Kalamazoo Wings

The Kalamazoo Wings, nicknamed the K-Wings, are a mid-level professional ice hockey team in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A member of the ECHL's Western Conference, Central Division, they play in the 5,113-seat Wings Event Center. They are the affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League, and the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.
Kalamazoo is home to the "Green Ice Game". Played since 1982 on St. Patrick's Day, it is one of the most celebrated games in minor league hockey. The team has sought to duplicate the game's success with the Pink Ice Game (Valentine's Day), the Orange Ice Game (Halloween), the Lavender Ice game (Hockey Fights Cancer) and the Rainbow Ice game.
==History ==
The team began in the 1999–2000 season as the United Hockey League's Madison Kodiaks in Madison, Wisconsin. After one season in Madison, the franchise moved to Kalamazoo, where it renamed itself the Wings in honor of the original Wings that had played in the International Hockey League from 1974 through 2000. The new Wings obtained the right to use the old Wings' name and logo, as well as using the original team's history as its own.
The K-Wings played in the UHL from October 2000 until June 1, 2009, when they withdrew because of concerns that the league, which had renamed itself the International Hockey League in 2007, might go bankrupt. Eight days later, the K-Wings joined the ECHL. From September 13, 2012 until the end of the 2014–15 season, the Wings had an affiliation with the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves. They were also affiliated with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks as well as their AHL affiliates the Springfield Falcons and Utica Comets, respectively.
Prior to the 2015–16 season, the ECHL required teams to only have one official NHL/AHL affiliate, leading to the K-Wings only keeping their Columbus affiliation and the Blue Jackets' new AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. They ended their affiliation with the Blue Jackets after one season and affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Syracuse Crunch for the 2016–17 season. They changed again for the 2017–18 season to the Canucks and Comets, their previous affiliates for several seasons.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wings voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 ECHL season. When the team returned for the 2021–22 season, they switched their affiliation back to the Columbus Blue Jackets. On June 23, 2022, the Wings signed an affiliation extension with the Blue Jackets (and therefore the Cleveland Monsters also) for the 2022–23 season
On July 10, 2023, Kalamazoo announced they had returned to the Vancouver Canucks organization in an affiliation agreement for the 2023–24 season. They also entered an agreement with the Canucks AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. 
==Season records==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T/OTL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	Pct 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League 	United Hockey League
2000–01 	74 	37 	31 	6 	80 	220 	220 	.541 	3rd Southwest, 9th of 15 	Lost Play-in game vs. Muskegon Fury 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2001–02 	74 	27 	37 	8 	66 	213 	277 	.446 	6th Western, 11th of 14 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2002–03 	76 	29 	39 	8 	66 	210 	282 	.434 	5th Western, 10th of 10 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2003–04 	76 	45 	22 	9 	99 	281 	207 	.651 	4th Western, 4th of 12 	Lost Quarterfinal series vs. Fort Wayne Komets, 2–3 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2004–05 	80 	50 	24 	6 	100 	257 	204 	.663 	2nd Central, 3rd of 14 	Lost Semifinal series vs. Fort Wayne Komets, 3–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2005–06 	76 	52 	17 	7 	111 	332 	183 	.730 	1st Central, 1st of 14 	Won Colonial Cup Final series vs. Danbury Trashers, 4–1 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2006–07 	76 	47 	23 	6 	100 	251 	191 	.658 	2nd Eastern, 4th of 10 	Lost Colonial Cup Final series vs. Rockford IceHogs, 3–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
International Hockey League	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League 	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League	International Hockey League
2007–08 	76 	31 	34 	11 	73 	242 	252 	.480 	5th of 6 IHL 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2008–09 	76 	44 	29 	3 	91 	274 	253 	.599 	4th of 6 IHL 	Lost Semifinal series vs. Fort Wayne Komets, 3–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL 	ECHL
2009–10 	72 	42 	20 	10 	94 	273 	243 	.653 	1st North, 3rd of 20 	Lost Quarterfinal series vs. Reading Royals, 2–3 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2010–11 	72 	40 	24 	8 	88 	255 	225 	.611 	1st North, 4th of 19 	Lost Kelly Cup Final series vs. Alaska Aces, 1–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2011–12 	72 	38 	26 	8 	84 	264 	237 	.583 	1st North, 8th of 20 	Lost Eastern Conference Final series vs. Florida Everblades, 1–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2012–13 	72 	34 	30 	8 	76 	205 	215 	.528 	3rd North, 14th of 23 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2013–14 	72 	42 	22 	8 	92 	224 	197 	.639 	1st North, 4th of 21 	Lost Quarterfinal series vs. Greenville Road Warriors, 2–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2014–15 	72 	36 	30 	6 	78 	226 	233 	.542 	3rd North, 16th of 28 	Lost Division Semifinal series vs. Fort Wayne Komets, 1–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2015–16 	72 	38 	28 	6 	82 	233 	230 	.569 	3rd North, 13th of 28 	Lost Conference Quarterfinal series vs. South Carolina Stingrays, 1–4	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2016–17 	72 	38 	30 	4 	80 	222 	237 	.556 	4th Central, 15th of 27 	Lost Division Semifinal series vs. Toledo Walleye, 3–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2017–18 	72 	34 	31 	7 	75 	251 	251 	.521 	5th Central, 16th of 27 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2018–19 	72 	36 	31 	5 	77 	229 	254 	.535 	4th Central, 15th of 27 	Lost Division Semifinal series vs. Cincinnati Cyclones, 2–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2019–20 	61 	23 	30 	8 	54 	194 	241 	.443 	5th Central, 22nd of 26 	Season cancelled 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2020–21 	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2021–22 	72 	36 	35 	1 	73 	224 	255 	.507 	5th Central, 19th of 27 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2022–23 	72 	29 	37 	6 	64 	178 	226 	.444 	5th Central, 23rd of 28 	did not qualify 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2023–24 	72 	38 	30 	4 	80 	214 	203 	.556 	4th Central, 13rd of 27 	Lost Division Semifinal vs. Toledo Walleye, 0–4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Players==
===Current roster===
Updated May 1, 2024.
===Retired numbers===
*#1 Georges Gagnon
*#13 Tyler Willis
*#22 Mike Wanchuk
*#26 Kevin Schamehorn
*#27 Neil Meadmore
==Team records==
thumb|right|Kalamazoo Wings playing against the Chicago Express in
2011
===Single season===
:Goals: 46 Nick Bootland (2007–08)
:Assists: 70 Daniel Carriere (2005–06)
:Points: 94 Kory Karlander (2007–08)
:Penalty minutes: 344 Tyler Willis (2003–04)
:GAA: 2.02 Ryan Nie (2006–07)
:SV%: .929 Ryan Nie (2006–07)
===Career===
:Career games played: 614 Justin Taylor (2010–22)
:Career goals: 237 Justin Taylor (2010–22)
:Career assists: 263 Kory Karlander (2004–13)
:Career points: 457 Justin Taylor (2010–22)
:Career penalty minutes: 1,463 Tyler Willis (2003–10)
:Career goaltending games played: 422 Joel Martin (2004-18)
:Career goaltending wins: 152 Joel Martin (2004–18)
:Career shutouts: 18 Joel Martin (2004–18)
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:ECHL teams
Category:Professional ice hockey teams in Michigan
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1999
Category:Philadelphia Flyers minor league affiliates
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets minor league affiliates
Category:Vancouver Canucks minor league affiliates
Category:San Jose Sharks minor league affiliates
Category:New York Islanders minor league affiliates
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliates