Wisconsin senior forward Linus Weissbach was named Tuesday as one of the school’s recipients of the Big Ten medal of honor, the conference’s highest honor.
The awards were presented as part of the 2021 Buckinghams, UW Athletics’ annual awards show and student-athlete showcase. This year’s Buckinghams were presented online live via YouTube and social media.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had “attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work.” The conference’s exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. Only one male and one female student-athlete now receive this award per Big Ten institution.
Weissbach, a 2021 Second-Team All-American, helped the Badgers to the 2021 Big Ten regular-season championship and UW’s first NCAA tournament appearance in seven seasons. The Hockey Commissioners’ Association national player of the month in November, he ended up third in the nation in scoring with 41 points in 31 games, including second-best in the nation with 29 assists. Second in the Big Ten in scoring, he added second-team All-Big Ten to his resume that began with 2018 Big Ten All-Rookie Team honors.
The three-time Academic All-Big Ten skater finished his Badger career 51st in school history with 114 points and as the second to eclipse 100 career points since 2014.
The Gothenberg, Sweden, native also became the sixth UW men’s hockey player and the first since 1998 to win the medal of honor.
Posting at least 22 points in each of his four seasons, Weissbach graduated this May with a degree in communication arts and Scandinavian studies. Following the hockey season, he signed an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres, but postponed his career until the fall so he could complete his degree in person.
