KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan hockey team returns to the ice on Saturday night to take on Western Ontario in an exhibition contest.
Following the game, fans are invited to the annual Skate With the Broncos. Fans will also have the opportunity to sign their names on dasher board graphics dedicated to the Final Season at Lawson. These dasher boards will then be installed prior to WMU's regular-season opener against Ferris State on Oct. 8, and displayed for the entirety of them Final Season at Lawson.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Western Michigan has been consistently among the top teams in the nation, picking up the third-most wins in NCAA Division I over that stretch. The Broncos have made five straight NCAA Tournaments and are ranked eighth nationally heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
The Broncos have been ranked in the top-20 since Oct. 11, 2021, and have taken that a step further since November of 2024, ranking inside the top-10 in every poll since then. In April of 2025, Western Michigan captured its first National Championship.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Western Michigan named
Zaccharya Wisdom as the team's captain for the 2026-27 season. The senior forward is coming off of a career year which saw him amass 30 points, fourth-most on the team, ranking third in goals with 17 and adding 13 assists. Wisdom has the second-highest goal and point totals among returning players for the Broncos.
In addition to Widsom, the quartet of
Cole Crusberg-Roseen,
Garrett Szydlowski,
Joona Väisänen and
William Whitelaw will serve as assistant captains for the Brown and Gold. Overall, WMU's leadership group enters the season with more than 400 games of experience at the collegiate level.
VALUABLE VETS
The Broncos bring back a lot of veteran experience for the 2026-27 campaign, with eight of WMU's top-10 returning scorers heading into either their junior or senior seasons.
Leading the returners is senior forward
William Whitelaw, who ranked second on Western Michigan in goals (19) and third in points (34) last year. Fellow senior
Zaccharya Wisdom tallied 30 points last season, notching 17 goals to go with 13 assists.
NEW TO KALAMAZOO
WMU welcomes 11 new faces to the team this season, including some top professional prospects.
Out of the transfer portal, the Brown and Gold brought in goalies
Quentin Miller (Denver) and
Michael Polston (Long Island), defenseman
Michael Neumeier (Colgate) and forward
Casy Laylin (St. Thomas). Miller was a fourth round pick of his hometown Montreal Canadiens back in 2023.
Western Michigan also brought seven freshmen into the fold, in forwards
Adam Benák,
Jordan Keller,
Tommy Lafrenière,
Ty Mason,
Luke McNamara and
Nicholas Sykora, as well as defenseman
Edison Engle. Benák (4th round, Minnesota), Lafrenière (3rd round, Edmonton) and Engle (6th round, Winnipeg) were all taken in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
MILLER TIME
With National Championship winning goalie
Hampton Slukynsky gone to the professional ranks, Western Michigan is turning to another National Championship winning netminder in 2026-27. The Broncos grabbed
Quentin Miller out of the transfer portal after the Montreal native spent his freshman season at Denver.
Miller spent the vast majority of the season as the number one goaltender for the Pioneers, starting 25 games and putting up a 12-10-2 record to go with a 2.40 goals against average and a .916 save percentage before an injury derailed his campaign.
LAST SEASON AT LAWSON
The 2026-27 campaign marks the Final Season at historic Lawson Arena for Western Michigan hockey. Named after the founding father of the program, Harry W. Lawson, the arena has been home to Bronco hockey since the 1974-75 season. All throughout the 2026-27 season, WMU hockey will be celebrating its five-plus decades at Lawson Arena with special events, giveaways and promotions.
Secure your tickets and help us celebrate the Final Season at Lawson Arena by going to
wmubroncos.com/tickets.
