- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Wisconsin Men's Hockey Looks to Clinch Home Ice in Big Ten Tournament
Badgers face off against Penn State in final regular season series
Published on Mar. 5, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team is on the cusp of clinching home ice advantage in the first round of the Big Ten tournament as they face off against the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions in the final regular season series. Wisconsin needs at least one conference point this weekend to host postseason hockey at the Kohl Center, while Penn State is looking to use its home ice advantage on 'White Out' night.
Why it matters
This series has major implications for Wisconsin's postseason positioning, as the Badgers are trying to solidify their spot in both the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments. The outcome will determine whether Wisconsin hosts the first round of the Big Ten tournament or has to travel to Columbus to face off against Ohio State.
The details
Wisconsin has won five straight road games at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions swept the Badgers earlier this season in Madison. Since that series, Penn State has lost its captain and first-line center Dane Dowiak to a season-ending injury, while Wisconsin has seen its top two centers, Gavin Morrissey and Vasily Zelenov, return from injury.
- The series takes place on Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th, with both games starting at 6:00 p.m. Central time.
- Wisconsin needs at least one conference point this weekend to clinch home ice advantage in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
The players
Mike Hastings
Head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team.
Joe Palodichuk
Alternate captain of the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team.
Dane Dowiak
Former captain and first-line center for the Penn State Nittany Lions men's hockey team, who is out for the season due to injury.
Gavin Morrissey
Top center for the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team, who has returned from injury.
Vasily Zelenov
Top center for the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team, who has returned from injury.
What they’re saying
“The leadership group, they're all aware of what time of the year it is. This is something that started back in June, so they're excited about it.”
— Mike Hastings, Head coach (si.com)
“It's gonna be packed. It's gonna be a fun atmposphere. They're just—they're a good team. We're a good team. It's gonna be a fun compeition.”
— Joe Palodichuk, Alternate captain (si.com)
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This series has major implications for Wisconsin's postseason positioning, as the Badgers are trying to solidify their spot in both the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments. The outcome will determine whether Wisconsin hosts the first round of the Big Ten tournament or has to travel to Columbus to face off against Ohio State.
