In his first three seasons as a Wisconsin Badger, Aidan Cavallini amassed a grand total of zero goals. He did, however, notch two assists in both his sophomore and junior campaigns, bringing his point total to a whopping four.
But with 10 games still left on the schedule in his senior year, the fourth-liner has already surpassed his point total over his first three seasons with five in the 2016-’17 campaign. He scored his first collegiate goal in the Badgers’ Big Ten opener against Michigan and followed that up with goals in back-to-back games. On top of all that, he buried the puck against Ohio State in Madison Square Garden, which nobody, including head coach Tony Granato, saw coming. Nonetheless, that savvy wrister from the high slot in the Big Apple will go down as a career highlight.
“It was unbelievable. I honestly kind of blacked out during that experience,” Cavallini said. “Probably one of the top five moments I’ve had since I’ve been here. I didn’t score many goals here, but that was one of the biggest ones.”
And while his goal total might be low, Cavallini, now a mainstay on the fourth line despite constant shake-ups, has contributed this year in ways far beyond just goals.
In fact, Granato said his recent hot scoring streak has nothing to do with why he has chosen to keep him in the lineup of late.
“The scoring part isn’t even in the equation. His energy on the bench, his knowing what’s expected of him in that role, he’s just been solid all year,” Granato said. “His line, no matter what line he’s on, what players we had in that position, they found ways to impact the game, even if they don’t score.”
But Cavallini has turned heads this year by putting the puck in the back of the net. After all, it took him 63 games in the Cardinal and White to find twine for the first time. Granato attributed Cavallini’s recent hot spell to an increase in confidence after finally breaking his scoreless streak.
“You get one and you feel like, ‘Geez, you know what? I’m a good player,’” Granato said. “He’s made some great plays. As he’s evolved in the season and understood his role, he’s more comfortable and I believe he believes he’s gonna score every game.”
The fourth line has been instrumental to the Badgers’ success this year, grinding out shifts and giving the stars on the top line much-needed breathers while still putting pressure on opposing teams.
Cavallini often plays with junior Matt Ustaski, who also scored goals in back-to-back games this season. Ustaski describes Cavallini as a funny guy who always keeps the locker room light while giving a boost on the ice as well.
“You know you’re gonna get a lot of energy from him, he’s gonna work hard and hunt pucks on the forecheck,” Ustaski said.
Cavallini’s career is probably coming to an end, as he most likely won’t play professionally after this year. It marks the end of a long journey, one where he spent three years playing junior hockey after high school before making his way to Wisconsin. He almost wasn’t a Badger, as he didn’t receive a call from Wisconsin until late in his final season of juniors.
“I came on my visit and I couldn’t say no,” Cavallini said. “This place had me right away.”
He then trudged through two tough years, in which Wisconsin won a combined 12 games, before becoming a veteran presence during this year’s turnaround. And while he might not remember a lot of wins from when Mike Eaves was his coach, Cavallini will remember the nickname Eaves gave him, which the current players and coaching staff still call him to this day.
“[Eaves] used to call me Young Gino, and then all the guys kind of picked that up and they thought it was funny, so they just started calling me Gino and it’s just kind of stuck,” Cavallini said.
The name comes from Aidan’s father Gino, who played nine NHL seasons with St. Louis, Calgary and Quebec. While he has taken over his father’s namesake at UW, he is leaving his own legacy as Aidan.
After three seasons of virtual anonymity, Cavallini has played a pivotal role in showing the college hockey world that the Badgers are back. While the goals have certainly helped him earn more recognition in a lineup with several future NHL players, it is his understanding of his role that has enabled him to stay on the ice and earn opportunities to bury the puck.
But even if he doesn’t light the lamp, Young Gino has found other ways to help Wisconsin climb to the top of the Big Ten standings and a No. 17 national ranking.
“From our perspective, he’s done everything we’ve asked him. He feels good about himself. He feels good that his contributions are as important as anybody’s,” Granato said.
“Even if he only plays ten minutes a game, even if he’s just a major part on the penalty kill unit, he understands that it’s impactful.”
