For Kalamazoo Wings fans, this stunning news had to feel like it came out of left field: K-Wings' coach and director of Hockey Operations Nick Bootland has resigned.
As the KWings extended their affiliation with the Columbus Blue Jackets and top affiliate, Cleveland Monsters, here's a look back on the team's history of parent clubs.
Play begins on Thursday, March 31st, and the championship in Monday, April 4 (at Wings West). Forty-four teams with some 800 players are coming to Kalamazoo. The local hosts, the Kalamazoo Optimists Hockey Association have been running a program since 1965, but this is the first time they've bid host a tournament this big.
Check out the hot doc part of Netflix's Untold series on the Danbury Trashers, and you'll find the Kalamazoo Wings featured as the teams had a legendary feud and on-ice brawls.
Kristopher Kern is no stranger to having his jersey designs featured on hockey players, as a recent design of his made it onto Goaltender Antti Raanta of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.
The Kalamazoo Wings have a new parent club, the Columbus Blue Jackets (of the NHL) and more directly, the Cleveland Monsters (of the AHL). Here's some trivia, the Monsters are owned by Detroit billionaire Dan Gilbert.
Former Kalamazoo Wing Yanni Gourde is getting his name on the Stanley Cup, again. And, since former K-Wing Jordan Binnington won the Cup in 2019, that makes it a three-peat for the Kalamazoo Wings.