With an insane amount of freshmen stepping onto campus next season, Western Michigan's freshman focus will be split into two parts. The program faces a lot of pressure after missing the Frozen Four one year after winning the National Championship. Can these freshmen make an impact right away?
It’s fairly common to take a step back after winning a National Championship, and that’s what happened last season for the Broncos as they failed to make it to the Frozen Four. Head coach Pat Ferschweiler is bringing in a load of freshmen for this upcoming season with the hopes of getting back to the peak of college hockey.
All entry years are from CollegeHockeyNews and are subject to change. Players are listed alphabetically by last name.
Adam Benak –Center, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Benak isn’t the biggest guy, standing at five-foot-eight, 163 pounds. But what he doesn’t bring in size, he brings in high-end skill and offensive talent.
Benak was on the loaded Brantford Bulldogs team with multiple first-round picks, and although at one point Benak was projected in the first round of the 2025 draft, he eventually got selected in the fourth round by the Minnesota Wild. In 48 games last season, he had 28 goals and 77 points.
Michal Capos –Defenseman, Wenatchee Wild (WHL)
Unlike Benak, Capos has no issue with size, as he is six-foot-five and 216 pounds. He also didn’t have the same offensive workload and production as Benak.
The undrafted Czech-born defenseman played 27 games for the Wild last season, where he had one goal and eight points.
Hubert Clarke –Defenseman, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Elite Prospects has Clarke as a heavy hitter, something that seems to be a theme in this class. Clarke was on a stacked blueline last season with first-round pick Daxon Rudolph and projected first-rounder Brock Cripps, two players who can carry a team’s offensive load themselves.
In 32 games last season, Clarke posted one goal and five points with a plus-minus of plus-nine.
Felix Haibock –Left Wing, Spruce Grove Saints (BCHL)
Despite being from Linz, Austria, Haibock played a season in the NAHL for the Wisconsin Windigo before moving to Spruce Grove to play for the Saints in the BCHL. He’s also played for Austria’s U20 team for the past two seasons.
In 48 games for the Saints, Haibock put up 19 goals and 38 points.
Kyle Heger –Defenseman, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Heger lit it up in the 2024-25 season with Shattuck St. Mary’s where he led defensemen in points. That production carried over to major junior where he split time with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
He had a lot more production with Lethbridge where in 29 games he had 20 points, that brought his season total to 35 points in 64 games.
Nicholas Kosiba –Right Winger, Fargo Force (USHL)
Kosiba was a standout player with the Little Caesars U16 AAA team where he led the team in goals with 49. He then played two seasons in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks and the Fargo Force.
In 50 games this past season for the Force he had seven goals and 15 points.
Tommy Lafreniere –Center, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Lafreniere was drafted in the third round of the 2025 draft by the Edmonton Oilers and he’s already played some games in their system. Last season he appeared in five regular-season games for the Bakersfield Condors where he had two points. He also appeared in three playoff games for the Condors.
For the Blazers last season he had 41 goals and 77 points in 67 games.
