K-WINGS ANNOUNCE FUTURES ACQUISITIONS & SEASON-ENDING ROSTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

June 23, 2023

K-WINGS ANNOUNCE FUTURE ACQUISITIONS & 2022-23 SEASON-ENDING ROSTER

Kalamazoo finalizes 2023 Trade Deadline deals with four teams, and protects 20 players on Season-Ending Roster.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced the club’s Season-Ending Roster and its finalization of six future acquisitions from trades during the 2022-23 season Friday.

“We are excited to bring in quality people and players to build on the foundation we started last season,” said Joel Martin, Kalamazoo Wings Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach. “Each acquisition from our future trade agreements brings a specific skill set to fill needs on our hockey club. We’re also excited to welcome them to the K-Wings Family and continue shaping our roster for the 2023-24 season.”

Finalized 2022-23 Future Acquisitions:

Forwards: Luke Lynch (Jacksonville), Kody McDonald (Florida), Ted Nichol (Florida)

Defensemen: Nolan Kneen (Florida), Chaz Reddekopp (South Carolina), Connor Walters (Wichita)

More details on finalized future acquisitions are located in ‘About Acquisitions’ section of this release. 

Kalamazoo Wings 2023-23 Season-Ending Roster:

Goaltenders (1): Hunter Vorva

Defensemen (6):  Kurt Gosselin, Justin Murray, Nolan Kneen, Chaz Reddekopp, Kyle Rhodes, Connor Walters

Forwards (13): Raymond Brice, David Keefer, Luke Lynch, Aiden MacDonald, Kody McDonald, James McEwan, Luke Morgan, Brad Morrison, Ted Nichol, Drake Pilon, Kobe Roth, Brandon Saigeon, Aidan Spellacy

The Season-Ending Roster narrows Kalamazoo’s Protected List, announced on June 9, from 25 players to 20. Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7. 

Of the eight qualified players, no more than four can be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the 2023-24 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to June 30.

Qualifying offers must remain open for acceptance until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22 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 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22. After July 22, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran or goaltender shall 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. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right 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 11:59 p.m. ET on August 8, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent. 

About Acquisitions:

FORWARDS

Kody Mcdonald, 25, completes the future trade agreement with the Florida Everblades for the rights to forward Tyler Irvine. The 6-foot 1-inch, Lethbridge, Alberta native is heading into his third professional season and played 56 games combined for the Everblades over the past two seasons. McDonald tallied three goals and three assists with 82 penalty minutes in 27 games played in 2022-23, and spent parts of six seasons in the WHL with Prince George, Prince Albert & Victoria (323 GP, 95g, 103a, 556 PIM). McDonald also played one season at Carleton Univerity in 2019-20.

Luke Lynch, 27, completes the future trade agreement with the Jacksonville Icemen for the rights to forward Matheson Iacopelli. The 5-foot 11-inch, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native is heading into his third professional season and played 127 games combined with the Icemen over the past two campaigns. Last season, Lynch notched 47 points (17g, 30a, 108 PIM), and recorded 10 points (2g, 8a) in 12 Kelly Cup playoff games with Jacksonville. Prior to starting his professional career, Lynch played four seasons with Robert Morris University, scoring 105 points (41g, 64a, 179 PIM) in 155 games played. The forward was also named team captain of the Colonials for his senior season in 2019-20. Lynch also suited up four times with the Wheeling Nailers in 2020-21. 

Ted Nichol, 26, rookie, completes one-half of the future trade agreement with the Florida Everblades for the rights to forward Logan Lambdin. The 5-foot 11-inch, Listowel, Ontario native played 15 games (1g, 2a, 4 PIM) with the Everblades in 2022-23. Prior to signing with Florida, Nichol played 76 games across four seasons with the University of Guelph (16g, 25a, 85 PIM), winning the OUA championship in 2019-20. Nichol also played parts of five seasons with Kingston (OHL), scoring 93 points (31g, 62a, 109 PIM) and was named team captain for the 2017-18 season. 

DEFENSEMEN

Nolan Kneen, 24, completes the second half of the future trade agreement with the Florida Everblades for the rights to forward Logan Lambdin. The 6-foot, Kelowna, British Columbia native is heading into his fourth professional season after playing 60 games (5g, 8a, 69 PIM) for the Everblades last season. Kneen played the previous two seasons with the Allen Americans (56 GP, 8g, 18a, 67 PIM), and saw the ice in 18 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers (1g, 5a, 13 PIM) in 2021-22. Prior to his professional career, Kneen played parts of six seasons in the WHL with Kamloops and Saskatoon from 2014-2020 (310 GP, 28g, 111a, 281 PIM), earning the alternate captain role in his final two seasons with the Blades. 

Chaz Reddekopp, 26, completes the future trade agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays for the rights to forward Max Humitz. The 6-foot 3-inch, 191-pound, West Kelowna, British Columbia native is heading into his sixth professional season and played 51 games (1g, 13a, 9 PIM) for the Stingrays last season. In 2022-23, the defenseman amassed a career-high in points with 14 and games played. Reddekopp has also played 92 games in the AHL with four teams (Ontario, San Jose, Belleville, Tucson) in his career, along with making stops in Manchester, Fort Wayne, Allen, and Orlando. Prior to Reddekopp’s professional career, the defenseman played in the WHL for Victoria (280 GP, 27g, 107a, 293 PIM) throughout parts of six seasons from 2013-2018, earning him a 5th-Round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Last season, Reddekopp won the ECHL Community Service Award for his efforts in the North Charleston area.

Connor Walters, 26, completes the futures trade agreement with the Wichita Thunder for the rights to forward Brett Boeing (via defenseman Ryan Cook trade). The 6-foot 1-inch, 205-pound, Welland, Ontario native is entering his third professional season after playing for Toledo and Wichita in 2021-22, followed by returning to the Thunder in 2022-23 (63 GP, 1g, 14a, 28 PIM). Walters’ junior career is comprised of parts of five seasons in the OHL with Owen Sound and Hamilton (260 GP, 10g, 83a, 85 PIM) from 2013-2018 (won OHL championship with Hamilton in 2017), followed by two seasons with Brock University from 2018-2020. Last season, Walters won the Wichita Thunder Community Service Award. 

The Kalamazoo Wings open their season with the 'Home Opener' on October 21 at 7:00 p.m. versus the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center. Stay tuned throughout the off-season for all roster updates leading up to Training Camp this Fall, and don't miss any of the action by taking advantage of 2023-24 ticket package deals at K-Wings.com.

--

It’s not too early to secure 2023-24 K-Wings Season Tickets. Enjoy exclusive benefits, including guaranteed seat location to all 36 home games, complimentary parking, early access to the arena and more. Click HERE to join the ranks of the K-Wings High Flyers today.

--

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.

###