K-WINGS EXTEND QUALIFYING OFFERS TO FOUR PLAYERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2021

K-WINGS EXTEND QUALIFYING OFFERS TO FOUR PLAYERS

One forward, two defensemen and a goalie received offers from Kalamazoo by the league deadline.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Monday the team extended qualifying offers to four players, ahead of the league’s weekend deadline.

The K-Wings issued qualifying offers to forward Mitch Hults, defensemen Nick Bruneteau and Ian Edmondson, and goaltender Jake Hildebrand.

Each team is entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played by the start of the 2021-22 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Players who have already signed before the deadline do not need to receive qualifying offers.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 9 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until August 9. After August 9, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract, the player will be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. If the veteran player receives a contract offer from another ECHL team and he wishes to accept the contract offer, the K-Wings would have seven days to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 16, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

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The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team located in southwest Michigan that has been a staple in the Kalamazoo, MI professional sports landscape since 1974. The K-Wings compete in the ECHL and are the AA affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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