Wisconsin has experienced its share of ups and downs over the past few seasons on the ice, but as the new Big Ten hockey era begins for them those ups and downs could be exactly the character needed to make this team a title contender right off the bat.
At least that's how the rest of the conference sees it as the Badgers were picked to win the conference in the inaugural Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing ahead of rival Minnesota.
It is that experience that led Eaves to believe why his team was picked as favorites.
"I think the reason we were picked in that position is because you take a look at our lineup and we're an upperclassmen team," said Badger head coach Mike Eaves at Big Ten Hockey media day. "If I look at teams, that's the first thing I look for are returners and such. It's almost a natural thing to happen because of the fact that we are an upperclassmen team. So no surprises there."
Most importantly though, Eaves doesn't see expectations changing a team that is now veteran.
"I don't think it (being picked as a favorite) changes anything we do in terms of our expectations and the way we want to conduct our business," said Eaves. "It's just a pretty natural position to be in because of the upperclassmen we have on the team."
Forwards Nic Kerdiles, Michael Mersch and Mark Zengerle were named Preseason Players to Watch, along with defender Jake McCabe by the Big Ten coaches as well.
Kerdiles will be getting used to a new position this year, transitioning from playing on the wing to the center and it seems like that transition has gone smoothly so far.
"Nic has been a center in his life," said Eaves. "I think he likes that position. I think he gets more touches in the middle. So it's pretty natural progression. He's had a year under his belt and understands what the responsibilities are by watching other centers on our team and what we need him to do with and without the puck. So I think it's a pretty natural progression for him."
One of the most interesting parts of this team once again will be what they do at the goaltending position. Last season UW played Landon Peterson and Joel Rumpel on a rotating basis between the pipes early on in the season and 
Rumpel got hot midway through the season.
It led to him being the main netminder for the run through the final half of the season and into the NCAA tournament. However, that doesn't mean the battle is over for good. In fact, the battle is likely to look a lot like it did last season according to Eaves and that's a credit to just how good both netminders have been.
"The last year, in the beginning of the year, we've done this the last couple of years, we've switched back and forth (between Peterson and Rumpel)," Eaves said. "And then at the end of the year you want to see who is doing well and who has the hot hand and you try to ride them a little bit more. But it's a competitive situation every day in practices, and I think that's what makes them better."
On the ice not only will fans need to get used to seeing the B1G logo painted on the Kohl Center ice, they'll also have to get used to seeing ties being broken and that's because the majority of college hockey is going to use the shootout system to break ties.
If teams are tied following the overtime period each team gets one point and the winner of the shootout will get an extra point in the standings, basically going off the old CCHA system. The new system should excite fans and add to the game experience for them according to Eaves.
"From the aspect of a fan, I think it's tremendous," said Eaves. "In the game of ice hockey now people get excited about, well in the old days fights, goals and shootouts. I mean, at the end of the game they're all standing, watching it. I think it really appeals to the public that they're going to have something like this."
Despite the veteran makeup of the Badgers, Eaves hopes his players won't forget the harsh lessons that were taught to them as a team and as individuals moving into the 2013-14 season.
"You talk to any coach at the end of the season, they're going to tell you all the tough spots that they run into," stated Eaves from the Xcel Energy Center podium. "We had ours at the beginning of last year when we had three or four storms come together.
"The life lesson in there that we spoke to our kids about is we have choices every day to make. How we come to work, how we decide to work. We could be fatalists and say woe is me. But the lesson was every day come to work, make a choice on where we want to be, how we're going to make changes."
If they don't forget them and learn from them this team could live up to the preseason hype.
Wisconsin will start its season in a series against Northern Michigan on October 11-12 at the Kohl Center.
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