How playing an exhibition vs. 16- and 17-year-olds benefits the Wisconsin men's hockey team

MADISON – Wisconsin opened the season last week by sweeping Lindenwood on the road.

Next week Minnesota State comes to the Kohl Center for the Badgers men’s hockey team’s first home series of the season. In between those series the team will host the U.S. Under-18 teams in an exhibition at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kohl Center.

So what do the Badgers get out of playing 16- and 17-year olds? We explain.

Great chance to show off Kohl Center, Madison

 “First of all, some of those young players, we give them an opportunity to see the building, see what it is to be in Madison,” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said.

Though most of the U.S. team members have made their college commitments, it doesn’t hurt to expose them to your facility. In this age of the transfer portal, you never know when that exposure might help.

Among the college arenas the U.S. team will play this season are Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that those programs regularly get players from the U.S. team. Wisconsin fits that description as well.

USA hockey team members play beyond their years

Though young, the U.S. 18-under team is loaded with players who are a year or two away from college hockey. The U.S. team that comes to town this year features nine players committed to play in Big Ten programs. One of those is a Wisconsin recruit: Lukas Zajic, a 5-11, 180-pound forward from Plainfield, Illinois.

The U-18 team has given the Badgers trouble over the years. Last year UW lost, 6-5. Three years ago it lost, 6-1.

That said, take those games as well as the Badgers’ 6-5 all-time record against the U-18 team with a grain of salt. Wisconsin usually truly treats the game, which is played later in the season, as a time to rest key players and go deeper into the bench.

This year the exhibition is early in the season, Hastings is treating the week like a regular game week as he continues to learn about this year's team. Last season the exhibition was played in March between the end of the regular season and the start of the Big Ten tournament.

“We haven't had a lot of success against the program in these games over the last few years, so it's an opportunity for us to change direction a little bit, give opportunity to maybe some of those guys that haven't had that as of yet,” Hastings said. “But at the end of the day, our season started, and so it's a little different when you have this game at this time of the year as to where we've had it before.”

Helping USA hockey helps all hockey

The U.S. 18-team is the beginning stage of the national team program that USA hockey uses to develop players it sends on teams to the Olympics and World championships.

The games the U.S. 18 plays against college program is part of the domino effect that has helped elevate the USA Hockey program. The program has produced numerous Badger players, including senior Zach Schultz and sophomore Logan Hensler.

“USA Hockey's in a better spot than it's ever been before,” Hastings said.  “The expectation with the World Championships, whether it's the 18s, whether it's World Juniors, whether it's the World Cup. Now you're going to see in the Olympics, the expectation is gold and so we've all got a responsibility for that.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How an exhibition vs. the U.S. 18-under team helps Wisconsin hockey