If you missed it, on Friday, January 7th, 2022, history was made right here in Kalamazoo thanks to the Kalamazoo Wings.

In an effort to promote the message that hockey is for everyone, the Kalamazoo Wings, for the first time in hockey's history, held a rainbow ice game. Check out the timelapse showing the process of creating rainbow ice:

The stadium was packed as fans watched the KWings take on the Toledo Walleye. While the KWings came out of the gate strong, the Toledo Walleye ultimately won 4-2 by the end of the third period.

While that may be a disappointment, a shoutout from the National Hockey League should be enough to lift the spirits of our local team.

On Saturday, January 8th, the official Facebook page for the NHL posted this:

Along with the hashtag "Hockey is for Everyone", the NHL seems to be showing their support for this inclusive message.

Naturally, there were people who had negative comments on the NHL's Facebook post. Comments along the lines of, "That's a bit much" or "can we just let sports be sports" and "why do they need special treatment" and so on. They're the usual, hateful comments that come around when people see rainbow-colored anything representing a lifestyle different than their own.

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However, comments from those in our community were the complete opposite. People, instead, commented things like, "Great job!" and "so exciting!" and other encouraging remarks like Michele O. who wrote:

I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I saw a post about your rainbow ice on a page I follow. I just wanted to say kudos to all of you. This is amazing. You’ve set a wonderful example and I hope others follow your lead. Well done!

One person hinted that the painting of the rainbow ice was featured on ESPN but, unfortunately, I was unable to find any video clips.

The Kalamazoo Wings will have another chance to claim their victory over the Toledo Walleye this Friday, January 14th, at 7:00 pm. Go show your support and remember, hockey is for everyone.

Find the KWings' full schedule, tickets, and more here.

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