Oh boy, Joonas' rookie season could not have gone any better for the generational prospect born in Finland. After being drafted by the Whalers at the tail end of the second round of the most recent SMJHL Entry Draft one season ago, Erno was slotted into the Whalers' depth chart as a third-line winger where he paired up with fellow rookie GM's Son as well as Lily Jin Morrow, as a veteran of the SMJHL who was among team leaders in points. Joonas scored twenty goals and twenty-seven assists to total forty-seven points in sixty-six games as a rookie, which is definitely above average for his draft class. Moving forward into the next few seasons, Erno will need to be prepared to elevate his play to accommodate additional ice-time and special teams responsibilities as a number of his teammates from this past season move onto the SHL after having aged out of eligibility for the SMJHL.