FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2026
K-WINGS DROP TIGHT CONTEST AGAINST FUEL SATURDAY
Kalamazoo dominates in all facets but cannot overcome Indy’s efficiency in first of home-and-home series.
FISHERS, IN – The Kalamazoo Wings (10-13-2-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, battled hard but could not overcome the first two shots of the contest, dropping the front half of the weekend series against the Indy Fuel (13-11-3-1), Saturday at Fishers Event Center, 4-2.
Indy’s first two shots of the game found the back of the net at the 5:58 and 10:39 marks to give the Fuel the early score sheet momentum.
However, the second period was owned by the K-Wings as Ryan Cox (5) sniped his first career short-handed goal at the 13:21 mark. On the play, Evan Dougherty (2) collected the puck in Kalamazoo territory and rushed to the right of the offensive zone before finding Cox alone in the slot to cut the deficit to one. Derek Daschke (3) picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Unfortunately, the Fuel responded with two third-period goals, one at the 15:41 mark and an empty-netter at the 17:34 mark.
Hunter Strand (9) then added a late K-Wings’ goal at the 18:46 mark to bring the score to 4-2. On the setup, Andre Ghantous (9) won a battle for the puck in the offensive zone and passed to a firing Jayden Lee (8). Strand collected the rebound at the top of the crease and put it in the back of the net for the final goal of the contest.
Ty Young (3-1-0-0) made 15 saves in the contest, and Kalamazoo outshot Indy 28-to-19. The Wings also went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Kalamazoo returns home for the second Jersey Giveaway Sunday as we honor the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. EST on January 4 at Wings Event Center. The K-Wings are giving away limited-edition K-Wings/Detroit Pistons-inspired youth basketball jerseys to the first 500 kids (12 & under) at the first home game of the new year.
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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 the South County Firefighters Association. A night of hockey, hometown pride, and a touch of the Pacific Northwest!
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!
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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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