KALAMAZOO PREPS FOR HOCKEY HERITAGE & JARRETT RETIREMENT THIS WEEK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2025

KALAMAZOO PREPS FOR HOCKEY HERITAGE & JARRETT RETIREMENT THIS WEEK

K-Wings set to host pinnacle ECHL midseason event and send legendary No. 11 to the rafters.

OVERALL RECORD:  12-20-1-0

LAST WEEK: 0-2-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (12-20-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, play two games this week, with one at Wings Event Center. First, Kalamazoo faces off against the Indy Fuel on the road Friday. Then, the K-Wings come back home to host the Toledo Walleye for the Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game Saturday.

Last week, the K-Wings went 0-2-0-0 (3-4, 0-3).

First, Kalamazoo fell, 4-3, at Iowa Friday. Luc Salem (1) notched his first professional goal to open the scoring, but the Heartlanders responded with four consecutive goals to take the lead into the first intermission. Kylor Wall (3) and Josh Bloom (5) scored to bring the K-Wings back within one in the closing minutes, but the comeback fell short.

Then, the K-Wings lost at Bloomington Saturday, 3-0. The game was scoreless through two periods as both defenses stood strong. The Bison notched two power-play goals in the third though, and added an empty-netter to seal the deal late. Ty Young (4-4-0-0) was strong in net, stopping 30 of 32 shots faced. 

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

The K-Wings play one game at Wings Event Center this week.

Kalamazoo hosts the 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game, presented by Discover Kalamazoo & FireKeepers, on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m. against the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center. The K-Wings will honor franchise legend Brent Jarrett by retiring his No. 11 jersey pregame, and the first 1,000 fans will go home with a Mini Jersey Retirement Banner along with a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Pin! Kalamazoo and Toledo will both be in specialty jerseys for the game as well, and the K-Wings’ Hockey Heritage jerseys will be available for purchase via DASH auction at a later date.

The 50th Anniversary / Hockey Heritage Ticket Package is also available for the game, including four tickets to the game, four Mini Jersey Retirement Banners and four 50th Anniversary Commemorative Pins for $89!

Want to come enjoy all of the events next weekend? The Hockey Heritage Weekend Ticket Package is perfect for you! Enjoy one ticket to the ECHL Hall of Fame Dinner (Friday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Radisson Plaza Hotel Ballroom), one game ticket to the Hockey Heritage Game (Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Wings Event Center), one 50th Anniversary Commemorative Pin, one Mini Jersey Retirement Banner and entry into Fanfest all for just $89!

RESULTS

Friday, Jan. 10 – Iowa 4, Kalamazoo 3 (Xtream Arena, Coralville, IA) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (12-19-1-0) battled back from a three-goal deficit against the Iowa Heartlanders (18-11-3-1) but could not find the equalizer and lost at Xtream Arena Friday, 4-3. Luc Salem (1) opened the scoring with his first professional goal at the 8:08 mark of the first. The Heartlanders then scored three goals (4:46, 16:17 and 19:32) to take a 3-1 lead before the end of the frame. Iowa struck again with a goal at the 1:37 mark of the middle frame, ending the evening for Jonathan Lemieux (7-12-1-0). At the 18:36 mark, Kylor Wall (3) scored his first goal as a K-Wing to bring Kalamazoo back within two. Kalamazoo edged to one goal down when Josh Bloom (7) scored with 2:00 left and the extra attacker on. Hunter Vorva was strong in relief, stopping all 18 shots faced, and the K-Wings went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Saturday, Jan. 11 – Bloomington 3, Kalamazoo 0 (Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (12-20-1-0) lost to the Bloomington Bison (15-16-1-2) at Grossinger Motors Arena Saturday, 3-0. Both defenses held strong throughout the game, with no score through two periods of play. Bloomington scored first at the 9:29 mark of the third on the power play. The Bison struck again with another power-play tally at the 13:00 mark, and finished things off with an empty-net goal at the 17:41 mark. Ty Young (4-4-0-0) was strong in net, stopping 30 of 32 shots faced.

ON THE MOVE

Jan. 10 - Goaltender Ty Young assigned to Kalamazoo from Abbotsford (AHL) by Vancouver (NHL)

Jan. 11 - Kalamazoo traded forward Mark Cheremeta to Orlando for future considerations

Jan. 12 - Kalamazoo released forward Arkhip Ledziankou

FAST FACTS

• Rookie defenseman Luc Salem scored his first professional goal Friday
• Defenseman Kylor Wall scored his first goal as a K-Wing Friday

TEAM TRENDS

• 8-4-0-0 when earning more power plays than the opponent
• 8-3-1-0 when scoring first
• 8-4-0-0 following a win

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              19  – Ben Berard

GOALS:                11 – Ben Berard

ASSISTS:          13 – Quinn Preston

PLUS/MINUS:    +9 – Collin Saccoman

PIMS:                   31 – Zach Berzolla

PP GOALS:      3 – Ben Berard, Zach Okabe

PP ASSISTS:        3 – Max Humitz

SH GOALS:      1 – Ben Berard, Josh Bloom

GW GOALS:     3 – Ted Nichol

SHOTS:            75 – Max Humitz

WINS:                  7 – Jonathan Lemieux

GAA:                   2.31 – Ty Young

SAVE %:             .930 – Ty Young

* Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 0/4 (0%)

                            This Season – 11/86 (12.8%) | No. 29 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 5/7 (71.4%)

                             This Season – 69/92 (75.0%) | No. 26 (ECHL)

--

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.

###