VANCOUVER – Anticipation continues to grow for what promises to be a very special weekend for the UBC Thunderbirds who begin their exhibition season hosting the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin Badgers Friday, August 30^th and Sunday, September 1^st at Father David Bauer Arena.
 
With T-Bird training camp having started on Monday, the weekend ahead is a bit like being thrown into the fire.
 
The Badgers are also making their 2019-20 exhibition debut Friday night, an historic one for Wisconsin as 2019 NHL first round draft picks Alex Turcotte (LA Kings – 5^th overall) and Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens – 15^th overall) are set to play their first collegiate game.

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Join Tyler Sandhu and @ubcmhky as they host @badgermhockey for a pair of exhibition games at Father Bauer Arena! It will be an historic weekend as @canadiensmtl 1st round draft pick Cole Caufield suits up for his first @ncaa game. The Badgers have 12 players drafted into the @nhl including Alex Turcotte and K'Andre Miller while freshman Dylan Holloway is slated to be a 2020 1st round selection. Admission is by donation with limited seating available. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to see the next generation of NHL talent take on your Thunderbirds!

A post shared by UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) on Aug 21, 2019 at 9:25am PDT

Wisconsin's roster features a remarkable 12 NHL drafted players, including K'Andre Miller who was taken by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
 
"What a great test to start your season," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon who enters his fourth season at the head of the program. "Friday night it's going to be electric. They're an extremely talented group, they're going to be able to skate, their skill level is off the charts. They have some potential NHL superstars so it's going to be really cool to see them at this part of their career."
 
Plenty of scouts are expected to be in attendance in large part to see projected 2020 first round pick Dylan Holloway. The Calgary, Alberta native was named 2019's Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year having scored 41 goals with 88 assists in just 53 game for the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers. Holloway has been ranked within the top ten projected skaters for what is expected to be a very deep 2020 draft class.

The Badgers are jump-starting their season with a trip to Vancouver.

Check out the debut of our weekly behind the scenes look into Wisconsin hockey. pic.twitter.com/lgY58SctFh

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) August 27, 2019

As for the Thunderbirds, this weekend will provide a first look at their 2019 recruiting class.
 
Last season saw UBC dispatched in the Canada West quarter-finals by the Mount Royal Cougars, the fourth straight year the 'Birds saw their season end in the first round of the playoffs. But a quality veteran group with yet another very strong rookie class leads to raised expectations within the T-Birds' dressing room.
 
It's been six years since UBC has played host to an NCAA program but Friday marks the very first meeting with the Badgers.
 
Coached by former NHL player and head coach Tony Granato, now in his fourth season, Wisconsin is one of the most storied division I hockey programs with six NCAA championship titles and 12 frozen four appearances.
 
The rare and historic weekend with the Badgers begins Friday, August 30^th at Father David Bauer Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT with admission by donation. The second half of the exhibition double header will begin Sunday, September 1^st at 3:00 p.m. PT.