Defenseman Tyson Jugnauth picked the Badgers over Boston University, Michigan and Maine.
The University of Wisconsin men's hockey team emerged as the choice for a 16-year-old Canadian defenseman who has drawn multiple suitors.
Jugnauth
Tyson Jugnauth of Kelowna, British Columbia, tweeted Friday that he has committed to the Badgers.
College teams were able to make scholarship offers to the left-handed defenseman starting Aug. 1, and Jugnauth said in an interview that picked the Badgers over Boston University less than two weeks later.
Michigan and Maine also reached out to Jugnauth, who was a first-round pick of the Western Hockey League's Swift Current Broncos in 2019. His nonbinding commitment to the Badgers signaled that he's on track to go the college route.
"Just seeing the college experience and development, I thought it was a better fit," he said.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds last season, Jugnauth has signed to play the 2020-21 season with the West Kelowna Warriors in the British Columbia Hockey League. He made three regular-season appearances with the team and played in two playoff games after spending most of last season with the Okanagan Rockets of the British Columbia Major Midget League.
West Kelowna coach Simon Ferguson, who also coached Jugnauth at the midget level, touted Jugnauth's skating level, vision for the game and high hockey IQ with an offensive flair.
"He's a young guy so he's going to get stronger and faster," Ferguson said. "He has some instincts that are next level."
Jugnauth, who said he tries to model his game after former Michigan standout Quinn Hughes, produced 28 points in 34 games for Okanagan in 2019-20.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated shutdown of in-person recruiting, he had to make his college decision based on Zoom calls and virtual tours.
"It would have been nice to go down there," Jugnauth said, "but I got a good sense of everything."
Born in Toronto, he moved with his family — his parents are both doctors — at an early age to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, then moved to Kelowna in 2009.
Jugnauth joined forwards Nick Pierre and Dylan Godbout and defenseman Reed Kluender among 2004-born players who have committed to the Badgers for the 2022-23 season or beyond.
Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey recruiting tracker
As players give oral commitments to the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team, we'll add them here with their stats.
Players are listed in the order in which they committed.
TJ KOUFIS
TJ Koufis played youth hockey for the Chicago Mission.
Position: Forward
Hometown: Palatine, Ill.
2020-21 team: Johnstown (NAHL)
Date committed (age): July 6, 2016 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @TKoufis88
BEN HELGESON
Helgeson
Position: Forward
Hometown: Lake Elmo, Minn.
2020-21 team: St. Cloud (NAHL)
Date committed (age): Oct. 25, 2016 (16)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @benhelgeson9
ISAAC NOVAK
Isaac Novak played with Janesville in the NAHL in the 2019-20 season.
Position: Forward
Hometown: Sussex
2020-21 team: Minnesota Magicians (NAHL)
Date committed (age): Dec. 13, 2016 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter:Â @IsaacNovak1
SHANE LAVELLE
LaVelle
Position: Forward
Hometown: Chaska, Minn.
2020-21 team:Â Spruce Grove (AJHL)
Date committed (age): May 21, 2017 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @shanelave21
CASEY ROEPKE
Casey Roepke split the 2019-20 season between Janesville of the NAHL and Green Bay of the USHL.
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Erin
2020-21 team:Â Amarillo (NAHL)
Date committed (age): May 30, 2017 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @Casey_Roepke
DANIEL LAATSCH
Laatsch
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Altoona
2020-21 team: Sioux City (USHL)
Date committed (age): Sept. 20, 2017 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @DanielLaatsch
CORSON CEULEMANS
Ceulemans
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Beaumont, Alberta
2020-21 team:Â Brooks (AJHL)
Date committed (age): April 2, 2018 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @corson_4
NOAH GRANNAN
Grannan
Position: Goaltender
Hometown: Germantown
2020-21 team: Sioux Falls (USHL)
Date committed (age): April 17, 2018 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
CADEN BROWN
Brown
Position: Forward
Hometown: St. Louis
2020-21 team:Â U.S. Under-18 Team (NTDP)
Date committed (age): May 28, 2018 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @cadenwbrown21
NICK PIERRE
Nick Pierre played for Hill-Murray High School in Minnesota in 2019-20.
Position: Forward
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minn.
2020-21 team:Â Sioux City (USHL)
Date committed (age): June 6, 2018 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2022
On Twitter: @nickpierre11
JOE PALODICHUK
Palodichuk
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minn.
2020-21 teams:Â MAP South Hockey (Elite League), Hill-Murray HS (Minn.), Bismarck (NAHL)
Date committed (age): Aug. 18, 2018 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @JoePalodichuk
GRAYDEN DAUL
Daul
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Glenview, Ill.
2020-21 team:Â Janesville (NAHL)
Date committed (age): Sept. 10, 2018 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
ETHAN MANN
Mann
Position: Forward
Hometown: Grafton
2020-21 teams: University School (Wis. HS), Team Wisconsin
Date committed (age): Sept. 14, 2018 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @Ethan_Mann11
LUKE LEVANDOWSKI
Levandowski
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Rosemount, Minn.
2020-21 teams:Â Chicago (USHL), Rosemount (Minn. HS)
Date committed (age):Â Dec. 13, 2018 (16)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
On Twitter:Â @LukeLevy21
ZACH URDAHL
Urdahl
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Eau Claire
2020-21 team:Â Lincoln (USHL)
Date committed (age):Â Dec. 21, 2018 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
On Twitter:Â @ZUrdahl
BRETT MORAVEC
Moravec
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Airdrie, Alberta
2020-21 team:Â Calgary (AJHL)
Date committed (age):Â April 19, 2019 (16)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
DYLAN GODBOUT
Godbout
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Woodbury, Minn.
2020-21 teams:Â TDS Transportation (Elite League), Hill-Murray (Minn. HS)
Date committed:Â April 30, 2019 (14)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2022
On Twitter:Â @dylan_godbout
REED KLUENDER
Kluender
Position:Â Defenseman
Hometown:Â South St. Paul, Minn.
2020-21 team:Â South St. Paul (Minn. HS)
Date committed:Â May 10, 2019 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2022
On Twitter:Â @ReedKluender
LIAM MALMQUIST
Malmquist
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Edina, Minn.
2020-21 team:Â Penticton (BCHL)
Date committed:Â May 23, 2019 (18)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
On Twitter:Â @Liam_Malmquist
ROBBY NEWTON
Newton
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Whitefish Bay
2020-21 team:Â Sioux City (USHL), Janesville (NAHL)
Date committed:Â Oct. 30, 2019 (18)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2021
On Twitter: @RobbyNewton13
JACK HORBACH
Horbach
Position: Forward
Hometown:Â Naperville, Ill.
2020-21 team:Â Lincoln (USHL)
Date committed:Â Nov. 6, 2019 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
BRAYDEN MORRISON
Brayden Morrison played the 2019-20 season for Okotoks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Calgary, Alberta
2020-21 team:Â Okotoks (AJHL)
Date committed:Â Dec. 29, 2019 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2020
On Twitter:Â @MoBrayden
JACOB MARTIN
Martin
Position: Defenseman
Hometown:Â Eagle River
2020-21 team:Â U.S. Under-18 Team (NTDP)
Date committed:Â Aug. 1, 2020 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
TYSON JUGNAUTH
Jugnauth
Position: Defenseman
Hometown:Â Kelowna, British Columbia
2020-21 team:Â West Kelowna (BCHL)
Date committed: Aug. 14, 2020 (16)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2022
On Twitter: @JugnauthTyson
SHAWN RAMSEY
Defenseman Shawn Ramsey played in 33 regular-season and playoff games for the Toronto Young Nationals' under-16 team in the Greater Toronto Hockey League in 2019-20.
Position:Â Defenseman
Hometown:Â Mississauga, Ontario
2020-21 team:Â TBD
Date committed:Â Aug. 22, 2020 (16)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2022
On Twitter:Â @shawnramsey04
AIDEN FINK
Forward Aiden Fink, right, had 16 goals and 45 points in 29 regular-season and playoff games for the Northern Alberta X-treme in 2019-20.
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Calgary, Alberta
2020-21 team:Â Northern Alberta X-Treme (CSSHL)
Date committed:Â Aug. 22, 2020 (15)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2022
On Twitter:Â @aiden_fink
SAWYER SCHOLL
Scholl
Position:Â Forward
Hometown:Â Medford
2020-21 team:Â Green Bay (USHL)
Date committed:Â Nov. 6, 2020 (18)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
On Twitter:Â @sawyer_scholl
BOSTON BUCKBERGER
Buckberger
Position:Â Defenseman
Hometown:Â Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2020-21 team:Â Saskatoon Blazers (Sask. Midget AAA Hockey League)
Date committed:Â Jan. 15, 2021 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW:Â 2021
On Twitter:Â @BBucky22
OWEN MEHLENBACHER
Mehlenbacher
Position: Forward
Hometown: Fort Erie, Ontario
2020-21 team: Muskegon (USHL)
Date committed: Feb. 15, 2021 (17)
Earliest arrival at UW: 2022
On Twitter: @mehlenbacher_37
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Todd D. Milewski | Wisconsin State Journal
Todd D. Milewski covers Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey and the UW Athletic Department for the Wisconsin State Journal.
