Three Wisconsin players, including starting goaltender Bernd Bruckler, were suspended by the team on Saturday.
Bruckler was suspended for two games, while wingers Robbie Earl, a freshman who is second on the team with six goals, and Brent Gibson, a sophomore, were issued one-game penalties.
All suspensions were for undisclosed violations of team rules. Earl and Gibson missed team practices Thursday and Friday.
Wisconsin associate head coach Troy Ward made the decisions in consultation with head coach Mike Eaves, who is leading the United States team at the World Junior Championship in Finland.
“It doesn’t matter for Mike and I and the rest of the staff whether they’re our best player or our worst player,” Ward said. “Everybody is held accountable. Bernd is one heck of a man. He’s a very mature, very good kid. But in this situation, with the team rules, we felt that he needed to be held accountable like anybody else.”
