WINGS WEEKLY: VOL. 45, NO. 20

Kalamazoo, MI.- A pair of big wins last week send the K-Wings into another three-in-three weekend sitting in third place in the Central Division. With only five home games left in the regular season the K-Wings prepare to host three-straight games over the weekend.

Last Week:

Wed., Feb. 27 – Kalamazoo vs. Toledo, OTW, 3-2

Fri., March 1 – Kalamazoo vs Fort Wayne, L, 7-5

Sat., March 2 – Kalamazoo at Indy, L, 5-1

Sun., March 3 – Kalamazoo vs Cincinnati, W, 4-2

This Week:

Fri., March 8 – Kalamazoo vs Fort Wayne, 7:30 pm

Sat., March 9 – Kalamazoo vs Indy, 7:30 pm

Sun., March 10 – Kalamazoo vs Wheeling, 3:00 pm

Upcoming:

Wizard, Wands, and Wings Night:

It will be a magical night at Wings Event Center on Saturday as the K-Wings host the Indy Fuel on Wizards, Wands, and Wings Night. Kalamazoo will be wearing special Wizarding World of Kalamazoo jerseys to be auctioned off after the game. In addition the first 1,000 fans through the doors will get special limited edition Slappy Wands.

Mascot Madness:

Sunday afternoon mascots of all sorts will take over Wings Event Center as Slappy has invited some of his closest mascot friends to join him at the game. In addition Marty the Zebra from the movie Madagascar will be in attendance and fans will have a chance to meet him before the game. Fans will also be invited to join the entire team on the ice after the game for a post-game skate.  

Quick Hits:

Sticking In Third:

After going 2-2-0-0 over the four game week the K-Wings took sole possession of third place in the Central Division. Kalamazoo (30-24-1-2, 63 points) sits two points ahead of Fort Wayne and Wheeling (61 points) in the playoff race. Indy remains four points back of Fort Wayne and Wheeling, who find themselves in a tie for fourth. Wheeling has played the most games in the division (58) while the Komets have two games in hand on Kalamazoo. The top four teams from each division qualify for the playoffs.

Strong February:

Kalamazoo posted one of the best records in the ECHL in the month of February, going 8-2-1-0. The team began February in fifth place in the Central Division, three points out of a playoff spot. The lone regulation losses in the month came at the hands of the two teams ahead of them in the Central Division standings, Toledo and Cincinnati. In addition Jake Hildebrand was named the runner up for Goaltender of the Month for February, after posting a record of 6-0-0, with a 2.97 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

Hats, Hats, Hats:

Chris Collins became the third player to net a hat trick for the K-Wings this season in Friday’s loss to the Komets. Collins joined Reid Gardiner and Tanner Sorenson as the K-Wings to achieve the feat this season. Gardiner has netted a pair of hat tricks, giving the K-Wings four hat tricks this season, matching last seasons’ total. Collins leads the team in points (55) and is second on the team in goals (25) trailing just Reid Gardiner.

Short-Handed Master:

Collins picked up a shorthanded goal on Friday night, giving the forward six shorthanded goals on the season. The Calgary, AB native has added four short-handed assists, giving him ten shorthanded points this season. Collins leads the ECHL in all three shorthanded categories.

Milestones:

Kalamazoo had a trio of players reach milestones over the week. Captain Ben Wilson played in his 300th ECHL game, and 300th as a K-Wing on Friday night, becoming only the fourth player in the ECHL era of the K-Wings to reach the 300 game milestone. Additionally Michael Neal played in his 500th ECHL game on Sunday afternoon. Lastly with a pair of assists on Wednesday night Kyle Blaney surpassed 100 points in his ECHL career.

Central Division Standings:

1. Cincinnati, (40-10-4-3), 87 pts
2. Toledo, (33-15-5-3), 74 pts
3. Kalamazoo, (30-24-1-2), 63 pts
4. Fort Wayne, (26-20-3-6), 61 pts
5. Wheeling, (27-24-6-1), 61 pts
6. Indy, (27-27-2-1), 57 pts

K-Wings Leaders:

1. Chris Collins, F, 25g-30a-55 pts
2. Tanner Sorenson, F, 17g, 36a-53 pts
3. Kyle Blaney, F, 10g, 26a-36 pts
4. Kyle Bushee, D, 7g, 24a-31 pts

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.

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