K-WINGS WELCOME BACK FRANCHISE LEADER, JUSTIN TAYLOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2023

K-WINGS WELCOME BACK FRANCHISE LEADER, JUSTIN TAYLOR

Kalamazoo’s all-time leader in games played, goals scored & total points, Justin Tayor, returns for 14th season. 

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Friday that veteran forward Justin Taylor has been signed to a Standard Player Contract for the 2023-24 season.

Taylor, 34, is a Mindemoya, ON native and is entering his 14th professional season (2010 thru present). The forward is Kalamazoo’s franchise leader in games played (685), goals (257), and points (498), donning the K-Wings crest in all but one season over that span.

Last season, Taylor led the team in goals (20), points scored (41) and finished No. 3 on the team in assists (21). The forward also finished 2022-23 ranked T-No. 7 in the ECHL for power-play goals scored.

“Justin Taylor has been a staple in Kalamazoo for over a decade,” said Joel Martin, Kalamazoo Wings director of hockey operations and head coach. “He’s been a consistent contributor on the ice and in the community.“

The 2007 Washington Capitals draft selection, is a 5-foot 11-inch, 181-pound forward, that began his professional career with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2010-11 (15 GP) before joining the K-Wings that season (48 GP, 25g, 23a, 115 PIM). Taylor has made three other stops in the AHL with Utica (2017-18: 2 GP, 1g | 2019-20: 7 GP) and San Antonio (2018-19: 1 GP). 

Currently, Taylor ranks No. 3 in ECHL history with 795 career games played.

“Excited to be a part of such a historic franchise again,” Taylor said. “I’ve put in the work to be the best version of myself this summer. I’ve set the bar high and bringing a championship back to Kalamazoo is my only focus! I’m eager to start and ready to hear the Kalamazoo fans chant, ‘Go Wings, Go!’”

Taylor has also played on three other ECHL teams (Trenton, Idaho & Tulsa) in his career, and the all-time K-Wing has scored at least 30 points in 10 of 13 seasons played.

Kalamazoo’s ‘Home Opener’ kicks off the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday, October 21 versus Toledo Walleye at 7:00 p.m. EST at Wings Event Center. Tickets to the preseason, the Home Opener and each of the K-Wings’s 36-game home schedule can be purchased HERE.

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Last season, over 25 thousand people enjoyed a K-Wings game on a Group Outing! And with the season just a few months away, spots are filling up fast for 2023-24. Click HERE to lock in your group NOW!

It’s also 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.

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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 Vancouver Canucks and the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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