FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2025
K-WINGS ADD ROOKIE FORWARDS PEYTON HOYT (SPC) & NICK CAFARELLI (PTO)
Kalamazoo signs two rookie forwards ahead of 2025-26.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Wednesday that rookie forward Peyton Hoyt has signed a Standard Player Contract (SPC) and rookie forward Nick Cafarelli has signed a Tryout Contract for the 2025-26 season.
Hoyt, 26, is a 5-foot 10-inch, 196-pound forward from Lincoln, New Brunswick, Canada. Last season with the Toledo Walleye, Hoyt appeared in eight games, registered one assist for one point, along with four penalty minutes out of Acadia University.
“I’m very grateful and excited to get started with the Wings this year,” Hoyt said. “I’ve heard great things through past players about how supportive the fan base and the city are towards this team.”
At Acadia University, Hoyt played over four seasons (2020-25) and amassed a total of 53 points (27g-26a) in 88 games with 94 penalty minutes. Hoyt was also named team captain at Acadia, earning the 2025 Randy Dean Farris Memorial Award. The award recognizes an Acadia player who demonstrates leadership, competitive spirit, community engagement, and maintains good academic standing.
Cafarelli, 23, is a 5-foot 10 inch, 185-pound, Middleton, MA native who played one game with the Reading Royals last season out of Rochester Inst. of Tech. (RIT).
In his fifth season at RIT, Cafarelli notched eight points (1g-7a) in 33 games played. The forward spent the previous four seasons (2020-24) with the University of New Hampshire, playing 80 games total and scoring 35 points (13g-22a).
The K‑Wings will continue to announce player signings weekly in the build‑up to their home opener on October 18 versus the Fort Wayne Komets at Wings Event Center.
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Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season are available NOW! Head to kwings.com to check out this season’s epic promotional schedule and secure your tickets today.
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The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team based in southwest Michigan, having 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 its 36 regular-season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.
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