FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16, 2026

K-WINGS INK ROOKIE DEFENSEMAN TRAVIS SHOUDY & HOMETOWN GOALTENDER HUNTER VORVA 

Kalamazoo adds defensive depth with Michigan State rookie Travis Shoudy and brings back netminder Hunter Vorva. 

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Wednesday that the team has signed rookie defenseman Travis Shoudy to a Standard Player Contract (SPC) and goaltender Hunter Vorva to a Player Tryout Agreement (PTO) for the 2026-27 season.

Shoudy, 24, is a 5-foot-10-inch, 181-pound, Marysville, MI native entering his first professional season. The left-shot defenseman appeared in 17 games for Michigan State (NCAA) last season, adding 3 assists with a +5 for the Spartans. 

“I’m more than excited to be joining the K-Wings and staying close to home,” Shoudy said. “I have heard nothing but great things about the fans and organization. I am eager to get there and get going to work with the team.” 

Prior to transferring to the Spartans, Shoudy played three seasons (2022-25) at Ferris State (NCAA), accumulating 43 points (14g, 35a) in 104 games and was named the Bulldogs captain for the 2024-25 season. Travis reunited with his twin brother, Tiernan, at Michigan State in 2025-26, who was signed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) ahead of the 2026-27 season. 

Vorva, 30, is a 5-foot-11-inch, 165-pound, Kalamazoo, MI native entering his fifth professional season. In 2025-26, the hometown goaltender made three appearances for the Wings in an injury-shortened season. 

The netminder has skated for Kalamazoo in each of his previous four ECHL seasons (2022-25), sporting a 41-27–3-2 record with a career 2.67 goals-against average (GAA) and a .917 save percentage (SV%) in 81 appearances. 

“Excited to be healthy and to be back out there battling with the guys every day,” Vorva said. “It’s gonna be a special season, and I can’t wait to get started. We have the most amazing and passionate fans, and they deserve our best. Our roster is shaping up, and our expectations are to make a deep run out of respect for our barn and everything it represents.”

In 2023-24, Vorva enjoyed a breakout season, going 20-14-0-0, finishing No. 2 in the ECHL in GAA (2.51) and No. 3 in SV% (.920) with three shutouts. His performance earned him league-wide recognition as one of the ECHL’s top goaltenders. Vorva’s professional journey began with Kalamazoo in 2022-23, when he ranked No. 4 in the ECHL for save percentage (.919) and T-No. 6 in GAA (2.61) across 28 games (13-9-2, 1 SO). He went on to earn Kalamazoo’s Rookie of the Year and Star of the Game honors that season.

Before earning a roster spot with the K-Wings via a 2022 PTO Contract, the Marian University product starred with the Huntsville Havoc (SPHL), compiling a 22-8-2 record, 1.93 GAA, and .934 SV% in 32 games en route to being named 2021-22 SPHL Goaltender of the Year and earning First-Team All-Star recognition.

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 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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