FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2026
K-WINGS LAND FORWARD TYLER GRATTON AHEAD OF 2026-27
Kalamazoo locks in former Utah captain Tyler Gratton ahead of 2026-27 campaign.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Thursday that the team has traded forward Hunter Strand’s qualifying-offer rights to the Trenton Ironhawks in exchange for forward Tyler Gratton’s qualifying-offer rights. Kalamazoo has also signed Gratton to a Standard Player Contract (SPC) for the 2026-27 season.
Gratton, 27, is a 6-foot‑2, 190‑pound, Pottstown, PA native entering his third professional season. The forward scored 37 points (16g, 21a) in 53 games last season, serving as the Utah Grizzlies team captain.
“I’m really excited to be joining the K-Wings,” Gratton said. “To be playing in the final season at a historic barn, paired with the support of this fanbase, it’s going to be memorable. I can’t wait to get the season started.”
The left-shot joined Utah after spending his rookie campaign with Reading in 2024-25. While with the Royals, Gratton led the team in goals scored (20), finishing the season with 32 points in 71 games played as a rookie.
Prior to turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 season with Lehigh Valley (AHL), Gratton played parts of four seasons at Penn State (NCAA) and one season with Arizona State (NCAA). In total, he amassed 52 points (32g-20a) in 159 NCAA games played, and he was named alternate captain (2022-23: Penn State) & team captain (2023-24: Arizona State) in college before signing with the Phantoms.
Kalamazoo will continue releasing player signings until the start of training camp this October. Single-Game tickets and the team’s promotional schedule are slated to release in early September with the Home Opener scheduled for October 30 at 7 p.m. ET versus the Toledo Walleye.
Tickets for the 2027 Outdoor Game are on sale NOW! Click HERE to purchase tickets! The game takes place at 3:00 p.m. ET on January 31 versus the Toledo Walleye at Waldo Stadium. For everything you need to know about the 2027 Outdoor Game, including FAQs, groups and suite information - Click HERE.
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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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