There were 13 Badgers who played at least one NHL game during the 2017-18 season. Of those 13, seven suited up for the playoffs. Notably, San Jose forward Joe Pavelski (2004-06) and Pittsburgh defenseman Justin Schultz (2009-12) led former Badgers in playoff scoring with eight points each, while Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh (2007-10) helped the Lightning to the Eastern Conference final against eventual champion Washington.
Wisconsin alums made up some of the NHL’s top veteran talent last season. Top returners from last year include Pavelski, Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner (2008-11) and Minnesota alternate captain Ryan Suter (2003-04), who each ranked among the top scorers on their respective squads during the 2017-18 campaign.
In addition to the league’s more seasoned Badgers, rookie forward and former Wisconsin standout Luke Kunin made his NHL debut last October, tallying two goals and four points for the Wild before a suffering a season-ending injury in March.
Hoping to make their NHL debuts this season, former UW forwards Trent Frederic (2016-18) and Cameron Hughes (2014-18) join the Bruins for camp in Boston while Ryan Wagner (2014-18) and Matt Ustaski (2014-18) suit up for practice with the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets, respectively.
83 former Wisconsin skaters have appeared in at least one NHL contest, with Kunin becoming the latest Badger to make a professional debut.
See the full list of past Badgers on training camp rosters below:
| Team | Player | Position |
| Anaheim | Ben Street | F |
| Arizona | Derek Stepan | F |
| Boston | Trent Frederic | F |
| Boston | Cody Goloubef | D |
| Boston | Cameron Hughes | F |
| Buffalo | Jake McCabe | D |
| Dallas | Michael Mersch | F |
| Detroit | Matthew Ford | F |
| Minnesota | Luke Kunin | F |
| Minnesota | Ryan Suter | D |
| Nashville | Jack Dougherty | D |
| Nashville | Craig Smith | F |
| Nashville | Kyle Turris | F |
| New Jersey | John Ramage | D |
| New York Rangers | Brendan Smith | D |
| Ottawa | Joseph LaBate | F |
| Ottawa | Jack Skille | F |
| Philadelphia | Brian Elliott | G |
| Pittsburgh | Justin Schultz | D |
| San Jose | Joe Pavelski | F |
| Tampa Bay | Ryan McDonagh | D |
| Toronto | Jake Gardiner | D |
| Vancouver | Brendon Woods | F |
| Vegas | Ryan Wagner | F |
| Washington | Grant Besse | F |
| Winnipeg | Nic Kerdiles | F |
| Winnipeg | Matt Ustaski | F |
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