FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2025

K-WINGS PUNCH BACK, DROP KOMETS IN FINAL MINUTE

Kalamazoo enjoys three multipoint scorers in offensive explosion in second consecutive road victory.  

BOX SCORE

FORT WAYNE, IN – The Kalamazoo Wings (8-10-2-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, ignited for three second-period goals in a chaotic win against the Fort Wayne Komets (14-6-2-0) Saturday at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 5-4.

Andre Ghantous (6) sniped the game-winning goal with only 27 seconds remaining in regulation for his second goal of the night. Starting the play, Nolan Walker (10) sent a pass to Davis Pennington (8) at the defensive zone blue line. Pennington then roped a pass off the offensive zone side boards that rebounded perfectly to Ghantous for a wrister in the slot. 

Fort Wayne took a short-lived lead with the lone goal of the first period at the 11:13 mark.

However, Ghantous (5) quickly knotted the score by redirecting a pass from the right circle into the net just 36 seconds into the second period. On the play, David Keefer (1) won a battle for the puck and sent a crossing pass to Ryan Cox (4). Cox then launched a shot from above the right circle that deflected off the stick of Ghantous for the equalizer. 

Next up, Derek Daschke (1) extended the lead with a power-play slapshot from deep in the offensive zone, scoring his first goal of the season and giving Kalamazoo a 2-1 advantage. On the setup, Colin Bilek (3) lined a circle-to-circle pass to Keefer (2), who then crossed to Daschke for the shot at the 15:20 mark of the second period. 

Antonio Venuto (5) immediately kept the momentum rolling with a goal of his own, only 14 seconds later. On the play, Jayden Lee (7) stole the puck near center ice and bombed a leading pass to Zach Okabe (13), who found Venuto for the bang-bang score. 

Unfortunately, the Komets found the net at the 2:59 mark of the third period to bring the score to 3-2, skating 4-on-4. 

Cam Knuble (2) answered by poking a goal past an out-of-place goaltender at the 5:37 mark. On the goal, Knuble rebounded Daschke’s (2) back-handed attempt at the left edge of the crease and slipped a shot past the netminder, bringing the K-Wings’ lead back to two. 

Fort Wayne then responded by scoring two straight power-play goals to knot the game at four, before Ghantous notched the game-winner at the 19:32 mark. 

Ty Young (2-0-0-0) was fantastic in net, making 32 saves, and the K-Wings went 2-for-2 on the power-play. There were 92 total penalty minutes in the third period, and seven total players sent to the dressing room.

Next up, Kalamazoo returns home for Christmas with the K-Wings at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 14! The first 1,000 fans will get a Slappy on the Shelf giveaway, and after the game, slide into some post-game fun with our Fans Skate the Ice event - just $5 skate rentals! It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season, K-Wings style!

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Kalamazoo’s New Year’s Eve hockey tradition lives on! Join the K-Wings as they battle the Toledo Walleye at 6 p.m. EST, December 31, at Wings Event Center. Start your NYE with thrilling hockey action, then catch the football games on TVs throughout the arena. It’s a tradition decades in the making—don’t miss out on ringing in the new year, K-Wings style!

Jersey Giveaway Sundays continues on Sunday, January 4, as we honor the Detroit Pistons! The second of four themed games, this night features a special giveaway: the first 500 kids (12 & under) will receive a limited-edition K-Wings/Detroit Pistons-inspired youth basketball jersey. Don’t miss your chance to celebrate Detroit’s legendary sports teams and score some exclusive gear!

Season Tickets for 2025-26 are available NOW. Click here to join the ranks of the High Flyers and catch all the action next season with all the perks!

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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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