FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2026

K-WINGS SIGN ROOKIE DEFENSEMEN STEFAN DOBRICH & JULIANO SANTALUCIA 

Kalamazoo continues to strengthen its defensive core with first-year Canadian defenders Stefan Dobrich & Juliano Santalucia. 

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Monday that the team has signed defenseman Stefan Dobrich and Juliano Santalucia to Standard Player Contracts (SPC) for the 2026-27 season.

Dobrich, 24, is a 6-foot 4-inch, 209-pound, Amherstburg, ON native entering his first season of professional hockey. The left-shot defenseman appeared in 26 regular-season games for the University of Windsor (USports), dishing out nine assists in the regular season and two assists in four playoff appearances. 

“Extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the K-Wings organization,” Dobrich said. “Looking forward to getting to Kalamazoo, meeting my teammates and everyone involved in the organization. I also know this fanbase is special & passionate. Can’t wait to experience it all.”

Dobrich spent four seasons (2022-26) on the blueline at Windsor with 91 games played (1g, 17a) and 63 penalty minutes. The defender saw postseason action in all four years of college hockey, lacing up for 16 games with four assists and 12 penalty minutes. The Ontario native split his final season of juniors in 2021-22 between the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays (5 gp) and the OJHL’s Trenton Golden Hawks (23 gp, 2g, 11a), adding two assists in three playoff games.

Santalucia, 25, is a 6-foot, 181-pound, Burnaby, BC native entering his first professional season. In 2025-26, the right-handed defenseman scored 19 points (6g, 13a, +5) in 32 appearances for Aurora University (NCAA III) and was named to the NCHA All-Conference Team after leading his school to its first-ever DIII Frozen Four appearance. 

“I’m super excited to be joining the Kalamazoo Wings and get started this year,” Santalucia. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about Kalamazoo, and I can’t wait to experience playing in front of the fans at the Wings Event Center!”

The rookie defender spent four seasons (2022-26) at Aurora, stacking 77 points (22g, 54a, +37) in 117 appearances for the Spartans. He was also an ACHA First Team All-American West selection in 2024-25. Santalucia spent five seasons in Canadian juniors (2017-22), playing in the AJHL (2017-18 & 2019-22) and the BCHL (2018-20), totaling 43 points (7g, 36a) and 156 penalty minutes in 211 games across each league.

Kalamazoo will continue releasing player signings until the start of training camp this October 2. 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 Home Opener are on sale NOW!

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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Season Tickets for 2026-27 are available NOW. Click here to join the ranks of the High Flyers and catch all the action next season with all the perks!

Flexi Tickets are on sale now! Don’t miss out on attending Kalamazoo’s premier games at a price you’ll love! 12, 24 and 36 game packs are available.

Are you a group planner at work or for the family? Save serious money on ticket packages of 10 or more, while delivering a group experience of a lifetime with the K-Wings. Plus, take advantage of more savings with our summer booking incentives NOW! 

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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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