DUBUQUE, IA - Fighting Saints defenseman Joona Väisänen has been named the USHL Defenseman of the Week for his performance last weekend.

In a pair of games, Väisänen scored once and added a pair of assists. The blue-liner also logged a plus-two rating in both games to lift his overall rating to plus-22. That rating leads the Fighting Saints and is among the top 10 in the entire USHL.

Among all USHL defensemen, Väisänen's 28 total points are the fourth-most. Since returning from World Juniors, where he represented Finland, Väisänen has played in nine games. Of those nine contests, the Western Michigan-commit has points in six of them. He's scored four times in those games and has added three assists for seven points.

Over his last 17 games, Väisänen has scored five of his seven goals and 16 of his 28 total points. Last weekend, Väisänen assisted on Chase LaPinta's tally on Friday against Cedar Rapids. On Saturday, he followed with his seventh multi-point game of the season, scoring a goal and adding an assist in a convincing 6-1 win over Waterloo.

Väisänen is the first Saints skater to be honored with a weekly award so far this season.