Former Wisconsin Badger Cole Caufield scored the Montreal Canadiens’ first goal of the 2024-25 NHL season on Wednesday.

His score came on a power play with 12 minutes left in the first period. He took a cross from a teammate behind the net and then passed the puck through a narrow window as the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender tried to recover.

The former Badger scored that one point on seven total shots in 17:43 of ice time in the Canadiens’ 1-0 win over the Maple Leafs. His goal was technically the game winner, as it was the only goal in the match.

The opening night performance is a strong start to Caufield’s fifth NHL season. The former Badger hasn’t quite recaptured the form that set the hockey world on fire during the 2021 NHL playoffs: four goals and eight assists in just 12 games as the Canadiens cruised to the Stanley Cup final .

Caufield last played all 82 games in the Canadiens’ 2023-24 season, totaling 28 goals and 37 assists for 65 total points in an average of 19:25 minutes of ice time. His start to the 2024-2025 period could be a signal that these numbers will rise.

COLE CAUFIELD SCORES MONTREAL’S FIRST OF THE YEAR 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/8lGr8Vtp9d

— Sportnet (@Sportsnet) October 9, 2024

Caufield played for the Badgers from 2019-2021. He led the 2019 Badgers Big Ten-winning team with 19 goals and 17 assists in 36 games. Those numbers earned him a spot on the All-Big Ten team that season.

The talented wing improved dramatically entering his final collegiate season in 2021. He scored 30 goals and 52 total points in 31 games, again leading the Big Ten in goals and earning a spot on the All-Big Ten team. That stellar performance in 2021 also earned him AHCA First-Team All-American honors and the Hobey Baker Award for the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player.

He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens after the 2021 season, leading to where things stand today.

Caufield and the Canadiens are looking to end a three-year playoff drought dating back to the team’s Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Caufield’s potential emergence would be big news for that quest.

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