Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Skater Enters Transfer Portal

Wisconsin Badgers transfer portal news will not be limited to basketball. Wisconsin football may lose players to the spring portal window in a little over two weeks. In the meantime, at least one Wisconsin women’s hockey player has gone portaling.

After losing in the national championship game, there are few questions about coach Mark Johnson’s roster. With so many young skaters, not many Badgers have exhausted their eligibility. Surprise transfers, however, could put the team in flux.

Wisconsin Women’s Hockey: Sophie Helgeson Enters Transfer Portal

On Tuesday, a longtime Badger entered the transfer portal. Rosseau, Minnesota native Sophie Helgeson appears to be on her way out of Madison.

Sophie Helgeson, #Badgers swing forward/defender, has entered the transfer portal, @Badger_Notes has learned.

— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) March 27, 2024

Helgeson is a versatile skater who has played both forward and defense for Wisconsin. The left-hander played in 109 games over three seasons in the Cardinal and White. She tallied three career goals and four assists at UW. The daughter of Jon Helgeson, who won the 1990 men’s ice hockey championship with the Badgers, scored all three of those career goals by recording a hat trick this past September in a win over Lindenwood. Sophie’s mother, Jill Helgeson, ran track at Wisconsin.

Where is Former Wisconsin Badger Sophie Helgeson Transferring?

Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson (center) and the Badgers women’s hockey team follow the action in their national semifinal against Colgate at Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, New Hampshire, on Friday, March 22, 2024.

Presumably, Helgeson is transferring in pursuit of additional playing time. Unable to crack a top-two defensive pairing or line of forwards for Johnson, the junior remained in a reserve role. By playing both forward and defense, whatever was necessary for Wisconsin women’s hockey based on the needs of the lineup, she proved versatile for the Badgers. Still, it is understandable that the two-time Minnesota high school girl’s hockey all-state selection might want to find a more defined role elsewhere.

With one year of eligibility remaining, it is possible Sophie might reunite with her twin sister. Kate Helgeson recently wrapped up her first season with Sacred Heart of the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance. Prior to Sacred Heart, Kate played two seasons at Quinnipiac, where the sisters played against each other in a non-conference matchup on New Year’s Day 2023. Similar to Sophie’s experience with Wisconsin women’s hockey, Kate struggled to crack the depth chart with the Bobcats. When she transferred, however, she saw immediate success with the Pioneers, recording 18 points in her first season at SHU.

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