Wisconsin Badgers
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Western Michigan (Exhibition)
October 22, 2026 | Men's Hockey
Badgers take on the Broncos for their last game before Big Ten play begins
MADISON, Wis. — The No. 6 Badgers head east to No. 5 Western Michigan University on Saturday, Oct. 24, marking Wisconsin's first appearance in Kalamazoo, Michigan, since 1981.
1. Freshman Winners: Two freshmen, Brent Solomon and Zach Wooten, have had an electric start to the year. The two freshmen forwards recorded back-to-back game winners. In the first game at Minnesota State on Oct. 9, Solomon found the back of the net for the first goal of the 4-0 win. Wooten followed the next day, scoring his first NCAA goal and putting the Badgers up 2-1 at the beginning of the second period.
2. What we've seen so far: The Badgers are having their best start since 2004-05, when the Badgers went 5-0-0.
On top of the team start, the Badgers have boasted a Big Ten Star of the Week in the first two weeks they've skated. After the first series against Robert Morris, Luke Osburn earned Third Star of the Week. Vasily Zelenov earned Second Star of the Week for his four-point performance at Minnesota. Zelenov has seven points on the year.
Oliver Tulk has also made his game known, he is the only Badger with points in all four games. He ranks second on the Badgers with five points on one goal and four assists.
3. 10 in six: When the Badgers return from Western Michigan they will go on to host 10 home games in a six-week period. This is the largest stretch of home games for the entire season, with only five more home games after the start of 2027.
4. What happened last time: Despite it being an exhibition game, Wisconsin takes its first trip to Western Michigan since 1981. The two teams split the two-game series at Lawson Arena, with UW winning 9-2 on Nov. 27, and WMU taking a 3-2 contest.
However, the Badgers met the Broncos last year at the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off championship game. The Badgers fell to the Broncos 4-1, with WMU scoring an empty-net goal to make it a 3-1 game with under three minutes left.
5. Scouting the Broncos: The Broncos have started off their season the same as the Badgers, 4-0.
Western Michigan's freshman forward Adam Benák has had a notable start to his first collegiate season. Benák has been named the NCHC Rookie of the Week two weeks in a row. He had two goals and one assist last weekend when WMU swept Notre Dame.
6. How to watch: Stream the game on NCHC.TV, listen on Fox Sports 1070 in the Madison area, as well as on the UWBadgers and Varsity apps. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
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