KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan returns to the ice fresh off of winning the 2025 National Championship. WMU will host the UNSTDP in an exhibition contest on Saturday night at Lawson Arena. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos won the National Championship last season, defeating Boston University, 6-2, in the title game. Owen Michaels scored two goals in the victory to earn Most Outstanding Player recognition. Hampton Slukynsky, Joona Väisänen and Tim Washe joined Michaels in the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. 

BLAZING BRONCOS
The Brown and Gold open the 2025-26 season as the No. 1 team in the nation, securing the top spot in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. 

Western Michigan won 10 straight games to end the season in 2024-25 and brings back a wealth of talent from last year's team. WMU returns just under 60 percent of its scoring from last year's squad, including seven of its top 10 scorers. 

Juniors Owen Michaels and Grant Slukynsky will lead the charge, as each finished with 36 points last season. Michaels had 18 goals and 18 assists, while Slukynsky notched 10 goals and 26 assists. 

Defensively, the Broncos bring back their top defensive pair in Joona Väisänen and Samuel Sjolund. Those two combined for 55 points on eight goals and 47 assists. The duo was also +43 and blocked a combined 71 shots. 

NEW TO KALAMAZOO
WMU welcomes 11 new faces to the team this season, including some top professional prospects. 

Out of the transfer portal, the Broncos were able to secure Zach Bookman (Merrimack), Theo Wallberg (Ohio State), William Whitelaw (Michigan) and Zaccharya Wisdom (Colorado College). Wallberg (Ottawa Senators), Whitelaw (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Wisdom (Seattle Kraken) are all NHL draft picks, while Bookman is one of the top free agent defenseman in the nation. 

Outside of the transfers, the Brown and Gold also brought in Bobby Cowan, Sam Huck, Tyler MacKenzie, Gavin Moffatt, Jamison Sluys, Cole Spicer and Colby Woogk. Spicer is a Boston Bruins draft pick, while Cowan is still draft eligible. Outside of those two, MacKenzie averaged more than a point per game in the WHL last season, while Jamison Sluys picked up 46 points in 41 games after being traded to Youngstown. 

HAMMER TIME
Hampton Slukynsky returns to Kalamazoo after a terrific freshman season, which saw him collect a 19-5-1 record to go along with a 1.90 goals against average and .922 save percentage. His GAA was the top mark in the NCHC and broke the program's single-season record. 

The Los Angeles Kings draft pick won 10 straight games to end the season, producing a 1.80 GAA and .917 save percentage in that stretch. 

Slukynsky was even better throughout the NCAA Tournament, boasting a 1.26 GAA and .943 save percentage. He didn't allow more than two goals in a game throughout the entire national tournament. 

The Warroad, Minn. native racked up the awards throughout the season, earning College Hockey News All-Rookie Team, All-NCHC Second Team, NCHC All-Rookie Team, and NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team honors. 

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Western Michigan named Owen Michaels as the team's captain for the 2025-26 season. The junior forward is fresh off of a career season where he totaled 36 points on 18 goals and 18 assists. He was the Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player, scoring four goals in St. Louis. 

Michaels will be joined by Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Samuel Sjolund and Grant Slukynsky. That trio will serve as assistant captains for the Brown and Gold. They combined to produce 77 points on 17 goals and 63 assists last season. 

SCOUTING THE USNTDP
The US Development Program is off to a 1-3-0 start to the season, collecting its lone win of the season against the Lincoln Stars back on Sept. 21. 

WMU has beaten the USNTDP each of the last two years, earning a 9-4 win in 2023-24 and a 4-1 victory last season. This is the second year in a row the two teams have played at Lawson Arena. 

Sammy Nelson and Victory Plante have led the way, with each entering Saturday's matchup at four points on two goals and two assists. The team also has four other players with two points. 

In net, Luke Carrithers and Brady Knowling have split the four games. Carrithers owns an 0-2-0 record to go along with a 1.97 goals against average and .913 save percentage. Knowling is 1-1-0 with a 3.02 GAA and .897 save percentage. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Western Michigan has been consistently among the top teams in the nation, and the polls reflect that. The Broncos have now made four straight NCAA Tournaments and sit at No. 1 in the national polls to begin the 2025-26 season. 

This is the first time in program history that WMU has topped the preseason polls. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 20 since Oct. 11, 2021.