Yahoo Sports K-Wings Announce Special Events Ahead of Golden Anniversary Season
A golden anniversary is always something to celebrate, and the Kalamazoo Wings are doing so in grand fashion as they prepare for their 50th anniversary season in 2024-25.
The proud ECHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks and fourth-oldest club in minor professional hockey made several major announcements Tuesday at their annual press conference at Wings Event Center.
Related: Wings Add Rookie Defenseman, Goalie and Forward to 50th Anniversary Roster
The press conference included keynote addresses from Bill Johnston (team owner), Brad VandenBerg (Stadium Management Corporation managing director), Toni Will (K-Wings general manager and Governor), Joel Martin (Kalamazoo Wings head coach and director of hockey operations), and Rob Underwood (Wings Event Center general manager).
Johnston announced the unveiling of the ‘Kalamazoo Wings Wall of Honor’ (WOH), which is now on display in the concourse outside Section 1, next to Guest Services.
The WOH measures approximately 12-feet long by 9-feet wide and features 50 players, five coaches and five builders in the inaugural class.
“The Wall of Honor unveiling for our 50th Anniversary season is a vital way to showcase the individuals who’ve made lasting impacts & sacrifices to build the Kalamazoo Wings into what it is today,” Will said. “The five numbers that hang from our rafters are part of that story and a sixth will be added this season in Brent Jarrett’s No. 11 at the Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game on Jan. 18, 2025.”
WOH inductees were selected based on their contributions to the organization’s on-and-off-ice excellence, and the team plans to update the WOH twice a decade to recognize additional franchise standouts.
Jarrett (1981-82, 1983-89) is one of three league MVPs in K-Wings history (1981-82). He ranks first in career assists (307), No. 2 in franchise single-season points (122) & assists (82), fifth in career points (421), amassed four 70+ point campaigns, and averaged 1.14 points per game in 369 games played. He was also the team’s interim coach at the end of the 2007-08 season.
Related: Wings Add a Pair of Goalies to Preseason Roster
Will also discussed the team’s Guinness World Record attempt (GWR) for the ‘most foam fingers simultaneously waved’ at the home opener on October 19, the K-Wings 1,000th ECHL Game Celebration (Legacy Night) November 1, and event lineup specifics about January’s 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend, presented by Discover Kalamazoo and Firekeepers.
For Legacy Night, the current team will pay homage to the 1974-75 inaugural Kalamazoo Wings by wearing replica uniforms with the entire uniform (minus helmets, pads and skates) being auctioned to fans, benefiting American Legion Post 257.
“Over the past several years, there has been much intentionality and planning put into celebrating 50 years of professional hockey in Kalamazoo,” Will said. “Each of the 36 home games will celebrate this remarkable milestone. For a professional sports team, having a 50th birthday is a huge deal, but to have one in a city the size of Kalamazoo is even more impressive.”
On the hockey operations side, Martin addressed the pulse of this year's K-Wings and his commitment to ensuring today’s players understand what it means to play for the fourth-oldest franchise in minor professional hockey.
“First off, we’re excited to extend our affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks for the next two seasons,” Martin said. “We have a group that is excited to represent this organization to celebrate our historic 50th season and honor the players that have paved the way. We are also happy to introduce new assistant coaches Billy McCreary and Jonathon Elliott. They will play an integral role in our team’s success.”
The Wings will open up exhibition play at home against the Toledo Walleye on October 11.
