Wisconsin Badgers could write hockey history with double NCAA titles

Wisconsin Badgers could write hockey history with double NCAA titles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The last and only time a double National Championship title happened in the history of NCAA Hockey was all the way back in 2006.

In 2006, both the men's and women's hockey teams for the Wisconsin Badgers brought the titles home to Madison, Wis. This marks the only time in the history of USA Hockey that this has occurred; however, 2026 presents a unique opportunity for the Badgers. The No. 2 Wisconsin women took down No. 1 Ohio State in March to be crowned the 2026 NCAA Women's Hockey National Champions, making the Badgers back-to-back national champions. More recently on April 9, the Wisconsin men's team took down second overall-seeded North Dakota — 2-1 — to advance to the Frozen Four title game on April 11.

The Badgers men's team is on the hunt for their seventh NCAA Championship, with Wisconsin scoring two goals in the first period to send North Dakota out of the 2026 Frozen Four.

At media day ahead of the 2026 NCAA Championship, Head Coach Mike Hastings said there is a huge mutual respect between the two programs at Wisconsin.

"When you get an opportunity to walk the halls and be around [women's head coach] Mark Johnson, his staff, his athletes, how they handle a tremendous amount of success with humility. It's incredibly impressive, and it's teachable moments there too, from the coaching staffs down to our players," said to Sporting News. "There's a good relationship there. So [a double title could] mean something very special to a lot of people ... it'd be special, but it's special because of how it impacts all the other people."

Badgers hunting first NCAA double title in two decades

The men's team for Wisconsin has previously won the NCAA Championship in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990 and 2006.

Wisconsin outshot North Dakota 37-22 in their advancement to the Frozen Four final.

The women's win over Ohio State on March 22, 2026 marked their ninth National Championship — the most of any school in the country.

Assistant captain Gavin Morrissey said the men's team is hoping to bring home the title for the women's team as well as the players in their own locker room.

"There's so many people that are behind the scenes that do so much work, that we want to win for them too, as well as the guys in the locker room," Morrissey said. "With the women's team, what they've done is so impressive over many years. So just to catch up with him a little bit would be great."

Nine former Wisconsin men's hockey players previously earned a spot on opening-night NHL rosters for 2025-26. On the current Badgers' roster, Blake Montgomery will be headed to the Ottawa Senators, Kyle Kukkonen was chosen by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 Draft, and Quinn Finley and Jack Phelan are already set with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, respectively.

Vasily Zelenov and Luke Osburn are both going to the Buffalo Sabres.

Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey on the women's team is largely predicted to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft.

The Badgers will take on Denver on April 11 at 5:30 p.m. EST for the title. The game will be available for action live on ESPN. Denver took down Michigan, 4-3, in double overtime to advance to facing off against the Badgers.

This marks Wisconsin's ninth official NCAA championship game. The Badgers have a 17-6-0 all-time record in the NCAA tournament.

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