FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2026

K-WINGS HUNT PLAYOFF BERTH, PIVOTAL ROAD TRIO AHEAD

Kalamazoo responds on Sunday and remains in the playoff hunt. 

OVERALL RECORD:  34-29-3-3

LAST WEEK: 1-2-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (31-26-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, hit the road for the final three games of the regular season. 

First, Kalamazoo heads to Cincinnati (35-30-4-1) for a pair, starting on Friday at 7:35 p.m. EDT and again at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday at Heritage Bank Center. Sunday, the K-Wings skate in the final game of the regular season at 5:05 p.m. EDT against the Fort Wayne Komets (43-16-10-0) at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. 

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Last week, the K-Wings went 1-2-0-0 (1-5, 2-6, 2-1).

Kalamazoo hit the road for a matchup against the Central Division leaders, the Fort Wayne Komets, and fell 5-1 on Friday. The Komets scored one in the first, three in the second and one in the third to command the contest. Ryan Cox spoiled the shutout in the third period on a short-handed goal assisted by Griffin Ness and Aku Koskenvuo. 

On Saturday, Kalamazoo hosted Fort Wayne for the back half of the home-and-home series, falling 6-2. Rookie forward Jackson Kunz gave the K-Wings the initial momentum, scoring a goal less than 5-minutes into the first period. The Komets answered with a pair of goals to take a short-lived 2-1 lead as Robby Drazner evened the score at two heading into the second period. However, Fort Wayne scored four consecutive goals.

Sunday, Kalamazoo beat the Cincinnati Cyclones 2-1 in the final regular-season home game of the season. After a scoreless first period, Ryan Cox stymied a Cyclones power-play opportunity with a short-handed goal on a beautiful assist by Griffin Ness. Cincinnati responded with an even-strength goal less than 5-minutes later, and the game remained locked at a 1-1 tie until the final five minutes of regulation. That's when alternate captain Quinn Preston stole the puck in the defense zone and backhanded the game-winning goal at the 15:43 mark of the third period. Koskenvuo made 26 saves in the contest, and the K-Wings went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. 

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

Kalamazoo plays no games this week at Wings Event Center. 

RESULTS

Friday, Apr. 10 – Kalamazoo at Fort Wayne (L, 5-1), Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (33-28-3-3) could not find any answers to the Fort Wayne Komets (41-16-10-0) potent offensive attack, losing Friday at Allen County War Memorial Colliseum, 5-1. The Komets took the early advantage, scoring a goal at the 4:50 mark of the first period. Fort Wayne’s William Dufour (10, 11, 12) then notched a natural hat trick in the second period with goals at the 5:49, 6:50 (PPG) and 9:19 marks. Ryan Cox (16) spoiled the shutout with a shorthanded goal at the 9:47 mark of the third. The Komets quickly responded on the power play, finding the back of the net at the 10:01 mark to finalize a 5-1 score. Koskenvuo (9-9-0-0) made 29 saves, and the K-Wings were outshot 34-24 in the contest.

Saturday, Apr. 11 – Fort Wayne vs. Kalamazoo (L, 6-2), Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI | Box Score

>>    The Kalamazoo Wings (33-29-3-3) battled but fell to the Fort Wayne Komets (42-16-10-0), losing Saturday at Wings Event Center, 6-2. Aku Koskenvuo gave the K-Wings the initial advantage, deflecting the puck into the back of the net at the 4:55 mark of the first period. Fort Wayne then responded with a pair of goals at the 7:12 and 15:40 marks to take a 2-1 advantage. Robby Drazner (4) evened the game with one minute remaining in the period with a right circle snipe at the 19-minute mark. The first two came at the 1:07 and again on the power play at the 18:01 mark of the second period. The final two came in the third, one at the 11:11 mark and another at the 16:48 mark (EN). Aku Koskenvuo (9-10-0-0) made 15 saves, and the K-Wings took the shot advantage 32-21 in the contest. 

Sunday, Apr. 12 – Cincinnati vs. Kalamazoo (W, 2-1), Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI | Box Score

>>    The Kalamazoo Wings (34-29-3-3) skate off victorious in dramatic fashion, outlasting the Cincinnati Cyclones (35-30-4-1) in the regular-season home finale Sunday at Wings Event Center, 2-1. After a scoreless first period, Ryan Cox (17) snuffed a Cincinnati power-play opportunity by slamming home his fourth short-handed goal of the year at the 7:46 mark of the middle frame. The Cyclones quickly responded with an even-strength goal of their own at the 12:39 mark. Quinn Preston (20) then snapped home a nasty backhand around the goaltender to give the K-Wings a late lead at the 15:43 mark of the third period. Aku Koskenvuo (10-10-0-0) was fantastic between the pipes, turning aside 26 of 27 shots. Kalamazoo went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and took the shot total 34-27 in the contest. 

ON THE MOVE

Apr. 9 - Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux was recalled from loan by the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

FAST FACTS

• Kalamazoo (19) is one road win shy of tying an ECHL franchise record for road wins (20) in a season 
• Kalamazoo forward Ryan Cox moved to T-No. 2 in the ECHL for shorthanded goals (SHG) scored, after notching two SHG last week
• Kalamazoo defenseman Davis Pennington notched one assist (37) this weekend, moving him up to No.4 among all ECHL rookies

TEAM TRENDS

• 23-7-3-3 in 1-goal games
• 19-1-1-2 when leading after two periods of play
• 12-0-0-0 when allowing 1 goal or less

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              53 – Zach Okabe

GOALS:                21 – Colin Bilek

ASSISTS:          37 – *Davis Pennington, Zach Okabe

PLUS/MINUS:    +5 – Evan Dougherty

ROOKIE GOALS:    14 – *Hunter Strand

ROOKIE ASSISTS:   37 – *Davis Pennington

PIMS:                   123 – Powell Connor

PP GOALS:      10 – Colin Bilek

PP ASSISTS:         12 – Zach Okabe, Nolan Walker

SH GOALS:      4 – Ryan Cox

GW GOALS:    7 – Andre Ghantous, Zach Okabe

SHOTS:           161  – Quinn Preston

WINS:                 11 – **Jonathan Lemieux

GAA:                   2.91 – **Jonathan Lemieux

SAVE %:             .908 – **Jonathan Lemieux

*     Rookie

**   Currently with Abbotsford (AHL)

*** Currently with Vancouver (NHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:  Last Week – 0/7  (0%)

                            This Season – 41/210 (19.5%) | No. 10 (ECHL)   

PENALTY KILL: Last Week – 9/12 (75.0%)

                             This Season – 167/209 (79.9%) | No. 18 (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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