Dexheimer named HCA National Defender of the Month for March/April
April 16, 2026 | Men's Hockey
Senior earns national honor after stellar NCAA Tournament
MADISON, Wis. – After helping Wisconsin reach the NCAA men's ice hockey national title game, senior Ben Dexheimer earned himself Hockey Commissioners Association Defender of the Month honors for his performance in March and April.
Named to the 2026 NCAA Worcester Regional and 2026 NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Teams, the Badgers' team captain notched one goal and six points in seven games during the award period.
He started March with an assist in each game en route to Wisconsin's sweep at then-No. 6 Penn State on Thursday and Friday, March 5-6.
The Edina, Minnesota, native started his NCAA Tournament with an assist on Simon Tassy's first-period power-play goal to open the scoring in UW's 5-1 win over Dartmouth in the Worcester regional semifinals. Dexheimer shone in Wisconsin's regional final contest against top-seed Michigan State, notching an assist on Gavin Morrissey's game-tying goal with 4:13 left in regulation before scoring the game-winning tally, 24 seconds into overtime, to send UW to its first Frozen Four since 2010.
To wrap up his scoring in April, the defenseman notched an assist on Ryan Botterill's game-winning goal in UW's 2-1 win over North Dakota in the national semifinals.
Following his four-year career as a Badger, Dexheimer signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild starting in 2026-27. He will join the AHL's Iowa Wild on an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) contract for the remainder of the season.
