Penguins' Prospect Headed To Spengler Cup

There are a host of Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects who are off to hot starts to their respective 2026-27 seasons. 

And one of them - who, perhaps, flies under the radar at times - was just rewarded for his efforts. 

Penguins' defensive prospect Joona Väisänen, who is a junior at Western Michigan University, is headed to the 2026 Spengler Cup as part of the U.S. Collegiate Selects (USCS) roster. According to the WMU Broncos site, Väisänen is the first WMU Bronco ever named to the USCS.

The 22-year-old Väisänen has five goals and nine points in his first 13 games of the NCAA season. 

The 6-foot, 175-pound right defenseman has done a lot to build out his game this season after a season-ending ACL injury after seven games last year. Selected by the Penguins in the sixth round (175th overall) during the 2024 NHL Draft after being passed on in two draft cycles, he has always been better-known on the outside as an airtight defender who is solid in his own end, but the offensive element to his game is breaking out in a big way - and it's something that Väisänen has always prided himself on.

He has already shown some offensive ability throughout his collegiate career, as he has 45 points in 58 NCAA games. But he is bigger, quicker, and more explosive in his junior season after coming back stronger from his injury, which has helped him to build on what was already there. 

The USCS portion of the Spengler Cup opens on Dec. 26 in Davos, Switzerland, and will feature six teams.