(UW ATHLETICS) – Wisconsin freshman forward Zach Wooten, who starred in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers, heard his name called during the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Wooten went to the Winnipeg Jets as the 116th overall pick. The Apple Valley, Minnesota, native was chosen as the 20th pick of the fourth round.
A 2026 All-USHL First Team forward, Wooten tallied 35 goals to rank third in the league during the regular season. He totaled 62 points in 61 games played for Green Bay to rank eighth in the USHL in points. His four short-handed tallies tied for the league lead.
The 6-2 Wooten went unranked by NHL Central Scouting in the midterm draft rankings, but rocketed up to 94th among North Americans in the final rankings before the draft.
Wooten’s pick helped extend Wisconsin’s streak to 29 consecutive seasons with at least one player drafted. The Badgers have seen at least one player drafted in all but two drafts since 1970.
Wooten joins goaltender Jared Moe and forwards Matt Ustaski and Dany Heatley (Atlanta) as Badgers picked by the Jets franchise.
Since Jeff Rotsch was picked by the St. Louis Blues in 1970, a total of 190 Badgers have now been drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.
CURRENT BADGER DRAFT PICKS
Logan Hensler, D – Ottawa Senators (2025) – 1st round – 23rd overall
Luke Osburn, D – Buffalo Sabres (2025) – 4th round – 108th
Brent Solomon, F – Detroit Red Wings (2025) – 4th round – 109th
Zach Wooten, F – Winnipeg Jets (2026) – 4th round – 116th
Jack Phelan, D – Detroit Red Wings (2023) – 5th round – 137th
Alexis Cournoyer, G – Montreal Canadiens (2025) – 5th round – 145th
Zach Schultz, D – New York Islanders (2023) – 6th round – 162nd
Bruno Idžan, F – Ottawa Senators (2025) – 6th round – 177th
Vasily Zelenov, F – Buffalo Sabres (2024) – 7th round – 204th
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