Last season was a dream come true for Pittsburgh Penguins sixth-round pick Joona Vaisanen. The defenseman from Espoo, Finland was drafted into the NHL and was living out his hockey dreams.
Now one year removed from that selection, Vaisanen has continued to work on his game and improve into a promising prospect for the Penguins.
“I’m just trying to get stronger and add some weight,” Vaisanen said. “I think it’s going to be a big part of my game, getting out of those corners and winning more puck battles.”
During development camp last week in Cranberry, Vaisanen was the designated captain for his practice group, showing how much faith the coaching staff has in him as a leader.
Vaisanen is coming off a freshman campaign that saw he and his Western Michigan Broncos teammates win the national championship over Boston University this past April.
During the championship game, he was directly responsible for preventing multiple goals that kept momentum in the favor of Western Michigan. He was on the first defensive pairing for the Broncos.
“It was really special and we ended up winning the national championship,” Vaisanen said. “Those are the moments you dream of as a kid, so it’s really special, and I’m really happy for the whole school and city.”
The Finnish product finished this past collegiate year with four goals and 22 assists in 42 games. He will be returning to Kalamazoo for his sophomore season with Western Michigan, hoping to continue to build on the 2025 success.
Last season, multiple Western Michigan players, including Alex Bump, who is now with the Philadelphia Flyers, gave Vaisanen the blueprint for how to be a professional.
“I mean the work ethic and professionalism that they brought to practice every day was unbelievable,” Vaisanen said. “I just tried to learn from them and copy what they did on a daily basis.”
Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza has liked what he’s seen from Vaisanen.
“Joona is a guy that we’re really high on and we saw a lot of potential in,” Spezza said. “To be a part of a championship team and log the minutes that he did is awesome, and he’s a guy looking to push and take on an even bigger role there with (Western Michigan).”
The Penguins think the path Vaisanen has chosen will help him reach his potential as a player.
“He’s in a good spot at Western Michigan where they teach him the details of the game really well,” Spezza said. “Head coach Pat Ferschweiler also does a good job of teaching them how to defend.”
Fershweiler is a two-time Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award winner in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. He reportedly interviewed for the Philadelphia Flyers head coaching job that ultimately went to Rick Tocchet.
“We had a pretty young team last year, so a lot of guys are coming back and the team looks really good,” Vaisanen said. “With the same coaching staff, the standard is pretty high to go out and win another national championship.”
Winning matters when assessing a young hockey player, and Vaisanen has done as much winning as he could do in his first year in the NCAA.
As he plays with Western Michigan over the next few seasons, his development will be eyed closely by those in the Penguins organization.
“Every year I feel like I take a step forward,” Vaisanen said. “Right now I’m just trying to take one year at a time and see where that takes me.”
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