Don Deprez didn’t need much convincing.
Minutes after the Wisconsin Badgers men’s ice hockey punched their ticket to the national championship game, he turned to his wife and made a spontaneous pitch: let’s go to Las Vegas.
Owen, grandson of Don Deprez, was all smiles after a player tossed him a puck over the boards during the championship weekend in Las Vegas
Within hours, the plan was in motion.
“It was actually minutes,” Deprez said with a laugh, recalling how quickly the idea became reality. “I said, ‘Badgers just won — let’s go to Vegas for the final.’”
By the next afternoon, Deprez and several members of his family were on a flight, bound for a game that would carry a deeper meaning than most.
More than 50 years earlier, Deprez had been on the ice when Wisconsin captured its first-ever national title — a 4-2 victory over the Denver Pioneers men’s ice hockey in 1973.
Now, in a twist few could script, the same two programs were set to meet again on college hockey’s biggest stage.
“It didn’t feel like 1973 again,” Deprez said. “But it did feel like something I wanted to be a small part of.”
For Deprez, the connection wasn’t just about the opponent — it was about the atmosphere, the energy and the memories tied to that championship run.
Back in 1973, Wisconsin’s title game in Boston drew more than 3,000 travelling fans from Madison, creating a wall of sound that left a lasting impression.
“One of the things I remember most is the noise those fans made,” he said. “I think I wanted to be a part of that again.”
While the championship win over Denver remains a defining moment, it’s actually the semifinal that stands out most vividly in Deprez’s memory.
Wisconsin found itself in a deep hole, trailing 4-0 before mounting a dramatic comeback. Even after falling behind again late in the game, the Badgers refused to quit.
“We made it 5-4, and then Dean Talafous tied it up with five seconds left,” Deprez said. “We won it in overtime with Dean getting the winner.”
The following night, Wisconsin controlled much of the final against Denver to secure the program’s first national title — a milestone moment Deprez still holds close.
The team was coached by Bob Johnson, later known as “Badger Bob,” who went on to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux to a Stanley Cup in 1991. Johnson died the following year, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s most respected figures.
“My claim to fame was getting an assist on the winning goal,” he added.
Fast forward to 2026, and the perspective had changed dramatically.
Instead of lacing up his skates, Deprez was in the stands — but not just as a casual observer. Old instincts kicked in as he followed the play.
“I found my body shifting in my chair trying to take a shot or a hit or a pass,” he said. “But that’s fairly normal.”
What made the trip even more meaningful was sharing it with family.
His wife Laurie, son Chad, daughter Jaymie and young grandson Owen all joined the journey, turning what could have been a solo trip down memory lane into a multi-generational experience.
“It was fantastic having them there,” Deprez said. “I think they were as excited to be there as I was.”
The group immersed themselves in the full championship atmosphere, including a pre-game gathering just outside T-Mobile Arena.
“There was a Wisconsin party at the Beerhaus three hours before the game — it was a sea of red,” Deprez said. “I had some great conversations with diehard fans. It brought back some wonderful feelings and emotions.”
Those connections — to the program, the city and the people — remain strong decades after Deprez’s playing days ended.
“I loved my four years at the University of Wisconsin and being part of that hockey program,” he said. “It’s a great city that I think about often.”
This time around, the result didn’t go Wisconsin’s way, as Denver came out on top in the final.
But for Deprez, the scoreline was secondary.
The experience — the memories, the shared moments and the rare opportunity to witness history echo itself — was what mattered most.
“It was something I wanted to be a part of,” he said.
More than half a century after helping Wisconsin reach the top of college hockey, Deprez found himself back at the same stage — not as a player but as a fan, a father and a grandfather.
And in that moment, the past and present came together in a way few athletes ever get to experience.
A full-circle journey, measured not just in years but in meaning.
