MADISON, Wis. — In the depths of the Kohl Center, home of the University of Wisconsin’s Badgers men’s hockey team, another week has ended much like the one before it — and the one before that.



Montreal Canadiens goal scoring sensation Cole Caufield, his big brother Brock by his side, stands with his parents. A few feet away, future New York Rangers defenceman K’Andre Miller talks quietly with his mom while Los Angeles Kings player development coach Jarret Stoll waits for 2019 fifth-overall pick Alex Turcotte.



When the season began, Caufield, Miller and Turcotte made the Badgers the most talked-about team in NCAA hockey, with all of the talent in the world and the expectations that came with it. But they’ve fallen flat, faltering to the worst record in the Big Ten Conference.



Now, the bright lights and anticipation of months ago feels distant. Now, they’re just three people in a hallway filled with...