KALAMAZOO RETIRES JARRETT’S NO. 11, SET FOR TRIO & LEGISLATIVE TRIBUTE THIS WEEK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2025

KALAMAZOO RETIRES JARRETT’S NO. 11, SET FOR TRIO & LEGISLATIVE TRIBUTE THIS WEEK

K-Wings host Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game and look ahead to big games on the horizon.

OVERALL RECORD:  13-21-1-0

LAST WEEK: 1-1-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (13-21-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, play three games this week, with two at Wings Event Center. First, Kalamazoo hits the road to face the Toledo Walleye Friday. Then, the K-Wings head home to host the Indy Fuel on Saturday and the Bloomington Bison Sunday.

Rep. Julie Rogers (District 41) will present the K-Wings & Wings Event Center with a 50th Anniversary Tribute from the State of Michigan pregame on Saturday.

Last week, the K-Wings went 1-1-0-0 (0-4, 4-3 (OT)).

First, Kalamazoo lost, 4-0, at Indy Friday. The Fuel scored three goals in the first seven minutes of the second period, with two on the power play, to surge ahead. Indy tacked on the final goal in the last minute of regulation to finish off the scoring.

Then, the K-Wings topped Toledo, 4-3 in overtime, at Wings Event Center Saturday in the Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game, presented by Discover! Kalamazoo and FireKeepers. Kalamazoo retired franchise legend Brent Jarrett’s No. 11 pregame. The Walleye scored first, but the K-Wings didn’t trail long. Blake Christensen’s (4) first goal as a K-Wing tied it after trailing for just 29 seconds, and Josh Bloom (6) gave Kalamazoo the lead still within the first five minutes. Quinn Preston (4) made it 3-1 in the second period before Toledo notched two third-period goals to force overtime. There, Ben Berard (12) found the back of the net to give the K-Wings the victory.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

The K-Wings play two games at Wings Event Center this week.

Kalamazoo hosts the Indy Fuel at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at Wings Event Center for Elvis Night, presented by Kalamazoo Orthodontics. The King is back at Wings Event Center, and Slappy is looking to check the Fuel into the Heartbreak Hotel! Plus, the first 1,000 fans will take home a Slappy Elvis Bobblehead. Rep. Julie Rogers (District 41) will present the K-Wings & Wings Event Center with a 50th Anniversary Tribute from the State of Michigan pregame.

Then, the K-Wings square off against the Bloomington Bison at 3:00 p.m. Sunday for Autism Acceptance Day at Wings Event Center, presented by Honor Credit Union. We’ve made great strides in raising awareness and supporting people with autism spectrum disorder in the last decade, and we’re proud to lift awareness even higher with this fun and educational game day event with the goal horns turned off.

RESULTS

Friday, Jan. 17 – Indy 4, Kalamazoo 0 (Fishers Event Center, Fishers, IN) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (12-21-1-0) lost to the Indy Fuel (15-15-3-2) at Fishers Event Center Friday, 4-0. After a scoreless first period, Indy notched power-play goals at the 35-second and 3:23 marks of the middle frame to take the lead. The Fuel added on a goal at the 6:58 mark to push it to 3-0. Indy scored one more at the 19:07 mark of the third to finish off the scoring. Ty Young (4-5-0-0) made 24 saves in defeat.

Saturday, Jan. 18 – Kalamazoo 4, Toledo 3 (Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (13-21-1-0) responded to an early Toledo Walleye (24-9-5-0) goal and late surge to win in overtime Saturday at Wings Event Center in the Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game, presented by Discover! Kalamazoo and FireKeepers, 4-3. Ben Berard (12) was the hero in overtime, lifting the K-Wings to victory with a goal at the 1:21 mark of the extra frame. Before the game, Kalamazoo lifted franchise legend Brent Jarrett’s No. 11 to the rafters, becoming the sixth number retired by the franchise. Toledo scored first at the 1:44 mark of the first period. But Kalamazoo wouldn’t trail long. Blake Christensen (4) notched his first goal as a K-Wing just 29 seconds later to tie it 1-1. Then, Josh Bloom (6) tacked another on at the 4:11 mark to give Kalamazoo the lead. Quinn Preston (4) then delivered a beautiful goal to make it 3-1 K-Wings at the 12:20 mark of the second. Toledo came back with goals at the 13:56 and 14:28 marks of the third to tie it, 3-3, setting up Berard’s overtime heroics. Ty Young (5-5-0-0) was stellar in net, making 28 saves in the victory. Kalamazoo took the shot total 34-31 and went a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

ON THE MOVE

No roster moves to report 

FAST FACTS

• Forward Blake Christensen scored his first goal as a K-Wing Saturday
• Forward Quinn Preston notched his fifth multi-point game of the season Saturday
• Forward Ben Berard scored the first overtime game-winning goal of his career Saturday

TEAM TRENDS

• 6-1-0-0 at home when holding the opponent scoreless on the power play
• 8-3-1-0 when scoring first
• 8-4-0-0 following a win

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              20  – Ben Berard

GOALS:                12 – Ben Berard

ASSISTS:          14 – Quinn Preston

PLUS/MINUS:    +9 – Collin Saccoman

PIMS:                   35 – Zach Berzolla

PP GOALS:      3 – Ben Berard, Zach Okabe

PP ASSISTS:        3 – Max Humitz

SH GOALS:      1 – Ben Berard, Josh Bloom

GW GOALS:     3 – Ben Berard, Ted Nichol

SHOTS:            76 – Max Humitz

WINS:                  7 – Jonathan Lemieux

GAA:                   2.55 – Ty Young

SAVE %:             .921 – Ty Young

* Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 0/4 (0%)

                            This Season – 11/90 (12.2%) | No. 29 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 7/9 (77.8%)

                             This Season – 76/101 (75.2%) | No. 26 (ECHL)

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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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