K-WINGS GARNER TWO ECHL AWARDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2022

K-WINGS GARNER TWO ECHL AWARDS

Kalamazoo secures ECHL hardware for multiple theme nights.

LAS VEGAS – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, won two ECHL league awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

The K-Wings received the ECHL Theme Night of the Year and the ECHL & Nickelodeon Minor League Program award.

“This was a challenging year due to so many unknowns in navigating out of a dark season in 2020-21 because of the Pandemic,” said Toni Will, K-Wings General Manager and Governor.” I viewed this as an opportunity to go big, while continuing to make the community impact that we in the organization cherish so much. And our community responded as did the sports and entertainment world. I can’t thank the entire K-Wings team enough for all their passion, hard work and dedication to this organization.” 

The K-Wings earned the ECHL Theme Night of the Year awardfor the ‘Rainbow Ice / Hockey Is For Everyone’ game, as Kalamazoo became the first team ever to play on a Rainbow painted ice surface. The event earned international, national and local exposure due to its innovative planning and execution. Rainbow Ice was also sponsored by a local Top-40 radio station, featured specialty designed rainbow-colored jerseys, and was picked up nationally & internationally by the NHL, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, NBC, BarDown, Bleacher Report, Sports Net, and the Daily Faceoff. Additionally, the Wings social media coverage of the event produced over 4 million impressions.

Kalamazoo rounded out its 2021-22 honors with the ECHL & Nickelodeon Minor League Program award.The K-Wings were Nickelodeon’s top performer in two partnered theme night activations, ‘Ren and Stimpy’ & ‘Star Trek’ nights. By winning this award, the K-Wings will receive exclusive opportunities to partner with Nickelodeon in the future. 

As previously announced leading up to the awards presentation - the K-Wings were also nominated as finalists for ECHL Community Service Team of the Year - and Toni Will was nominated for Executive of the Year.

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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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