This article has been updated to include quotes from head coach Casey Jones ’90.
Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer will be transferring to the University of Wisconsin, Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald confirmed on X Friday afternoon.
Cournoyer, the ECAC Goaltender of the Year, Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Mike Richter Award semifinalist, will play the 2026-2027 season in Madison. The Badgers finished 12th in the NCAA percentage index and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before storming their way to the NCAA championship game, where they fell by a 2-1 score to Denver in Las Vegas.
"I just wanted to jump to the next level," Cournoyer told BadgerExtra.com. "I decided to enter the portal because we thought — my family and my adviser — that I could get a better opportunity. And Wisconsin reached out right after so it worked out pretty well."
According to head coach Casey Jones ’90, the move initially “blindsided” him and his staff, who had not anticipated losing their starting goaltender. Upon speaking with Cournoyer in the wake of his entering the portal, it was evident that the program and the goaltender had different understandings of what the future held.
“Coming to Cornell, we surely want people that understand the connections and the value of the education,” Jones said. “We’ve just moved on. We wish him well, and we'll pivot.”
Jones pivoted by acquiring Mathis Rousseau, a rising sophomore goaltender who spent his freshman year at the University of Maine. The Montreal, Quebec, native posted a .896 save percentage across 17 games in 2025-2026, backing up Maine’s starter, Albin Boija. Rousseau challenged Boija for the starting position down the stretch and will certainly bolster the goaltending position for the Red next season.
“There’s no shortage of people that want to play here,” Jones said. “No shortage of people that want this opportunity right now with the roster we have.”
The Big 10, the conference that Cournoyer will be transferring into, had four teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament, with two of them reaching the Frozen Four. The conference is lauded for both its blue-chip NHL prospects and its ability to compensate its players for their Name, Image and Likeness.
"Going to Wisconsin, I felt like it was the best option for me," Cournoyer told BadgerExtra.com. "You look at the facilities and all the alumni and everyone that went to Wisconsin, it was an easy decision for me."
Wisconsin got strong goaltending in the NCAA Tournament from a fellow freshman, Daniel Hauser, who — like Cournoyer — played in the Canadian Hockey League before making the jump to college hockey this past season. Hauser posted a .900 save percentage as opposed to Cournoyer’s .915 in 2025-2026, and the two will likely compete for the starter’s role next season.
"I want my goalie partner to play good so I can play better than him," Cournoyer told BadgerExtra.com. "It's nothing personal. It's just my mentality as a person. I want me and [Hauser] to play good and get this team to the next level next year together."
Cournoyer was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The fifth-round could very well sign a professional contract after the 2026-2027 season and, thus, not complete his college degree.
“We’ve got a lot of good players here. Our roster is loaded next year,” Jones said. “We feel good about that, and we'll have the right guys in the room that want to be here, and then just move on from there. We just move on. That's the landscape.”
Jane McNally is a senior editor on the 143rd editorial board and was the sports editor on the 142nd editorial board. She is a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow her on X @JaneMcNally_ and reach her at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.
