K-WINGS LOANED 8 PLAYERS FROM CANUCKS (AHL & NHL)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 6, 2024

K-WINGS LOANED 8 PLAYERS FROM CANUCKS (AHL & NHL) 

Kalamazoo welcomes several difference-makers to training camp as its preseason games draw near.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Sunday that eight players have been assigned to Kalamazoo from Vancouver (NHL) and Abbotsford (AHL) for the start of the 2024-25 season. 

Joseph Arntsen, 21, is a 6-foot 3-inch, 212-pound, Swift Current, SK native entering his first professional season after scoring six goals with 18 assists and 75 penalty minutes for Lethbridge (WHL) in 2023-24. The defenseman added two assists in four playoff games for the Hurricanes.

The rookie played in six total seasons for Lethbridge (2018-24), serving as captain for his final two years. He finished his WHL career with 27 goals, 79 assists and 321 penalty minutes in 268 appearances along with one goal and four assists in 12 playoff games.

Zach Berzolla, 26, is a 6-foot 2-inch, 196-pound, Howell, NJ native who appeared in 30 games between Hartford (AHL), Cincinnati and Florida last season, scoring three goals with four assists. The defenseman added one goal and four assists in 23 playoff games en route to a Kelly Cup Championship with the Everblades.

The fourth-year pro debuted with Florida in 2020-21, notching one goal with two assists and 37 penalty minutes in 15 games. The defenseman then suited up in 51 games for Jacksonville the next year, scoring three goals with 17 assists and 50 penalty minutes along with one goal and eight penalty minutes in eight games for Hartford.

In 2022-23, Berzolla scored six goals with 19 assists and 92 penalty minutes for Cincinnati in 56 games, also scoring one goal in four games for Rochester (AHL). Collegiately, he spent four years (2017-21) at Colorado College, scoring four goals with 19 assists and 162 penalty minutes in 133 career games while serving as alternate captain as a junior and captain his senior season.

Ben Berard, 25, is a 6-foot, 192-pound, Duncan, BC native who scored one goal with three assists in 30 games for Texas (AHL) last season, along with seven appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the Stars with no points.

The second-year pro made a brief debut for Texas in 2022-23, recording one assist in two games, after playing 87 games over three seasons (2019-20, 2021-23) for Cornell University. The forward finished his college career with 32 goals and 36 assists.

Josh Bloom, 21, is a 6-foot 2-inch, 185-pound, Oakville, ON native who notched three assists in 22 games between Kalamazoo and Abbotsford (AHL) last season along with scoring 17 goals with 23 assists in 34 games for Saginaw (OHL). The forward also scored four goals with seven assists in 17 playoff games with the Spirit, leading Saginaw to win the CHL Memorial Cup.

The rookie was reassigned by Vancouver (NHL) and drafted in the third round (No. 95 overall) by Buffalo in the 2021 NHL Draft. In his OHL career, Bloom scored 85 goals with 101 assists in 223 games for Saginaw and North Bay.

Lee Lapid, 26, is a 6-foot 1-inch, 201-pound, Thornhill, ON native coming off of a 10-goal, 19-assist season between Cincinnati and SaiPa (Finland Liiga) in 48 games in 2023-24.

The third-year pro spent 2022-23 with Cincinnati as a rookie, scoring 13 goals with 29 assists in 59 games along with one goal and four assists in 11 playoff games. Collegiately, the forward scored 30 goals with 31 assists in 97 games for Canisius College over four seasons (2018-22).

Jonathan Lemieux, 23, is a 6-foot 1-inch, 194-pound, Saint Hyacinthe, QC native who recorded a 2.84 goals against average, .911 save percentage, 17-16-3 record and two shutouts in 39 games last year for Kalamazoo. The goalkeeper also started one playoff game for the K-Wings.

The second-year pro spent 2022-23 with Concordia University (USports), posting a 16-4-0 record with a 1.98 goals against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts. Lemieux also went 4-2 with a 2.14 goals against average, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in six playoff games in his lone season with the Stingers.

Jermaine Loewen, 26, is a 6-foot 4-inch, 220-pound, Mandeville, Jamaica native who earned two assists with 21 penalty minutes in 26 games for Abbotsford (AHL) last season.

The sixth-year pro played in 50 games between Chicago (AHL) and Fort Wayne in his first professional season in 2019-20, scoring four goals with two assists and 85 penalty minutes. The forward then spent three years with Henderson (AHL), scoring eight goals with 12 assists and 223 penalty minutes in 117 games along with two playoff games in 2021-22.

Zachary Okabe, 23, is a 5-foot 9-inch, 170-pound, Okotoks, Alberta native who made his professional debut with Cleveland (AHL) last season and scored two goals with one assist in nine games. The forward then suited up in one playoff game for the Monsters.

The rookie played five seasons at St. Cloud State University (2019-24), scoring 52 goals with 67 assists in 176 games. Okabe served as alternate captain in his final season for the Huskies and won the NCHC Tournament with St. Cloud in 2022-23.

Abbotsford also announced that Mark Cheremeta and Davis Codd have been released from their Professional Tryout Contracts (PTO) and will return to Kalamazoo.

Training Camp will be open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Wings Event Center.

One preseason home game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 versus the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center. Tickets start at just $8. CLICK HERE to secure your first look at the K-Wings NOW!

Kalamazoo’s ‘Home Opener’ kicks off the 2024-25 regular season on Saturday, October 19 versus the Cincinnati Cyclones at 7:00 p.m. EST at Wings Event Center. Kalamazoo is also looking to set another Guinness World Record during the Home Opener on Oct. 19. CLICK HERE to be a part of history.

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Kalamazoo Wings Group Specials, 5-Pack, Half-Season Ticket Packages, Season Ticket Packages and Business Insider Season Tickets are on sale now. More details, benefits and pricing are available by calling (269) 345-1125.

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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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