FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2019

HILDEBRAND BACK FOR YEAR TWO IN KALAMAZOO

K-Wings goaltender won 11 straight decisions in January and February last season.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Tuesday the return of goaltender Jake Hildebrand for the 2019-20 season.

Hildebrand, 26, appeared in 46 games in 2018-19 after the K-Wings acquired him in a trade with the Tulsa Oilers last summer. The Butler, Pa. native went 21-18-2 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .890 save percentage during his first season in Kalamazoo, and won 11 straight decisions from January 13 to February 23.

“Once you play for an organization like Kalamazoo, you really don’t want to leave there,” said Hildebrand. “I’m extremely excited to be back and looking forward to getting the season started.”

Following a four-year college career at Michigan State University, Hildebrand signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, appearing in six regular season and eight playoff games in helping the Americans to the Kelly Cup championship in 2016. The 6-foot, 182-pound goaltender has appeared in 143 ECHL games for Allen, Indy, Tulsa and Kalamazoo, as well as three AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs.

“Jake made huge strides last season and had an excellent second half,” said Kalamazoo Head Coach Nick Bootland. “He has not peaked yet as a pro and that is why we brought him back. We feel he can be a difference-maker for us.”

Hildebrand played in 133 games as MSU’s four-year starter from 2012-16. His best college season came in 2014-15 as a junior, where he went 17-16-2 for the Spartans with an impressive 2.18 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

The K-Wings’ 46th Home Opener is Saturday, Oct. 19 against the Cincinnati Cyclones at 7:00 p.m. at the Wings Event Center, following Fan Fest leading up to the game. Tickets are on sale now–, starting at just $10.

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2019-20 K-Wings season tickets, partial plans and 5-packs are on sale now! Visit KWings.com for details.

Single game tickets for all 36 home games at Wings Event Center are on sale and available for purchase HERE. A full 2019-20 Promotional Schedule, featuring popular returning events like Star Wars Night and Marvel Night, as well as new themes such as Hockey Fights Cancer, featuring Lavender Ice, can be found HERE.

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