Football has been the hot topic in Badgerland these days and rightfully so with all the drama, but guess what? Hockey season is coming up around the corner quicker than you think and the biggest sign of that happening are the preseason polls being released. Today the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll was released with Wisconsin ranked 15th to start the season.
The defending NCAA Champions Boston College earned the No. 1 ranking in the first poll of the season, receiving 20 of the 34 first place votes available. Following BC are WCHA and bitter border battle rivals, Minnesota who received 12 No. 1 votes. Rounding out the Top 5 are Michigan, North Dakota and Union College.
Thanks to a youth movement last year the Badgers will return 15 of their top 16 scorers from a season ago as well as the two goaltenders that saw the vast majority of minutes last season.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will say goodbye to the WCHA this season and the conference also sees Denver (No. 8) and Minnesota-Duluth (No. 12) in the poll, which features just 15 teams. The Badgers are also one of just two teams not ranked to end last season in this preseason poll, the other being Notre Dame at No. 10.
The Badgers will open up their 2012-13 season by playing Northern Michigan in a two game set at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI that will be hosted by the Wildcats on Oct. 12-13. Bucky won't open up their home slat until Colorado College comes to the Kohl Center on Nov. 2nd, where they will officially rename the rink at the Kohl Center in honor of legendary Bob Johnson.
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