It didn’t take long for Wisconsin sophomore forward Cole Caufield to take the next step.  Just over 24-hours after the Badgers fell to Bemidji State 6-3 in the NCAA’s East Regional opener, the nations leading scorer in goals and points announced he would forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility after signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Caufield was selected 15th overall in the 2019 NHL draft and helped the Badgers win the Big Ten regular-season title with his second straight Big Ten scoring title.  He also helped the Badgers reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014.

The Big Ten Player of the Year and Hobey Baker top-10 finalist leads the country with 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games.  He holds a 12-goal advantage over the next closes goal scorer.  He also became the first Badgers since 1990 to tally 30 goals in a season.

Caufield finished out his collegiate career for the Badgers with 11 goals in a six-game goal streak.  He also wrapped up his career with a nine-game point streak that included 13 goals and 19 points.

In addition to his collegiate accolades, Caufield served as an alternate captain for Team USA to help the team capture gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship.

Caufield is expected to join the AHL’s Laval Rockets to start his professional career following a required quarantine period.