WINGS WEEKLY: GAGNON JERSEY RETIREMENT HEADLINES WEEKEND

Kalamazoo, MI.- The K-Wings prepare for a busy week of honoring the tradition of K-Wings history as they retire the #1 of Georges Gagnon on Saturday night as a part of the 45th Anniversary and Alumni Game.

Last Week:

Fri., Jan. 11 – Kalamazoo vs. Brampton, SOL, 4-3

Sun., Jan. 13 – Kalamazoo at Fort Wayne, W, 5-3

This Week:

Wed., Jan. 16 – Kalamazoo at Fort Wayne, 7:30 pm

Fri., Jan. 18 – Kalamazoo vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 pm

Sat., Jan. 19 – Kalamazoo vs. Toledo, 7:30 pm

Upcoming:

Honoring the Past-45th Anniversary Game, Jersey Retirement, and Alumni Game:

The K-Wings will honor the past on Saturday as a part of the 45th Anniversary Game, jersey retirement for Georges Gagnon and Alumni Game. Gagnon, who played for the K-Wings from 1979-87, will have his number one jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. The netminder was the winningest goaltender in K-Wing history until he was passed by current assistant coach Joel Martin a few years ago.  Gagnon joins Kevin Schamehorn and Michael Wanchuck as the only players to have their numbers retired by the K-Wings.

The Alumni game, which begins at 5:00pm, will pit two teams of former K-Wings against each other. Rosters for the game can be found here. All alumni in attendance will be honored during the first intermission of the K-Wings game that night against Toledo.

Quick Hits:

Gardiner’s Streak Hits 16:

Forward Reid Gardiner extended his league-long point streak to 16-games over the weekend with back-to-back two-point games on Friday and Sunday. During his current 16-game streak Gardiner has tallied 27 points (13g, 14a), catapulting him into the top 20 in the ECHL in scoring, and into second place on the team.  

Rookie Leading the Way:

Chris Collins continued a strong start to his professional career extending his point streak to nine-games over the weekend, and moving into second place in the ECHL in scoring. Collins, 26, leads the K-Wings with 44 points this season, and trails only Toledo’s TJ Hensick (47 points) for the ECHL scoring title. The Calgary, AB native leads all rookies in points, and tied for the most goals (17) among rookies, as well as leading the league in every shorthanded scoring category. The forward is on the longest goal-scoring streak (six games) and has recorded at least two points in each of his last seven games.

At the Halfway Point:

Sunday afternoon’s game against Fort Wayne marked the half-way point of the season for the K-Wings. Through the first half of the season Kalamazoo (16-18-0-2) finds itself in sixth place in the Central Division, sitting six points out of the fourth and final playoff spot. Kalamazoo also has one game in hand on four of the other five teams in the division, with two games in hand on Indy. The K-Wings are just below .500 on both the road (7-8-0-0) and at home (9-10-0-2) this season.

Central Division Standings:

1. Cincinnati, (24-7-3-2), 54 pts
2. Toledo, (23-10-3-1), 50 pts
3. Ft. Wayne, (21-15-0-1),43 pts
4. Indy, (19-17-2-0), 40 pts
5. Wheeling, (19-16-2-0), 40 pts
6. Kalamazoo, (16-18-0-2), 34 pts

K-Wings Leaders:

1. Chris Collins, F, 17g-27a-44pts
2. Reid Gardiner, F, 18g-18a-36pts
3. Justin Taylor, F, 21g-6a-27pts
4. Kyle Bushee, D,4g-20a-24pts

Kalamazoo Wings single game and season tickets are available now! More information can be gathered at www.kwings.com/seasontickets.

Wings Event Center, owned and operated by Greenleaf Hospitality Group, is home to the Kalamazoo Wings professional hockey team and a full entertainment venue offering concerts, sporting events, family shows and trade shows. Built in 1974, Wings Event Center values partnerships with the community to bring events and attractions that enrich the lives of residents in the Kalamazoo area.

###