 Wiste was a college hockey star at the University of Denver, where he was named a Western Collegiate Hockey Association First-Team All-Star and NCAA First-Team All-American in both 1966–67 and 1967–68.He would also lead Denver to a memorable triumph over the University of North Dakota in the 1968 NCAA Championship game.Following his graduation, Wiste was signed as a free agent by the NHL Chicago Black Hawks in 1968, one of three University of Denver teammates to join Chicago along with Keith Magnuson and Cliff Koroll.