FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2025 

K-WINGS SWEEP WEEKEND, ROAD 3-IN-3 THIS WEEK BEFORE NYE GAME

Kalamazoo heads to holiday break with points in 10-of-13 and winners of 4 of the last 5 games.

OVERALL RECORD:  10-11-2-1

LAST WEEK: 2-0-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (10-11-2-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, hit the road for a trio of games this weekend. First, the K-Wings head to Cincinnati for a Friday & Saturday pair at 7:35 p.m., and then they finish the weekend in Fort Wayne with a 5:05 p.m. puck drop against the Komets. 

Last week, the K-Wings went 2-0-0-0 (6-2, 2-1).

On Friday, Kalamazoo dominated Bloomington to the tune of a 6-2 final score on the road. The K-Wings scored two in the first (Okabe, Daschke), one in the second (Preston) and three in the third (Kennedy, Pennington x2). Ty Young was phenomenal in net, making 23 saves, and Kalamazoo enjoyed both a season high in goals scored and shots in a period (2nd Period: 18).

Saturday, the K-Wings added another come-from-behind win to their repertoire, trailing 1-0 until the 16:02 mark of the second before knotting the game at one (Daschke). Special teams became the difference as the penalty kill flexed a perfect 4-for-4 performance, and Collin Bilek snapped in a game-winning power-play goal with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Aku Koskenvuo and the defense made it look easy, holding Bloomington to just 20 shots in the contest. 

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

Kalamazoo plays three games on the road this week.

NEXT WEEK!

Wednesday, Dec. 31: Annual New Year’s Eve Game: Join us for Kalamazoo’s Annual New Year’s Eve game, presented by Parker! The K-Wings battle the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center to ring in the new year. 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!

Dec. 31 HH F&F Deal: Go easy on the Wallet and be home for the Ball Drop with the NYE Hungry Howie’s Friends and Family deal for the Dec. 31 game! Tap below to secure 4 tickets, 4 knit hats & a $20 Hungry Howie's pizza voucher. So, this package pays for itself at $45 bucks. Tap below to secure now!

Sunday, Jan. 4: The Jersey Giveaway Sunday 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!

COMING NEXT MONTH!

Saturday, Jan. 10: We're going all Canucks for Canucks Night as we honor our NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks, presented by Bell's! Puck drop is at 4:30 p.m., presented by Discover Kalamazoo! The K-Wings will hit the ice in Canucks-inspired specialty jerseys, then auction them off post-game with proceeds benefiting South County Firefighters Association. A night of hockey, hometown pride, and a touch of the Pacific Northwest!

RESULTS

Friday, Dec. 19 – Kalamazoo at Bloomington (W, 6-2), Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL| Box Score

>> The Kalamazoo Wings (9-11-2-1) erupted for a season-high six goals and defeated the Bloomington Bison (13-8-2-0) Friday at Grossinger Motors Arena, 6-2. Zach Okabe (6) started the night’s scoring, sniping a shot inside the right post, from the top of the right circle, at the 13:04 mark of the first period. Derek Daschke (2) added another goal with a top-shelf snipe at the 19:54 mark of the first period. The Bison found the net first in the second period to briefly narrow the deficit to one at the 9:52 mark. Quinn Preston (10) immediately brought the lead back to two with a breakaway game-winning goal just 17 seconds later at the 10:09 mark. Spencer Kennedy (1) continued the offensive onslaught with his first goal as a K-Wing at the 2:44 mark of the third frame. Adding insult to injury, Pennington (2) darted a top-shelf goal just 43 seconds later at the 3:27 mark. Unfortunately, Bloomington capitalized on the first penalty of the game with a power-play goal at the 8:23 mark. Kalamazoo spoiled any chance to maintain momentum, as Pennington (3) sent the puck from ten feet inside his own right-point for an empty net goal with 4:49 remaining in regulation. Ty Young (3-0-0-0) was phenomenal between the pipes, turning aside 23 of 25 shots, and the K-Wings outshot the Bison 36-to-24, including a season-high 18-5 shot advantage in the second frame.

Saturday, Dec. 20 – Kalamazoo at Bloomington (W, 2-1),  Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL | Box Score

>> The Kalamazoo Wings (10-11-2-1) scored in the final minute of regulation and edged out the Bloomington Bison (15-8-2-0) to sweep the weekend pair Saturday at Grossinger Motors Arena, 2-1. With 20 seconds remaining and the game knotted at one, Colin Bilek (5) iced the game by firing a top-shelf rocket from the left circle for the game-winning goal on the power-play.  The two teams went back and forth in the first two periods, but the Bison took the early advantage with a short-handed goal at the 19:30 mark of the first period. Derek Daschke (3) responded in the second period with a beautiful backhanded snipe from the top of the crease at the 16:02 mark of the middle frame. Aku Koskenvuo (2-2-0-0) was fantastic in net, turning aside 19 of 20 shots, and the K-Wings went a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. 

ON THE MOVE

Dec. 17 - Forward Griffin Ness was traded to Kalamazoo from Utah

Dec. 21 - Forward Antonio Venuto was loaned to Cleveland (AHL)

FAST FACTS

• Defenseman Derek Daschke (3g, 1a) now has four points in four games played for Kalamazoo 
• Rookie defenseman Davis Pennington notched his first career multi-goal game on Friday
• Forward Spencer Kennedy scored his first goal of the season on Friday against Bloomington
• Kalamazoo has taken points in 11 of 14 one-goal games this season (8-3-2-1)

TEAM TRENDS

6-0-1-0 when leading after two periods

4-0-1-0 in 1-goal games on the road

7-2-1-0 when scoring a power-play goal

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              23 – Quinn Preston

GOALS:                10 – Quinn Preston

ASSISTS:          14 – Zach Okabe

PLUS/MINUS:    +11 – Zach Okabe

ROOKIE GOALS:    8 – *Hunter Strand

ROOKIE ASSISTS:   9 – *Davis Pennington, *Antonio Venuto

PIMS:                   48 – Spencer Kennedy

PP GOALS:      3 – Quinn Preston

PP ASSISTS:         4 – Nolan Walker

SH GOALS:      2 – *Hunter Strand

GW GOALS:    3 – Zach Okabe

SHOTS:           63 – *Davis Pennington

WINS:                 3 – Ty Young

GAA:                   2.65 – Ty Young

SAVE %:             .917 – Ty Young

*     Rookie

**   Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

*** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS
 

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 1/8  (12.5 %)

                            This Season – 12/78 (15.4 %) | No. 24 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 4/5 (80.0%)

                             This Season – 54/71 (76.1%)| No. 27 (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 its 36 regular-season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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