Wisconsin’s Quinn Finley gives Islanders fans hope for the future

When Quinn Finley sat at the podium following the Wisconsin Badgers’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 4, the final match of the Big Ten’s Frozen Confines outdoor series, he summed up the result about as bluntly as a person could. 

“There’s no way around it: it sucks.”

It was a refreshingly honest quote, the kind a young adult whose media training hasn’t been forged in a lab could provide. Finley, a second-year winger and 2022 third-round pick for the New York Islanders, was arguably the best player on the ice for the 64:59 of game time played at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. He finished with a goal and an assist, the latter being an NHL-caliber tape-to-tape feed on the blade of teammate Ryland Mosley with 48.7 seconds left, tying the game at three and forcing overtime. 

It wasn’t enough to help the Badgers get past the No. 1 ranked Spartans, who scored with 1.4 seconds remaining in overtime, but it did reinforce that Finley is one of the best players in college hockey and that Islanders fans should be excited for the future. The 20-year-old forward now has 16 goals and 29 points, which leads the NCAA in both categories, an impressive feat for a sophomore who finished with only 10 goals and 16 points in 2023-24. His game has improved so much that most college hockey writers have the Islanders’ prospect as a potential candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the NCAA’s top men’s player.

Beyond the scoresheet, Finley caught your attention every time his No. 19 sweater was on the ice at Wrigley Field. His wrist shot is heavy and demands respect from goalies who try to cheat in anticipation, or defenders who swarm him more than his Wisconsin teammates. His speed catches opponents off guard, as he can sprint into their zone and be the first on a forecheck or he can get lost in traffic, bury a loose puck and have his arms up in the air after a goal before the defense even knows what happened. 

It’s those offensive instincts that will help Finley transition to the professional game. Watch his goal that tied the game at two: Badgers’ defender Joe Palodichuk misses the net and by the time the puck hits the glass, Finley goes to the spot he knows the puck will end up, burying it when it bounces out front. 

There are plenty of one-dimensional goal scorers in junior and college whose talent can get them their cookies but go no further than a cup of coffee in the minors, but being able to score both highlight reel goals and ugly ones shows a wide range of offensive ability that can help you earn a comfortable living in the game. 

What solidifies Finley as a future professional is his improved defensive game. Early scouting reports during his time in the USHL said he may be a one-way player, someone who relied too much on his offense and let the rest of his game flounder. But it was clear during the game against Michigan State and watching his shifts from earlier in the season that Finley is more than capable of playing away from the puck, winning battles along the boards and staying between his D-man and the puck in his own end.

As Finley continues to grow physically and get stronger – he’s currently listed at six-foot and 179 pounds – those skills away from the puck should improve when it’s time to play against grown men.

Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings told reporters in December that his production may be what sticks out the most to those watching, but for him, it’s his overall game.

“He has become more aware of what he’s doing throughout the game without the puck,” Hastings said. “He’s defending better, he’s managing his shift length better, his overall game is continuing to grow.

“I have to believe the Islanders are feeling good about where he started his journey (at Wisconsin) a year ago, and where he is right now.”

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