When it comes to developing good young Ottawa Senators prospects, it would appear that the University of Wisconsin has become the new North Dakota.
The Fighting Hawks of North Dakota had four future Senators on their 2020–21 club – first-rounders Jake Sanderson and Jacob Bernard-Docker, and second-rounders Shane Pinto and Tyler Kleven. Remarkably, all four made it to the show and became NHL teammates, something that's rarely happened in NHL history, if ever.
Three of the four remain important players in Ottawa, but Bernard-Docker was displaced this year with the arrival of Nick Jensen and the emergence of Nik Matinpalo. After recovering from a leg injury at practice early in the season, JBD couldn't get back into the lineup, and with free agency looming, the Senators dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Josh Norris–Dylan Cozens trade in March.
"Hello, Wisconsin!"
Now, five years after North Dakota became an Ottawa prospect factory, there will once again be four Senator prospects all playing for the same school. But this foursome will be battling for the University of Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in Madison, the second-biggest rink in the NCAA (15,359).
Logan Hensler, the 23rd overall pick at last month's NHL Draft, and Tyson Dyck, a 7th-rounder from 2022, were Badger teammates last season.
Now they'll be joined by forward Blake Montgomery, a 2024 4th-round pick fresh off a Memorial Cup title with the London Knights, and Croatian forward Bruno Idzan, a sixth-round pick last month.
Idzan joined the USHL's Lincoln Stars in mid-season, but started the year playing against men in the Alps Pro Hockey League. He destroyed it with 21 goals in 19 games, then came to North America and put up 44 points in 36 games in the USHL.
Montgomery returned to play in Lincoln (USHL) for another year last season, but things weren't working out, so he left for London and scored 50 points in 51 games.
Hensler is seen as the best prospect of the bunch and appeared on the Locked On Senators podcast, published on Wednesday. Hensler spoke about his two new incoming teammates and said he was impressed with Montgomery when they faced off in the 2023-24 USHL season.
"A hundred percent," Hensler said. "I remember playing him when he was in Lincoln. Just the speed on him, the hands, it's the hockey sense overall. He's a great player. I'm excited he's on our team and to get to know him. So it's going to be fun."
As for Idzan, he joined the USHL's Lincoln Stars last season right around the time Montgomery left for London. Hensler was surprised Idzan didn't get picked until the sixth round, especially after he recently got to see his game up close for the first time.
"Crazy, yeah. Coming from Croatia, too. We've had some skates this summer. He's legit. So, I'm excited to see what he can do for us this year."
For Hensler, the expectation for the "WisconSens" is pretty simple, but it certainly won't be easy.
"I think the expectation is always a national championship, right? But I think this year the Big Ten is going to be pretty tough. So I think we'll fit in nicely with that. I'm just excited to see how the CHL players fit in and just how the Big Ten grows. So it's going to be pretty cool."
Select University of Wisconsin hockey games are expected to be streamed again this season on TSN+, and some games will also be shown on the Big Ten's streaming service B1G+ along with the NCAA website. We pass that along for Senators fans who like to keep an eye on prospects for the future – a future that keeps looking better by the day.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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