K-WINGS' NYCHUK SELECTED TO 2023 WARRIOR/ECHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 28, 2022

K-WINGS' NYCHUK SELECTED TO 2023 WARRIOR/ECHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

Rosters set for 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic in Norfolk, VA, presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare.

SHREWSBURY, N.J. – The ECHL announced Wednesday the rosters for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Kalamazoo will be represented on the Western Conference All-Stars by rookie defenseman Chad Nychuk. 

The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network and will stream on FloHockey.

Nychuk, 21, is currently No. 4 in team scoring this season with three goals, 12 assists and 15 points scored in 25 games played. 

The Rossburn, Manitoba native signed a one-year contract with the Abbotsford on July 22, after a standout WHL career with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Nychuck led all WHL defensemen in goals scored with 21, en route to a 71-point season for Brandon in 2021-22. The 6-foot 1-inch, 194-pound, defenseman earned a 2022 WHL (East) Second All-Star Team selection for his performance.

Nychuck is currently on loan to the K-Wings from the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL).

The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare will consist of a tournament featuring the ECHL All-Stars and the Norfolk Admirals, with an integrated skills competition with points counting towards each team’s score.

There have been 71 players from the ECHL All-Star Game who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 55 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.

The rosters for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars were determined in a vote of coaches, team captains, media relations directors, broadcasters and members of the media.

Eastern Conference All-Stars

G – Cam Johnson, Florida Everblades

D – Michael Brodzinski, Orlando Solar Bears

D – Olivier Galipeau, Trois-Rivières Lions

D – Jarrod Gourley, Adirondack Thunder

D – Luke Martin, Jacksonville Icemen

D – Derek Topatigh, Atlanta Gladiators

F – Collin Adams, Worcester Railers

F – Pat Guay, Savannah Ghost Pirates

F – Bear Hughes, South Carolina Stingrays

F – Alex Ierullo, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

F – Max Newton, Reading Royals

F – Zach O’Brien, Newfoundland Growlers

F – Mathew Santos, Maine Mariners

Western Conference All-Stars

G – Jake Kupsky, Idaho Steelheads

D – Josh Maniscalco, Wheeling Nailers

D – Matt Murphy, Iowa Heartlanders

D – Gordi Myer, Toledo Walleye

D – Andrew Nielsen, Utah Grizzlies

D – Chad Nychuk, Kalamazoo Wings

F – Tye Felhaber, Fort Wayne Komets

F – Liam Finlay, Allen Americans

F – Lincoln Griffin, Cincinnati Cyclones

F – Seamus Malone, Indy Fuel

F – Matt Marcinew, Rapid City Rush

F – Eddie Matsushima, Tulsa Oilers

F – Jeremy McKenna, Kansas City Mavericks

F – Brayden Watts, Wichita Thunder

The Norfolk Admirals will announce the rosters for the Cruisers and Destroyers next week.

In partnership with the Premier Hockey Federation and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, two members from each organization will participate in the All-Star Classic with one player being assigned to each of the four teams.

Taking part in the All-Star festivities will be the PHF’s Ann-Sophie Bettez of the Montreal Force and Sydney Brodt of the Minnesota Whitecaps and the PWHPA’s Emily Brown and Sam Cogan. This marks the second consecutive All-Star event that PHF and PWHPA members will participate. Four players from the PWHPA also participated in the 2020 event in Wichita.

The 15th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame will be officially inducted at a luncheon, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, on Monday, January 16 at 12:00 p.m. at the Hilton Norfolk The Main, the Official Host Hotel of the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic.

Tickets for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health are now available. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today! For more information on the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic, visit. ECHL.com/allstar.

About the ECHL

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 26 teams in 19 states and two Canadian provinces for its 32nd season in 2019-20. There have been 731 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including four who have made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

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The NYE Ticket Package is on sale now for the K-Wings annual New Year’s Eve game on December 31 at Wings Event Center. Get 4 tickets, a NYE Mystery Stocking and $20 in concession vouchers for one low price. Plus, don’t worry about missing the football games as they’ll be on display all throughout the arena! Tap the line HERE for more information!

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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 the 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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