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K-WINGS NAMED NSF 2024 ‘SAMMY’ AWARD WINNER

Thursday, March 7th
K-WINGS NAMED NSF 2024 ‘SAMMY’ AWARD WINNER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 7, 2024

K-WINGS NAMED NSF 2024 ‘SAMMY’ AWARD WINNER 

Kalamazoo's 2022-23 ‘Cause Game’ lineup & execution takes home National award over NFL, NBA and others.

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Thursday that the team has won the National Sports Forum’s (NSF) 2024 SAMMY Award.

The NSF SAMMY (Sales Advertising Marketing Management Idea of the Year) Award recognizes the year’s most outstanding idea regarding the overall objective, action, and results. 

Kalamazoo took home the award via its ‘GEM IDEA,’ leaning on its DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts from the 2022-23 season specific to Autism Awareness, Hockey Fights Cancer, Rainbow Ice, Coats for Floats, and Pink Ice. The K-Wings beat out the Cleveland Browns (NFL), Sacramento Kings (NBA), two major marketing firms that created Super Bowl ads for Staples and PetSmart, and the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL).

This is the first award the Kalamazoo Wings have earned outside of the ECHL,” said Toni Will, Kalamazoo Wings general manager and governor. “It affirms the hard work and dedication put into our DEI efforts every hockey season. This award represents the makeup of our staff and players and the Kalamazoo Community. I couldn’t be more proud.”

A superior judging panel, consisting of sports industry professionals from the pro and collegiate teams in San Diego, CA reviewed all of the SAMMY submissions and narrowed them down to the six best ideas of the year.

After securing the nomination last Fall, the K-Wings presented with the five other finalists at the 2024 National Sports Forum in Pittsburgh, PA, last week. 

About the SAMMY Award

The NSF SAMMY was developed to give recognition to organizations that came up with a stellar and prestigious idea that all other organizations industry could learn and benefit from, and want to take it back to their organization. Finalists were chosen based on how well teams executed their ideas. Each of the six finalists gave an eight-minute presentation for a special SAMMY Award finalists session at the 2024 National Sports Forum in Pittsburgh, PA, February 26th – 28th, where NSF Attendees determined the winner.

About the Kalamazoo Wings

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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Upcoming Games

Full Schedule
Springfield Night
Saturday, February 15th
Springfield Night
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Fort Wayne Komets
FW Fort Wayne Komets
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center
Kalamazoo Wings
Fort Wayne Komets
Sunday, February 16th
Kalamazoo Wings @ Fort Wayne Komets
Puck Drops:
5:00 PM EST
Memorial Coliseum
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
at
Fort Wayne Komets
FW Fort Wayne Komets
Memorial Coliseum
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Wednesday, February 19th
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Reading Royals
REA Reading Royals
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center
Kalamazoo Wings
Toledo Walleye
Friday, February 21st
Kalamazoo Wings @ Toledo Walleye
Puck Drops:
7:15 PM EST
Huntington Center
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
at
Toledo Walleye
TOL Toledo Walleye
Huntington Center
Kalamazoo Wings
Toledo Walleye
Saturday, February 22nd
Kalamazoo Wings @ Toledo Walleye
Puck Drops:
7:15 PM EST
Huntington Center
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
at
Toledo Walleye
TOL Toledo Walleye
Huntington Center
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Wednesday, February 26th
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Adirondack Thunder
ADK Adirondack Thunder
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center

Upcoming Home Games

Full Schedule
Springfield Night
Saturday, February 15th
Springfield Night
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Fort Wayne Komets
FW Fort Wayne Komets
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Wednesday, February 19th
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Reading Royals
REA Reading Royals
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Wednesday, February 26th
269 Night / Winning Wednesday
Puck Drops:
7:00 PM EST
Wings Event Center
Adirondack Thunder
ADK Adirondack Thunder
at
Kalamazoo Wings
KAL Kalamazoo Wings
Wings Event Center

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