Five student-athletes signed national letters of intent to join the Wisconsin men’s hockey team.
Four forwards and one defensemen are set to come to Madison beginning in the fall of 2009. Derek Lee from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Justin Schultz of Westbank, British Columbia, Verona native Keegan Meuer, Madison native Craig Smith and Tyler Barnes of Eagan, Minn. all expressed their intent to play for Mike Eaves and the Badgers.
“We are really excited about this class,” Eaves said in a statement. “There is a mix of ingredients that are really important when you are trying to put together a championship team. From the hard, the skill, the vision of the ice and competitiveness, this class has a nice package of all those things.”
It will be interesting to see how much time this group of recruits will see next year. Wisconsin currently has two senior forwards in Ben Street and Tom Gorowsky, but Street may seek a medical redshirt after suffering a knee injury this year, meaning he would return next season. With only the void by Gorowsky left, that means four guys for one spot.
Schultz, the lone defenseman and lone NHL Draft pick (second round by Anaheim), may have trouble breaking into the lineup as well. UW has no seniors on defense, and currently rotates a pair of freshmen in Eric Spring and Ryan Little on the third line.
