Wings re-sign "Most Popular Player" Tyler Biggs, Add WHL Standout Aaron Irving

KALAMAZOO, MI— The Kalamazoo Wings have re-signed big-bodied forward Tyler Biggs to a standard professional contract, and have added defenseman Aaron Irving on a tryout, the team announced Wednesday.

After joining the team in mid-October last year, Biggs, 24, was immediately a fan-favorite with his rough-and-tumble style of play. He set career highs in each offensive category by appearing in 58 games, while scoring 13 goals and tallying 19 assists for 32 total points. He was also voted by the fans as the winner of the team’s “Most Popular Player” Award.

Before turning pro, the 6-foot-2 forward played with the United States National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and represented his country at various international tournaments. He has been a member of four gold medal teams, including the 2010 U17 World Hockey Challenge, the 2010 and 2011 U18 World Junior Championships and the 2013 U20 World Junior Championship.

Aside from his time with Team USA, Biggs has also had amateur stints with Miami University (Ohio) and the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. The right-hand-shooting winger tallied 92 career amateur points in 144 games and has picked up 56 career points (29 goals, 27 assists) in 187 professional games across the AHL and ECHL.

Biggs was a first round (22nd overall) draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011.

Irving, 21, joins the Wings’ training camp after beginning in camp with the Utica Comets on a tryout. A rookie from Edmonton, Alberta, the defenseman spent the last four seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Everett Silvertips and Edmonton Oil Kings. Last season, Irving tallied massive numbers from the back end, logging 18 goals and 40 assists in 61 regular season games

He was a member of the Oil Kings’ WHL and Memorial Cup winning teams during the 2013-14 season and appeared in 276 career WHL games, earning 42 goals and 99 assists for 141 career points. He has appeared in one professional game with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).

Irving was a sixth round (162 overall) draft pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

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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.

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