FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2026

K-WINGS BESTED IN MID-WEEK TILT AGAINST BISON

Kalamazoo battles hard and comes up just short in Bloomington. 

BOX SCORE

BLOOMINGTON, IL – The Kalamazoo Wings (10-14-2-2), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, overcame three consecutive goals by the Bloomington Bison (15-12-2-2), but fell Wednesday at Grossinger Motors Arena, 4-3.

Ryan Cox (6) started the scoring for the K-Wings, notching his sixth goal of the season. On the play, David Keefer (6) stole the puck in the defensive zone left circle, and outletted a pass to Andre Ghantous (10). Rushing two-on-one down the right side, Ghantous centered a pass to Cox in the slot at the 4:08 mark of the first period. 

Unfortunately, the Bison responded with a goal at the 12:08 mark to knot the game at one. Bloomington then scored back-to-back goals to start the second period at the 1:41 and 3:32 marks to bring the score to 3-1 Bison. 

Continuing his hot streak, Derek Daschke (5) fired Nolan Walker’s (13) faceoff win past the netminder from just above the right circle to narrow the deficit to one at the 6:09 mark. 

Andre Ghantous (7) then took advantage of a power-play, scoring the equalizer with a right circle wrister at the 10:58 mark. On the setup, Walker (14) skated the puck over center ice and passed to Keefer against the boards on the blue line. Keefer then crossed to Ghantous for the power-play goal to even the score at three.

Unfortunately, the Bison snagged the final goal of the period, regaining the lead at the 17:24 mark. 

Aku Koskenvuo (2-4-0-0) was fantastic in net, turning aside 37 of 41 shots and the K-Wings went a 1-for-1 on the power-play and penalty kill. 

Next up, the K-Wings return home for Canucks Night versus the Heartlanders (8-19-2-0), as we honor our NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks, on Saturday, January 10 presented by Bell's! Puck drop is at 4:30 p.m. EST, 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 the South County Firefighters Association. A night of hockey, hometown pride, and a touch of the Pacific Northwest!

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Suit up for Marvel Day on Saturday, January 11, at 3:00 p.m., as the K-Wings take on the Iowa Heartlanders! From super plays to heroic saves, it's an action-packed afternoon where hockey meets the Marvel Universe. Assemble your squad—it’s game time!

Celebrate love, pride, and hockey at our 5th Annual Rainbow Ice Night on Friday, January 16! The ice will shine bright, and so will the fans at Wings Event Center in a show of unity and support. Don’t miss this vibrant night of inclusion, celebration, and K-Wings hockey! Stick around post-game for the specialty jersey auction.

Take it easy on the wallet with the K-Wings Rainbow Ice Ticket Package! For just $89, you and your crew get four great seats (White or Blue level) to the exciting Rainbow Ice game plus a free game of bowling at Airway Fun Center, perfect for pre- or post-game fun. Even better: 10% of your purchase goes to support United Way of South Central Michigan, so you’re scoring big both on and off the ice. Don’t wait — this limited-time package brings fans together for thrilling hockey and good times!

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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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