K-WINGS WEEKLY: K-Wings Open 47th Season Saturday at Wings Event Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 18, 2021

K-WINGS OPEN 47TH SEASON SATURDAY AT WINGS EVENT CENTER

Kalamazoo hosts Toledo in first official game in nearly 600 days, opening the 2021-22 season Saturday at 7:00 p.m. after Fan Fest.

OVERALL RECORD:  0-0-0

LAST WEEK (PRESEASON):  1-1-0

KALAMAZOO, MI -  The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, begin the 2021-22 regular season Saturday with the team’s Home Opener against the Toledo Walleye at 7:00 p.m. at Wings Event Center. It’ll be the team’s first official game since March 11, 2020, a span of 591 days.

The K-Wings’ annual Fan Fest, presented by Bud Light, will precede the game starting at 4:30 p.m. in The Valley at Wings Event Center. Fan Fest will feature live music, food and drinks, a player red carpet, a smash car, and new this year, axe throwing. Fans with a game ticket can enter Fan Fest through Door 7.

Gates to the main arena open at 6:00 p.m. for the game. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Kalamazoo Wings 2021-22 Magnetic Schedule, a team-branded face mask and a mini bottle of hand sanitizer.

RESULTS (PRESEASON)

Friday, Oct. 15 – Toledo 4, Kalamazoo 2,  (Wings Event Center – Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> The Toledo Walleye jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead behind a 14-2 shots advantage in the first preseason game Friday at night at Wings Event Center. Kalamazoo answered, when rookie defenseman Collin Saccoman blasted a power play goal from the point midway through the second period. The Walleye responded 40 seconds later to go up 3-1, but the K-Wings bounced back when Michael Davies found the net 1:07 after Toledo’s third marker. The visitors padded their lead to 4-2 in the final minute of the frame and held off Kalamazoo in the third period to win by that score. Western Michigan alum and former Walleye goaltender Trevor Gorsuch stopped 30 of 34 shots for the K-Wings.

Saturday, Oct. 16 – Kalamazoo 4, Toledo 1  (Huntington Center – Toledo, OH) | Box Score

>> Although the Walleye again outshot the K-Wings In the first frame, Kalamazoo broke the scoreless deadlock Saturday when Matheson Iacopelli scored a fancy breakaway goal early in the second period of the rematch at Huntington Center. Iacopelli added a second tally later in the period to put the K-Wings up 2-0, but Toledo cut their deficit in half late in the stanza with their only goal of the night. Max Humitz struck back for Kalamazoo 24 seconds later to make it 3-1 before the break and added his second of the game early in the third period to complete the 4-1 score. Rookie goaltender Jet Greaves was stellar, stopping 38 of 39 Walleye shots.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Saturday, Oct. 23 – Toledo vs Kalamazoo, 7:00 p.m. – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

ON THE MOVE

10/10 – Goaltender Jet Greaves loaned to Kalamazoo by Cleveland (AHL).

10/12 – Forwards Zach Jordan and Jake Slaker, and defensemen Olivier LeBlanc and Giovanni Vallati loaned to Kalamazoo by Cleveland (AHL).

10/12 – Forward Max Humitz returned to Kalamazoo from loan to Cleveland (AHL).

10/16 – Defenseman Andrew McLean and goaltender Kade Phipps released from professional tryouts.

10/16 – Forward Nick Jermain traded to Fort Wayne for future considerations.

10/17 – Forward Andrew Bellant released from professional tryout.

FAST FACTS

• Matheson Iacopelli and Max Humitz each scored two goals in Kalamazoo’s 4-1 preseason win Saturday.
• Rookie goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 38 of 39 shots in his first preseason game, a 4-1 win Saturday.
• Defensemen Michael Davies and Collin Saccoman each scored goals in their first pro preseason game Friday.

TEAM TRENDS

• Toledo outshot Kalamazoo 26-9 combined in the first period of the two preseason games.
• The K-Wings scored the only third period goal of the weekend for either team in Saturday’s win.
• Kalamazoo was penalized 23 minutes in the two games, while Toledo was penalized 13 minutes.

STATISTICAL LEADERS (PRESEASON)

POINTS:               3 – Matheson Iacopelli

GOALS:                 2 – Matheson Iacopelli, Max Humitz

ASSISTS:               2 – Erik Bradford

PLUS/MINUS:    +4 – Erik Bradford, Michael Davies

PIMS:                   5 – Justin Murray

PP GOALS:          1 – Collin Saccoman

SH GOALS:          0 – N/A

GW GOALS:        1 – Matheson Iacopelli

SHOTS:                8 – Matheson Iacopelli

WINS:                   1 – Jet Greaves

GAA:                     1.00 – Jet Greaves

SAVE %:               .974 – Jet Greaves

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:    Last Week – 1/4  (25%)

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 7/9  (77.8%)

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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 and American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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