Kalamazoo K-Wings Kick off 50th Year with Exciting OT Win, AND Another World Record
There's just something about walking into Wings Event Center on game night for the K-Wings. You can smell the roasted almonds, a little bit of beer, and feel a slight chill in the air from the ice. It's electrifying, nostalgic, and this year will mark 50 years of bringing that excitement to Kalamazoo.
And what better way to kick off the team's 50th season, than with a nail-biter Overtime win, and a Guinness World Record? Because that's exactly what happened over the weekend.
K-Wings Win it in Overtime
Saturday, Oct. 19 will go down as a memorable night for a LOT of people in the stands at Wings Event Center. They were treated to a world class match between the K-Wings and the Cincinnati Cyclones that came right down to the wire... or rather, just PAST the start of overtime.
The K-Wings were off to a quick start in the first period with a Jay Keranen goal less than 2 minutes in, followed up by a Quinn Preston deflected buck via Joe Arnsten about 2 minutes later. However, Cincinnati came back, tying the game by the end of regulation.
Already, the K-Wings were starting the season with extra hockey, but it would only last 17 seconds, as Josh Bloom got his first professional goal almost immediately from Quinn Preston's assist at the start of OT, giving the K-Wings their first win of the season.
Happy for the win, but let's not let the WHOLE season come down to the very end, OK guys?
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World Record Night at Wings Event Center
Not only was Saturday Night a memorable win for the K-Wings organization, but literally a Guinness World Record-Setting night in the arena.
During the first intermission, the crowd was encouraged to pull out their foam fingers, and wave them in the air. With practically every seat in the place waving, they officially set the record for Most People Simultaneously Waving Foam Fingers at 3,414. It sounds silly, but hey, a world record, is a world record.
How many people can say they've not only seen one, but been a PART of one? Well, those who remember the great K-Wings Lightsaber Battle of 2019 can ALSO lay claim to this, as the K-Wings set a world record on November 19th of that year for the largest light saber battle.
"Two Guinness World Records is an amazing feat for our franchise. I'm so proud of our team, and fans." - Toni Will, K-Wings General Manager and Governor
Happy 50 Years to the K-Wings
It's amazing to think that the K-Wings have been playing in Kalamazoo for 50 seasons now. One of the staples and cornerstones to the passion and love of sports in our city, the K-Wings made their debut in 1974 as the Kalamazoo Wings, and were the affiliate team for the Detroit Red Wings.
However, in 1990s, the team's name was changed to the "K-Wings" to raise its appeal for expanding to larger markets, and were then aligned with the Minnesota North Stars, who moved to Dallas in 1993.
The original team colors 50 years ago were Red, White, and Blue, however, they changed to align with the Stars when that affiliation was made with the stars. That original franchise would eventually "leave" Kalamazoo, however, in 2000, the Madison Kodiaks announced they were leaving their home, and coming to Kalamazoo, where they were renamed the K-Wings once again, and returned to the Red, White, and Blue color scheme.