FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2026

K-WINGS’ ROAD GOALTENDING DAZZLES, SHUTOUT FUEL SATURDAY

Kalamazoo emerges victorious in a defensive struggle & rides two late goals to essential April victory in Indy.

BOX SCORE

FISHERS, IN – The Kalamazoo Wings (32-26-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, notched their first shutout of the season behind 42 stops, and two late goals, in a 2-0 victory against the Indy Fuel (31-26-9-1) Saturday at Fishers Event Center.

In a battle of the goaltenders, Kalamazoo’s Aku Koskenvuo (8-8-0-0) recorded his first ECHL career shutout with 42 stops in the contest, tying his professional career high. 

Each team went scoreless for 56:16 in the defensive stalemate before the K-Wings broke through.

Zach Okabe (16) notched his seventh game-winning goal of the season with a beautiful wraparound goal. On the play, Robby Drazner (11) passed to Davis Pennington (36) in the defensive zone, who sent a long rink-wide diagonal pass to Okabe just over center ice, cruising in down the right wing side. Okabe skated all the way around the trapezoid and tucked the puck just inside the left post to give the K-Wings at the 16:16 mark of the third period. 

Colin Bilek (21) then added the insurance goal on a right circle bullet that flew over the netminder’s right shoulder and into the back of the net at the 18:19 mark. On the play, Ryan Cox (12) intercepted a Fuel pass at center ice and quickly passed to Bilek on the rush for the right dot for the dagger. 

Kalamazoo went a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play. 

Next up, the K-Wings face off against the Bloomington Bison (32-28-2-3) at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Grossinger Motors Arena. 

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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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