MADISON, Wis. – Four former Badgers across three different teams will continue their quest for the Stanley Cup after advancing to round two of the 2025 NHL playoffs.
All time, 14 Badgers have their names on the Stanley Cup as winning players a total of 22 times. Both are tops among NCAA programs.
Jake McCabe and the Toronto Maple Leafs advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals after taking down the Ottawa Senators, four games to two. The Leafs are set to play the Florida Panthers in round two starting Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
The defenseman notched one assist in six first-round games played.
JAKE MCCABE LAYS ACROSS THE GOAL LINE TO KEEP THIS PUCK OUT! 😱
(🎥: @NHL_On_TNT) pic.twitter.com/AzT3FcPGxR
— BarDown (@BarDown) April 26, 2025
McCabe’s opponent, the Florida Panthers, eliminated fellow former Badger defenseman Ryan McDonagh and the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning the series four games to one. McDonagh, who finished the regular season leading the NHL in plus-minus with a plus-43 rating, recorded three assists in five playoff games played this year.
⚡️ Jake Guentzel (#59) roofs it home in the slot for his 2nd goal of the playoffs! Nikita Kucherov (#86) and Ryan McDonagh (#27) pick up the assists.#GoBolts
pic.twitter.com/aMDazFCaJm
— Future Bolts (@LightningProsp1) April 27, 2025
Also eliminated in the first round was forward Cole Caufield and the Montreal Canadiens, who lost their series to the Washington Capitals, 4-1. After playing in all five round one games, Caufield tallied three goals and four points.
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 22, 2025
On the West Coast, three Badgers across two teams have advanced to round two of the playoffs.
Trent Frederic and Ty Emberson, the two Badgers on the Edmonton Oilers, defeated fellow former UW skater Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2, to earn a spot in the conference semifinals. The Oilers will face the Vegas Golden Knights in round two, with game one set for Tuesday, May 6, at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Forward Frederic notched the series-winning goal for the Oilers in game six of the playoffs, his first as an Oiler after getting traded from Boston and missing the majority of the second half of the season with an injury. He finished the series with one goal and three points, playing in all six games.
Trent Frederic with what proved to be the series-clinching goal for the Edmonton Oilers last night
Frederic and Ty Emberson advance to the second round#BadgersintheBigs https://t.co/d3lJDEpOzw
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) May 2, 2025
Defenseman Emberson played in all six round-one games and is still looking for his first playoff point.
ICYMI (and ICWMI)
Congrats to Eau Claire’s Ty Emberson https://t.co/fQlNUpSIEE
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 23, 2025
Turcotte, a forward, skated in three playoff games before the Kings got eliminated.
Defenseman Brendan Smith and the Dallas Stars, who eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in a thrilling seven-game series, will play the top overall seed and Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in the second round. The Stars-Golden Knights series begins on Wednesday, May 7, at 8:30 p.m. CT., with the game being aired on ESPN.
After playing in 32 regular-season games, Smith is looking to make his playoff debut with the Stars in the second round.
Good night, Stars fans 💚
📸 @seanberryphoto pic.twitter.com/yVSnceA6cl
— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 4, 2025
To earn their spot in the second round, the Jets took down the St. Louis Blues in double overtime in game seven, eliminating former Badgers Ryan Suter and Dylan Holloway from the playoffs.
Suter, a defenseman, tallied one assist after playing in five first-round games. Holloway, who has been out with an injury since April 3, did not play in round one.
Several Wisconsin alumni in the AHL have also started their quest for the Calder Cup.
Cameron Hughes and the Texas Stars earned a first-round bye and are currently up one-game-to-none over the Grand Rapids Griffins in the best-of-five Central Division semifinals. In one game played in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, the forward has two assists.
“It was a big win. Now, we’ll get back to work this week and get ready for the next one.”
Hear from forward Cameron Hughes who logged two assists in tonight’s 4-0 win over Grand Rapids 🎥 pic.twitter.com/66qlItojKn
— x – Texas Stars (@TexasStars) April 30, 2025
The four Badgers on the Cleveland Monsters – Corson Ceulemans, Roman Ahcan, Ryland Mosley and Joseph LaBate – are also still alive in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The Monsters eliminated the Toronto Marlies, 2-0, in the North Division First Round to advance to the North Division semifinals, where they’re down, 2-1, to the Laval Rocket.
Ceulemans, a defenseman, spent the majority of the second half of the season on injured reserve, and he has yet to make his 2025 playoffs debut. Mosley, a forward who signed an amateur tryout contract with the team in March, is also waiting to play in his first professional playoff game.
Forwards Ahcan and LaBate have been showing off in the 2025 postseason, combining for five points in five Calder Cup playoff games played. Ahcan has one goal and three points, while LaBate has one goal and two points.
3️⃣ POINT NIGHT FOR RO 🔥
🍎: Knazko pic.twitter.com/vziPaiHl9L
— x – Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) May 4, 2025
Forward David Silye and the Calgary Wranglers made it to the Pacific Division First Round, but were eliminated, 2-0, in a best-of-three series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In his first two professional playoff games played, Silye had one assist.
“It means a lot, hearing that from the guy who runs the ship. It’s meaningful and I take a lot of pride in those things; being reliable, working on the draws, that’s something we as centres do so it’s a credit to all of us.”
David Silye looks back on his rookie season with… pic.twitter.com/eUoymcK3UI
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) May 2, 2025
Two other Badgers are also part of ECHL teams chasing the Kelly Cup in the 2025 ECHL playoffs.
Forward Carson Bantle and the Toledo Walleye won their first round series, 4-0, against the Indy Fuel to advance to the Central Division finals, where they’re facing former Badger forward Jack Gorniak and the Fort Wayne Komets. After two games, the series is tied, 1-1.
In four playoff games played, Bantle has two goals.
🎵 BANTS THAT MAKE HER DANCE 🎵 BANTS THAT MAKE HER DANCE 🎵 @BantleCarson https://t.co/Qf7ibrqWWj pic.twitter.com/QukH94RuWP
— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) April 23, 2025
Gorniak has two goals and three points in nine playoff games played for the Komets, scoring the overtime game winner in the third game of round one on April 21.
🚨 GORNIAK 🚨
JACK GORNIAK WITH AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY IN OT
7-6 #KOMETSWIN | @GORNY11 pic.twitter.com/fLOImiwkCl
— Fort Wayne Komets (@FWKomets) April 22, 2025
To earn their spot in the second round, the Komets eliminated former Badger netminder Kyle McClellan and the Iowa Heartlanders, 4-3. McClellan played three games in the Kelly Cup playoffs, earning one win.
FIRST PLAYOFF LINEUP EVER.#GoLanders🦌 #DefendTheForest pic.twitter.com/GkZqW27p2V
— Iowa Heartlanders (@GoHeartlanders) April 18, 2025
Mathieu De St. Phalle and the Wheeling Nailers were also eliminated from the Kelly Cup playoffs, getting knocked out of the first round by the Norfolk Admirals, losing the series 4-1. In three playoff games played, the forward had two goals.
🚨 WE ARE ON HATTY WATCH 🚨
Matty De St. Phalle makes quick work of the Powerplay opportunity and makes it a 3-1 game!
🚨 Matty De St. Phalle
🍎 Jack Beck
🍏 Brent Johnson #ForTheMoment pic.twitter.com/uPZGemyG24
— x – Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) April 26, 2025
Badgers advancing to round two of the NHL playoffs:
Eastern Conference
Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake McCabe (2011-14)
Western Conference
Dallas Stars – Brendan Smith (2007-10)
Edmonton Oilers – Ty Emberson (2018-21), Trent Frederic (2016-18)