K-WINGS PRIMED TO GLEAM IN GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SEASON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2024

K-WINGS PRIMED TO GLEAM IN GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Kalamazoo announces several major events to highlight club’s 50th season of professional hockey.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, made several major announcements Tuesday at their annual press conference ahead of the 50th Anniversary season at Wings Event Center.

The press conference included keynote addresses from Bill Johnston (team owner), Brad VandenBerg (Stadium Management Corporation managing director), Toni Will (K-Wings general manager and Governor), Joel Martin (Kalamazoo Wings head coach and director of hockey operations), and Rob Underwood (Wings Event Center general manager).

Johnston opened by unveiling the ‘Kalamazoo Wings Wall of Honor’ (WOH), now on display in the concourse outside Section 1, next to Guest Services. The WOH measures approximately 12-feet long by 9-feet wide and features 50 players, five coaches and five builders in the inaugural class. 

“The Wall of Honor unveiling for our 50th Anniversary season is a vital way to showcase the individuals who’ve made lasting impacts & sacrifices to build the Kalamazoo Wings into what it is today,” Will said. “The five numbers that hang from our rafters are part of that story and a sixth will be added this season in Brent Jarrett’s No. 11 at the Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game on Jan. 18, 2025.”

WOH inductees were selected based on their contributions to the organization’s on-and-off-ice excellence, and the team plans to update the WOH twice a decade to recognize additional franchise standouts. 

Jarrett (1981-82, 1983-89) is one of three league MVPs in K-Wings history (1981-82), ranks No. 1 in career assists (307), No. 2 in franchise single-season points (122) & assists (82), No. 5 in career points (421), amassed four 70+ point campaigns, and averaged 1.14 points per game in 369 games played. Not to mention, he interim coached the team at the end of the 2007-08 season.

Other important reminders covered by Will included the team’s Guinness World Record attempt (GWR) for the ‘most foam fingers simultaneously waved’ at the Home Opener on Oct. 19, the K-Wings 1,000th ECHL game celebration (Legacy Night) on November 1, and event lineup specifics about January’s 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend, presented by Discover Kalamazoo & Firekeepers.

For Legacy Night on Nov. 1, the current team will pay homage to the 1974-75 inaugural Kalamazoo Wings by wearing replica uniforms with the entire uniform (minus helmets, pads and skates) being auctioned to fans, benefiting American Legion Post 257.

“Over the past several years, there has been much intentionality and planning put into celebrating 50 years of professional hockey in Kalamazoo,” Will said. “Each of the 36 home games will celebrate this remarkable milestone. For a professional sports team, having a 50th birthday is a huge deal, but to have one in a city the size of Kalamazoo is even more impressive.”

On the hockey operations side, Martin spoke about the pulse of this year's K-Wings and his commitment to ensuring today’s players understand what it means to play for the fourth-oldest franchise in minor professional hockey.

“First off, we’re excited to extend our affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks for the next two seasons,” Martin said. “We have a group that is excited to represent this organization to celebrate our historic 50th season and honor the players that have paved the way. We are also happy to introduce new assistant coaches Billy McCreary and Jonathon Elliott. They will play an integral role in our team’s success.”

CLICK HERE for everything fans need to know about Kalamazoo’s GWR attempt on Oct. 19, and CLICK HERE for information about Kalamazoo’s hosting of the 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend on Jan. 17-18, 2025.

Kalamazoo opens exhibition play on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. versus the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center. Get your first look at the 2024-25 Kalamazoo Wings for as little as $8. 

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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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