Wisconsin Hockey: Offseason Additions and Subtractions

In the ever changing landscape of college sports, football and basketball are not the only sports affected by the transfer portal. Smaller schools are seeing almost their entire roster enter the portal. Wisconsin hockey is not exempt from this.

Coming off of a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to Quinnipiac in the first round of the NCAA tournament, uncertainty looms for the Wisconsin Badgers.

What to Expect From the Wisconsin Hockey Newcomers

The good news about the transfer portal is that the Badgers can plug in players capable of producing immediately. Wisconsin hockey has been able to take advantage of this in the past, as 2024 Mark Richter award winner Kyle McClellan started his career at Mercyhurst before joining the Badgers.

Wisconsin hockey has added three players so far, Michigan Tech forwards Ryland Mosley and Kyle Kukkonen and RIT goalie Tommy Scarfone.

Mosley was an alternate captain for the Huskies this year, and played on the first line. Mosley had his most productive season in a Husky uniform, tallying 33 points over 40 games. The senior provides a good balance of playmaking and scoring, with 18 goals and 15 assists in 2024.

Kukkonen is a sixth round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, and finished his sophomore year on the third line. The sophomore had 12 points in 27 games, and is largely a playmaker. He tallied 11 assists to get to those 12 points, and took a step back on goal scoring from his freshman season.

The biggest addition however, is goaltender Tommy Scarfone. Scarfone was a monster between the pipes, and is the winningest goaltender in RIT history. The Quebec native had four shutouts this year. As the starter for RIT this year, Scarfone posted a save percentage of .925, which was good for fifth in the country. Seeing his dominance at RIT lead Wisconsin Hockey to find McClellan’s replacement without skipping a beat.

The Ugly of the Transfer Portal

Despite the additions, Wisconsin Hockey is not immune to the transfer portal taking away. Six Badgers have already hit the portal, and this includes five draft picks. Those six Badgers include four forwards and two defensemen.

Without a doubt, the biggest blow was Cruz Lucius. The sophomore forward was Wisconsin Hockey’s leading scorer, as he tallied 34 points in 36 games. Lucius was an explosive playmaker and had 21 assists. This opens up a hole for someone to step up as the main playmaker.

Multiple departing Badgers however, were limited contributors. Both Brady Cleveland and Luke LaMaster failed to score a point in their 17 combined games played.

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