FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 7, 2026

K-WINGS THUMP BISON IN FRONT OF PINK ICE SELLOUT CROWD

Kalamazoo and Bloomington go to war in the 25th edition of Pink Ice in an emphatic K-Wings’ victory.   

BOX SCORE

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (18-18-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, exploded for five ‘Pink Ice’ goals, four multi-point scorers and 52 penalty minutes in a 5-2 rout of the Bloomington Bison (22-17-2-2) on Saturday in front of a sold out Wings Event Center.

Kalamazoo and Bloomington put on a show for the 5,222 in attendance at the 25th annual Pink Ice game that saw a combined 79 penalty minutes, four game misconducts and two fighting majors. Kalamazoo enjoyed the spoils of multipoint performances from Quinn Preston (1g, 2a), Nolan Walker (2g), Zach Okabe (1g, 1a) and Collin Saccoman (2a) in the win. 

Walker (12) continued his hot streak and ignited the scoring for the K-Wings, finding the back of the net at the 18:44 mark of the first period. On the play, Walker won a right dot faceoff, sending the puck to Saccoman (8), who relayed down the blue line to Davis Pennington (22). The defenseman then connected with Walker in the left circle deflecting the puck into the back of the net. 

The Bison then responded with a goal at the 8:26 mark of the second period. 

However, Preston (14) capitalized on the power play, finding the back of the net at the 12:12 mark. On the goal, Preston stole the puck in the offensive zone and found Jayden Lee (14) at the blue line. Lee then fired a missile from deep that caromed behind the netminder’s pads, and Preston poked it home. 

Unfortunately, Bloomington answered with a power play goal of its own, tying the game at two at the 17:01 mark.

That's when the game took an unplanned intermission as tempers boiled over. The two teams combined for 29 penalty minutes, two misconducts and a controversial ejection at the 17:41 mark. 

The sin bin continued to host skaters into the third period as the two teams found themselves skating 4-on-4 when Okabe (11) sniped the game-winning goal at the 8:02 mark of the final frame. On the setup, Preston (21) stole the puck in the offensive zone and quickly outletted to Okabe near the slot for the bang-bang score. 

Next up, Walker (13) exploded for a breakaway exclamation point to give the K-Wings a two-goal advantage at the 16:11 mark. On the beauty, Saccoman (9) collected a defensive zone loose puck and fired a lead pass to Walker, who then nastily stalled the puck on his backhand around the goaltender’s right side for his second goal of the night. 

Jackson Kunz (3) put the cherry on top with an empty net goal at the 19:06 mark, stamping the seal on a 5-2 final score. On the insurance goal, Preston charted his third point of the contest, and Okabe his second. 

Jonathan Lemieux (5-5-1-3) continued his impressive play, turning aside 29-of-31 shots. The K-Wings went 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. 

Next up, the K-Wings hit the road for a midweek matchup against the Iowa Heartlanders (12-27-2-2) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, February 11, at Xtream Arena. 

Kalamazoo returns home for a $3 Friday as the K-Wings take on the Indy Fuel on Friday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Enjoy $3 beers, sodas, and hot dogs until 8 p.m.—the perfect combo of hockey action and unbeatable deals!

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Grab your robes and wands, Wizards, Wands & Wings Night is back at Wings Event Center, presented by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan! Puck drop is at 4:30 p.m., presented by Discover Kalamazoo. Get swept into a spellbinding night of hockey magic, complete with wizard-themed fun and fanfare. Stick around postgame for our Specialty Jersey Auction, with proceeds supporting BBBS Southwest Michigan. Whether you're Gryffin-scoring or Slyther-winning, this night is pure wizarding wonder on ice!

Our local first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. For that, we want to say, ‘Thank you.’ Join us to celebrate Kalamazoo’s finest on First Responders Night, honoring our local police officers, firefighters & EMTs at Wings Event Center. Plus, take advantage of the best food & drink deal in Kalamazoo via $3 Friday ($3 Beers, Sodas & Hot Dogs), presented by Bud Light.

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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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