Five UW men’s hockey players will not be returning to the team for the 2016-2017 season according to newly named head coach, Tony Granato.
Todd Milewski of the Madison Capitol Times reported via twitter last week that Granato has removed five players including four forwards and one goalie from the team. All five players had at least two years of eligibility left.
#Badgers coach Tony Granato confirmed that Fs Adam Rockwood, Alex Shuchuk, Zac Keryluk, Tanner Barnes, G Gabe Grunwald won't return to team.
— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) May 27, 2016
T.Granato: "We had to make changes. We had to make hard decisions to people that were real important to our program, but that's part of it."
— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) May 27, 2016
Headlining the list of departing players is sophomore Adam Rockwood. Rockwood is the only one of the five players leaving who played a game last season for the Badgers. Rockwood managed only two goals but an impressive 15 assists in the 28 games he played in last year.
Rockwood bounced around lines but frequently spent time on the team’s top line along side center Luke Kunin and winger Grant Besse. Rockwood was the team’s seventh leading point scorer.
Joining Rockwood in departure are forwards Alex Shuchuk, Zac Keryluk and Tanner Barnes. Goalie Gabe Grunwald will also not be returning to team.
Schuchuk, Keryluk and Barnes all have ties to the UW hockey program. Both Schuchuk’s and Keryluk’s fathers, Gary and Ken played for the Badgers during their careers and Barnes’s older brother Tyler played for the Badgers as well.
Gabe Grunwald had his season ended by injury, leaving starting goalie Matt Jurusik and walk-on goalie Ryan Breon as the only two goalies on the roster. The Badgers have two goalies slated to join the team in the 2016-17 season.
The announcement is one of the first big moves made by Granato and his new-look coaching staff.
The decisions will make room for a handful of new recruits Wisconsin has coming to join the team for the upcoming season. Only 3 members of last year’s team graduated, none of them were forwards.
According to collegehockeyinc.com the Badgers have 13 fresh faces committed to coming to play for the Badgers for the 2016-2017 season. Of that 13, 7 of the talented recruiting class are forwards.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
