It seems now like it was a long time ago, but it was only four years ago that Wisconsin brought home the Hardware in Milwaukee. A lot has changed in four years, but there is one thing that remains the same...Ben Street.
The Badger senior is the only thing besides Mike Eaves that remains in Madison. Street then a freshman on the team, is the only member of the 2006 national champions still donning the Badger red. But what happened to the others?
The last time anyone heard the name Joe Pavelski was in the Olympics. The former badger forward was a key member of the 2010 Silver Medal winning United States Olympic hockey team. What many may not know is that he is currently a member of the San Jose Sharks who currently are leading the NHL's Western Conference.
In a close second is another 2006 Badger, in fact the team captain, Adam Burish. Since leaving Madison, Burish has played his entire career in the Blackhawks system and the last two seasons primarily with the NHL club in Chicago. And Burish isn't the only former Badger still sporting red.
Jake Dowell has also been part of the Blackhawks organization but in a "minor" role...minor leagues that is. Dowell has played at the NHL level since leaving Madison, but only briefly. Three goals is all Dowell has scored in his short stays in the NHL, but he still remains close to Madison; just an hour away to be exact. Dowell is currently with the Blackhawks AHL affiliate in Rockford, Ill. Joining Dowell in Rockford is former Badger Jack Skille. Skille also played for a time with the Blackhawks as recently as this year, scoring just one goal in six games.
Only three more of the 2006 national champions are still playing hockey in the NHL. Brian Elliott, the former Wisconsin net-minder is currently playing in Ottawa. While Robbie Earl is currently playing for the Minnesota Wild, and Tom Gilbert is currently with the Edmonton Oilers. Most of the former badgers still skating around currently play in the AHL (Engel, Jourdrey, MacMurchy, and Piskula), and a pair of former teammates are currently playing in the ECHL (Brandt and Carlton), which is another minor league system.
The remaining Badgers have either left their playing careers behind or left the country to keep theirs going, and one tandem is a combination of both. Only two badgers are currently playing in Europe. Kyle Klubertanz is currently playing with a club in Sweeden, while Jeff Likens is playing Canada's grand old game in Germany. A total of five former Badgers are currently out of hockey (Gorowsky, Jeffery, Licari, Olinger, and Slinde). The last we heard of one of the Badgers that is currently out of hockey was Jeff Slinde. The tandem that was referred to earlier was Slinde and Klubertanz; we forgot to mention the cow.
In 2007, Slinde and Klubertanz were arrested for going "cow tipping." The cow in question wasn't a real cow though; it was a statue of a cow. The cow called "looking for Bucky" was just outside the Kohl Center during the "Parade of Cows." The duo of cow-tippers were given a $220 fine and 30 hours of community service. The cow has since been removed, probably by Klubertanz and Slinde, and it is highly unlikely that a stunt similar to that will be pulled by another duo of Badger teammates from this years team.
And that brings us back to where we started...with Ben Street. For the first time in over 20 years a Badger hockey player will have the opportunity to win his second national title. Street has already been able to do a couple of things twice in his career at Wisconsin. Win two outdoor games...check! Go to two Frozen Fours...check! Win two national championships? Check on Saturday.
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