Western Michigan University hockey head coach Pat Ferschweiler has a good problem to have to start the 2026-2027 season, the final season at Lawson Ice Arena.

"We have more good players than we have spots in a game, I know that for sure," Ferschweiler, who enters his sixth season as head coach, said. "This is a deep team with quality, and the competitiveness is off the charts.

"We had an intersquad scrimmage recently and I left the rink smiling. It was really good and competitive and the guys made good cases for themselves because the scrimmage mattered."

The Broncos showed their depth in a 5-1 exhibition game victory over Western Ontario when 10 different players earned points.

WMU opens the regular season on Thursday at home against Ferris State. The Broncos travel to Ferris on Friday.

The Broncos (27-22-1 overall, 16-7-1 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference) return 16 players who scored last season, led by senior forward William Whitelaw, who had 19 goals and 15 assists. Senior forward Zaccharya Wisdom added 17 goals and 13 assists and senior forward Garrett Szydlowski had five goals and six assists.

"We have as good wingers returning as there are in the country," the head coach said. "We're strong on the wings down the wall, but down the middle, we're a little less experienced.

"On the wings, Ty Henricks (junior) had 25 points, Bobby Cowan (sophomore) had 24 points in his freshman season and Iiro Hakkarainen (junior) and Zach Nehring (junior) each had good freshman seasons and look return to that level this season."

The down-the-middle players include senior Cole Spicer, who had injury issues and played in just 13 games, but contributed three goals and three assists.

"Cole is a heck of a player who has battled injuries, but if he can stay healthy, I think he can be a No. 1 center on any team in the country," Ferschweiler said. "Tyler MacKenzie (sophomore) really established himself as last season went on and is a better version of himself to start the season.

"We have four other guys up the middle, but the two who are currently leading are Tommy Lafrenière (freshman, third round pick of Edmonton) who looks like an elite player who is big and who shoots the puck very hard and Adam Benák (freshman, fourth round pick of Minnesota), who is dynamic with the puck, hyper elusive and has great deception. He's a coach's kid who wants to be great at hockey. Two others, Jordan Keller (freshman) and Luke McNamara (freshman) have really good hands."

Defense is where the Broncos were hurt with injuries last year, but both players return this season. Junior Joona Väisänen played just seven games and senior Cole Crusberg-Roseen played just 18 games before he was injured and lost for the rest of the season.

"We had three right-handed defensemen and lost two of them in the first half of the season, and that was devastating," the head coach said. "I like all eight of our defensemen because they have size, they can all skate and move the puck."

Freshman Edison Engle and transfer junior Michael Neumeier have moved up the depth chart.

"Edison is looking more comfortable every day and Neumeier led the country in minutes played last season (while at Colgate), but he won't play that many this season because we want him to play with a higher motor and he's learning to do that right now."

Wisdom is the team's captain with Crusberg-Roseen, Szydlowski, Väisänen and Whitelaw the assistant captains.

Then there is the big question of who is going to replace one of the top goaltenders in the country, Hampton Slukynsky, who has moved on to the professional ranks. Sophomore transfer Quentin Miller looks to be that person now. He came from national champion Denver, where he started in 25 games before being injured and missing the rest of the season.

"To start with, he's 6-feet, 4-inches tall who looks big in net, is calm in there and he's a tremendous young man who fits right into our locker room," Ferschweiler said.

The Broncos have been picked to finish fourth in the NCHC, the toughest conference in the nation, and also are a preseason eighth national selection. Eight of the league's 10 schools are either ranked or receiving votes.

Let's have Ferschweiler give a rundown of the league.

"Denver has won three of the past five national titles, returns a great group and brought in a bunch of first-round NHL draft picks," he said. "North Dakota returns almost everyone and also added first-round talent.

"Minnesota Duluth returns the Hobey Baker winner in Max Plante and that never happens. But Max wanted to play on the same team as his brothers, Zam and Victor, so Max is back. And it added a very talented goaltender."

Those are the three teams picked in the league in front of the Broncos.

"Colorado College returns all but six guys and brought in an elite goaltender," he said. "This is the first year for St. Thomas in this league, but it won its league last season.

"Omaha is well coached and as competitive as they come and Miami is coming off its best season in 12 years."

The competition will be tough, but that doesn't change WMU's goals.

"Our goal is to win the Penrose Cup (NCHC regular season champion), and after that, win the league playoffs, and after that win the national championship," Ferschweiler said. "Those goals we have every season and we're going to compete as hard as we can."