Wisconsin men's hockey announces blockbuster coaching staff additions

The Wisconsin Badgers are adding plenty of experience to their men's hockey coaching staff as they head into the 2026-27 season.

Head coach Mike Hastings recently announced that the program has completed its coaching staff with three additions: former Badger and Madison Capitols head coach Andy Brandt, longtime NHL goaltending coach Steve Briere, and former NHLer and Wisconsin legend Joe Pavelski.

The trio will join Hastings, associate head coach Todd Knott, and assistant coach Nick Peruzzi.

Brandt will return to Wisconsin as an assistant coach after spending the past three seasons as the head coach and general manager of the USHL's Madison Capitols. During his time in Madison, Brandt led the Capitols to 104 regular-season victories and a .599 winning percentage, including a trip to the conference finals last season.

The Wausau native is also no stranger to the Badgers. Brandt played at Wisconsin from 2004-07 and was part of the 2006 national championship team. He previously spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach under Hastings before taking over in Madison.

Big-time additions to our staff

Welcome to Andy Brandt, Steve Briere and Joe Pavelskihttps://t.co/0sSDZu8C9F

Briere brings a significant amount of NHL experience to the program as Wisconsin's new director of goaltending development. He has spent 10 season as an NHL head goaltending coach, including the last three with the Seattle Kraken, where he worked closely with goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord.

Before joining Seattle, Briere spent seven seasons as the Toronto Maple Leafs' head goaltending coach. His experience working with NHL goaltenders should provide a major resource for Wisconsin as it continues to develop players in that position.

The most notable of the three, though, may be Pavelski. The former Badger and U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member will serve as Wisconsin's director of player development. Pavelski was a key part of Wisconsin's 2006 national championship team and went on to put together an 18-year NHL career that included 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games. Pavelski finished his NHL career in 2024 as the all-time leading scorer among Wisconsin alumni in the NHL. He also reached the Stanley Cup Final twice and represented the United States at two Olympic Games.

His role with the Badgers will give Wisconsin players the opportunity to learn directly from someone who successfully made the jump from the Badgers to becoming one of the more accomplished American-born NHL players in history.

After making it to the NCAA championships last season, adding this level of experience to the coaching staff is another reason for optimism heading into the 2026-27 season.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin men's hockey announces blockbuster coaching staff additions