FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2025
K-WINGS BEAT WALLEYE, CLOSE PRESEASON
Kalamazoo strikes early and often to close the preseason with a victory.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (0-0-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, notched a trio of third-period goals and out-muscled the Toledo Walleye (0-0-0-0) Saturday to close the 2025-26 preseason at Wings Event Center, 5-3.
The K-Wings took the early advantage at the 7:37 mark of the first period off the stick of Spencer Kennedy (1). Ryan Helliwell (1) fed Kennedy beautifully with a pass to the bottom of the left circle, and Kennedy flushed it home. Evan Dougherty (1) added the secondary assist on the play.
The Walleye capitalized twice at the 14:15 and 17:34 mark of the second period to take a 2-1 advantage after a K-Wings major penalty. The lead would be short-lived.
Nolan Walker (1) notched the equalizer at the 19:25 mark, skating in from the left side, behind the defense, and buried the shot. Colton Young (1) and Ben Schultheis (1) assisted on the goal.
In the third, Jack Juanich (1) put the K-Wings on top at the 5:13 mark after a beautiful centering feed by Blake Christensen (1) to the slot. Colin Bilek (1) assisted on the go-ahead power play goal.
Toledo then answered 47 seconds later to knot the game at three.
It took just three minutes and two seconds for the K-Wings to take the lead for good after that, as Christensen (1) buried a wrister from the right circle for the game-winning goal. Jayden Lee (1) and Zach Okabe (1) assisted on the tally.
The K-Wings added insurance off the stick of Collin Saccoman (1) at the 11:59 mark, as Jaunich (1) fed Saccoman for the blue line blast. Cam Knuble (1) earned the secondary assist on the goal.
Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux made 24 of 27 stops in the contest and the K-Wings were 1-for-3 on the power play.
Next up is the 2025-26 Home Opener on October 18 at 4:30 p.m. versus the Fort Wayne Komets at Wings Event Center. Click the link to secure your tickets today!
The Hungry Howie’s Friends and Family Ticket Package is also BACK for the Home Opener, including four tickets, four K-Wings knit hats and a $20 Hungry Howie’s Voucher.
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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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