Granato, North Dakota-Wisconsin Is a Must-Have on the Schedule

I agree with Badgers head coach Tony Granato. I think that the Wisconsin Badgers and the Fighting Hawks need to play ever single season, no matter what. He's couldn't be more right, this matchup is a must see series between two college hockey powerhouses. The fans want it and the coaches want it, too. The Badgers and Hawks will resume their series next season when UND travels to the Kohl Center.  

But if Badgers coach Tony Granato had it his way, this season would be the last where old rival North Dakota doesn’t appear on the schedule.

“I would like to play them every year,” he said. “For me, North Dakota-Wisconsin is a must-have on the schedule. There’s too much history. And they want the same, talking to their coaches.

“It’d be nice if they were in our league but they’re not, so let’s find a way to play them every year and keep that going.”

UW and North Dakota, longtime opponents when both were part of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, played non-conference series in Madison in November 2014 and in Grand Forks in November 2015 after the teams left for separate leagues in 2013. (Credit: Todd Milewski, Madison.com )

I think it's refreshing to have a new perspective and a new voice in Madison. Frankly, I do like the way Granato is thinking and he seems to be making all of the right moves and saying all the right things. Obviously, the Badgers have been bad for the past two seasons and he's got a lot of work to do moving forward. That being said, I don't think they're going to finish fifth in the Big Ten.