Taken in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL entry draft after a solid season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL, Joona Vaisanen slotted into the Western Michigan lineup seamlessly as a freshman, finishing second among blueliners on the team with 26 points in 42 games and fourth on the team with a +24 plus/minus rating, helping the Broncos win a National Championship. A little undersized for a defenseman at 6’0″, 176 lbs., Vaisanen figures to be the top defenseman on a Western Michigan team looking to repeat in 2025-26 and to continue preparing to make the jump to the next level.