FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2026

K-WINGS BRING THE LIGHTNING, TOP THUNDER IN GRITTY ROAD WIN

Kalamazoo takes game one of the three-game set in a physical 4-3 victory in Adirondack.

BOX SCORE

GLENS FALLS, NY – The Kalamazoo Wings (29-26-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, rode strong defensive play and a second-period offensive explosion in a victory that saw 70 combined penalty minutes against the Adirondack Thunder (34-19-7-1), Friday at Harding Mazzotti Arena, 4-3.

Colin Bilek (19) started the scoring for the K-Wings, deflecting a shot inside the right post from the slot, to give Kalamazoo the early lead at the 13:58 mark of the first period. On the play, Griffin Ness (17) passed to Davis Pennington (34) at the blue line, who fired a missile down the slot that found Bilek’s stick for the redirect goal. 

Ryan Cox (15) found the back of the net, banking a shot off a net front opponent at the 5:18 mark of the middle frame, and giving the K-Wings a 2-0 lead. On the goal, Robby Drazner (10) passed to Ness (18) against the sideboards, who moved toward the netminder’s right flank before backhanding a pass to Cox.

Adirondack responded with a goal of their own at the 8-minute mark to shorten the lead to one. 

However, Ness (9) didn't wait long to notch his third point of the night with a power-play goal at the 11:15 mark. On the setup, Andre Ghantous (19) found Nolan Walker (25) on the goal line, who immediately relayed to Ness for the tic-tac-toe strike. 

Collin Saccoman (6) kept the second period momentum rolling, sniping the puck inside the left post on the rush at the 19:26 mark. On the play, Ghantous (20) broke out from near the defensive zone blue line before centering a pass to Saccoman for the goal to give Kalamazoo a 4-1 lead. 

Adirondack made it interesting late, scoring a pair of extra attacker goals at the 19:31 and 19:34 marks of the final frame, but the defense held the rest of the way. 

Jonathan Lemieux (11-7-1-3) was fantastic in net, holding the Thunder to one goal until the final 29-seconds and making 29 saves in the win. The K-Wings went 1-for-7 on the power-play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill, in a game that saw a combined 70 penalty minutes. 

Next up, Kalamazoo runs it back in game two of the three-game set against Adirondack at 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday at Harding Mazzotti Arena. 

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The K-Wings next return home for a matchup against the Toledo Walleye at 7 p.m. EDT on April 3. Wastin’ away again at Wings Event Center! Margaritaville Night, presented by Honor Credit Union, brings the beach vibes to the barn on April 3. Plus, sip $3 beers, sodas, and dogs ’til 8 PM, then kick back, relax, and enjoy a tropical twist on K-Wings hockey. Also, don’t miss the Jersey Auction post-game benefiting KZoo Parks - flip flops optional, fun guaranteed!

51 years of K-Wings hockey wouldn’t be possible without YOU - our incredible fans! Get loud and join us for Fan Appreciation Night!  We’re celebrating the best fans in the league at our final regular-season Saturday game, on Apr. 11, presented by Bronson. We’re packing the night with giveaways, surprises, and family fun from puck drop to final horn. Puck drops at 4:30 p.m., presented by Discover Kalamazoo. Be one of the first 1,000 through the doors and score a K-Wings team poster!

We’re swinging for the fences in the Regular-Season Finale, presented by MAGNA International, with our last ‘Jersey Series’ game! Join us as we close out the 51st year of K-Wings hockey in true Detroit Tigers style, Sunday, Apr. 12 at 3 p.m. EDT. The first 500 kids (12 & under) will snag a Tigers-inspired Youth K-Wings Baseball Jersey, and the night wraps with our last specialty jersey auction, benefiting KOHA. It’s the regular-season finale, and the playoff race is heating up - don’t miss the grand slam finish!

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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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