KALAMAZOO, Mich. - WMU junior defenseman Joona Väisänen was named to the U.S. Collegiate Selects (USCS) roster for the 2026 Spengler Cup, the team announced Thursday.

Joining him are New Hampshire senior forward Martins Lavinš, Quinnipiac junior forward Chris Pelosi and Minnesota Duluth junior forward Jayson Shaugabay. The 2026 USCS currently rosters five skaters from two NCHC programs (Minnesota Duluth and Western Michigan).

A Kirkkonummi, Finland native, Väisänen is the first Bronco ever named to the USCS and the first active WMU player to earn a Spengler Cup roster spot since forward Colt Conrad did so with the Canadian Men's National Team in 2018.

A sixth-round pick (175th overall) of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Väisänen has tallied 13 points (5G-8A) in nine games this season, tied for second among NCAA defensemen. In 2026-27, the 6-foot-1 defenseman recorded his first career hat trick Oct. 29 against LIU, when he and senior forward William Whitelaw became the first teammates in NCHC history to record hat tricks in the same game.

Through 58 career games in the Brown and Gold, Väisänen has totaled 45 points (9G-36A).

Väisänen has amassed multiple honors in his collegiate career, earning two NCHC Defenseman of the Week honors in the current campaign. Väisänen has also been named to the NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team (2025), the All-NCHC Third Team (2025), the NCHC All-Rookie Team (2025), the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team (2025) and the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team. He was also a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Week and the conference's Rookie of the Month for February 2025.

The Selects are an all-star team of NCAA Division I players from all six conferences, a 25-man roster when complete. The Spengler Cup is the world's oldest invitational hockey tournament, first held in 1923, played Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland, with six teams. The Selects reached the championship game in their debut last year. New Hampshire's Mike Souza is the 2026 USCS head coach, with assistants Casey Jones (Cornell) and Scott Sandelin (Minnesota Duluth). The Selects open play Saturday, Dec. 26, against Frölunda HC of Sweden before facing host HC Davos on either Dec. 27 or Dec. 28.

Visit CollegeHockeyInc.com for more information on the Spengler Cup.