The Kalamazoo Wings, nicknamed the K-Wings, were a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
team in
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropol ...
. The team played in the
International Hockey League from the
1974–75 season to the
1999–2000 season. The team played in
Wings Stadium and was affiliated with the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
's
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
,
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors fo ...
, and the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
.
History
That team, which had named itself for its affiliation with the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, changed its name during the 1995 playoffs to the Michigan K-Wings because the league wanted to raise its appeal for expanding to larger markets. The team's owner, the late R.T. Parfet, was the only small-market owner to oblige. However, concerns about larger-market teams entering the league, the league's instability, and the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
ending their affiliation led to the Wings owners to request inactive status on April 17, 2000 and the team was dissolved. The IHL would fold a season later before the franchise could be resurrected.
The original team colors were red, white, and blue until the end of the
1987–88 season when the owners announced that they would change colors to green, gold, black, and white to match their new NHL affiliate, the Minnesota North Stars.
On July 27, 2000, the
Madison Kodiaks
The Madison Kodiaks were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Madison, Wisconsin, during the 1999–2000 United Hockey League season. Affiliated with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals, the Kodiaks were an expansion team that filled the vo ...
of the
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor league, minor professional ice hockey league, with teams ...
announced that they were moving to Kalamazoo for the
2000–01 season, and would be known as the
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 ...
.
Championships
Standings
(*) - For 1987–1988 season Overtime Losses were tracked instead of Ties
Team records
Retired numbers
* #22
Mike Wanchuk
* #26
Kevin Schamehorn
Single season
:Goals: 66
Dave Michayluk
David Michayluk (born May 18, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 21 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was a member of Pittsburgh's 1992 Stan ...
(1984–85)
:Assists: 113
Rob Brown (1993–94)
:Points: 155
Rob Brown (1993–94)
:Penalty minutes: 648
Kevin Evans (1986–87)
Career
:Career goals: 239
Mike Wanchuk and
Kevin Schamehorn
:Career assists: 308
Brent Jarrett
:Career points: 475
Kevin Schamehorn
:Career penalty minutes: 2,176
Kevin Evans
:Career games played: 495
Kevin Schamehorn (1976–90)
References
External links
Kalamazoo Wings All-Time RosterMichigan K-Wings All-Time Roster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalamazoo Wings (1974-2000)
International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams
Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States
Ice hockey clubs established in 1974
Sports clubs disestablished in 2000
Professional ice hockey teams in Michigan
Sports in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Philadelphia Flyers minor league affiliates
Detroit Red Wings minor league affiliates
Dallas Stars minor league affiliates
Minnesota North Stars minor league affiliates
1974 establishments in Michigan
2000 disestablishments in Michigan