius gets the Badgers on the board!
🍎: Jugnauth, Vorlicky pic.twitter.com/ZHwKfRCjKc
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) October 2, 2022

3 - BACK FOR MORE: The Badgers return their top three point-getters from last season in junior forward Mathieu De St. Phalle (10-12=22), sophomore defenseman Corson Ceulemans (7-15=22) and graduate student Brock Caufield (7-12=19).

The Badgers also welcome back senior goaltender Jared Moe, who posted a 2.97 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in his first year at UW last season.

Returning to @BadgerMHockey for the 2022-23 season: Mathieu De St. Phalle, F

🏒 Son of former Badger Jacques De St. Phalle (1982-83)
🏒 Led the team with 10 goals and 22 points in 2021-22 #Badgers x #B1GHockey pic.twitter.com/RPFI6gUSeR
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) September 30, 2022

4 - FRESH FACES: Eight newcomers join the Badgers including a pair of transfers in junior forward Ty Smilanic (Quinnipiac) and junior goaltender Kyle McClellan (Mercyhurst). Smilanic comes to the Badgers with 27 career collegiate goals, five more than the next closest Badger (Caufield - 22).

In addition to Lucius, freshman Charlie Stramel also joins UW from the U.S. National Team Development Program and is expected to add a scoring punch to the lineup. Stramel (pronounced STRAY-muhl) is projected as a first-round pick for the 2023 NHL Draft.

A pair of new blue liners are also offensive-minded with 2022 BCHL Defenseman of the Year Tyson Jugnauth a Seattle fourth-round pick in 2022 and former Madison Capitols' rear guard Ben Dexheimer ranked among the USHL's top scorers on defense with eight goals and 47 points last season.

5 - GAME TIMES: Game times are set for the Badgers home games this season.

Bally Sports Wisconsin will televise 18 men's hockey games during the 2022-23 season. That begins on Friday, Oct. 14, when the Badgers host the No. 10 St. Cloud State Huskies.

The broadcast schedule also features the Holiday Face-off taking place at Fiserv Forum on Dec. 28 and 29.

All Badger hockey games televised on Bally Sports Wisconsin and Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra will also be streamed on the Bally Sports app and Bally Sports+, as well as on B1G+.

In honor of the return of @mikevorlicky after missing last year due to injury, we're playing our home opening series games on Oct. 14-15 against No. 10 @SCSUHuskies_MH at 7 p.m. pic.twitter.com/vTYIasCpMI
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) October 3, 2022

6 - HOW TO WATCH OHIO STATE: Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CT on Friday and 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. Stream the games on B1G+ and follow along on Twitter at @BadgerMHockey.

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Players Mentioned

#19 Brock Caufield: F; 5' 9"; Graduate Student; R

#4 Corson Ceulemans: D; 6' 2"; Sophomore; R

#12 Mathieu De St. Phalle: F; 5' 9"; Junior; R

#35 Jared Moe: G; 6' 4"; Senior; L

#27 Tyson Jugnauth: D; 6' 0"; Freshman; L

#20 Ben Dexheimer: D; 5' 9"; Freshman; R

#29 Ty Smilanic: F; 6' 1"; Junior; L

#31 Kyle McClellan: G; 6' 1"; Junior; L

#28 Charlie Stramel: F; 6' 3"; Freshman; R

#51 Cruz Lucius: F; 6' 0"; Freshman; R

Players Mentioned

#19 Brock Caufield
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student; R
: F

#4 Corson Ceulemans
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; R
: D

#12 Mathieu De St. Phalle
: 5' 9"; Junior; R
: F

#35 Jared Moe
: 6' 4"; Senior; L
: G

#27 Tyson Jugnauth
: 6' 0"; Freshman; L
: D

#20 Ben Dexheimer
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R
: D

#29 Ty Smilanic
: 6' 1"; Junior; L
: F

#31 Kyle McClellan
: 6' 1"; Junior; L
: G

#28 Charlie Stramel
: 6' 3"; Freshman; R
: F

#51 Cruz Lucius
: 6' 0"; Freshman; R
: F

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