KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and Head Coach Nick Bootland announced the following player signings Thursday.
The K-Wings re-signed fifth-year forward Kyle Blaney and also signed free agent goaltender Trevor Gorsuch, a 2019 graduate of Western Michigan University.
Blaney, 30, returns to Kalamazoo, where he has spent his entire professional career. The Burlington, Ontario native originally planned to play for the K-Wings in 2020-21, but took the year off when the team opted out. Through his first four years, Blaney has 147 points (38 goals, 109 assists) in 214 career games. Statistically, he was on pace to set career highs in 2019-20 before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blaney finished with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 45 games. Prior to turning pro, he spent three seasons at Ryerson University in Toronto.
“I’ve enjoyed my time in Kalamazoo and have a great relationship with the staff,” Blaney said. “It was an easy decision to come back, because I’m excited for what we have and the challenge ahead.”
“We are excited to have Kyle back this year,” Bootland said. “We know he has committed himself off the ice to prepare for the upcoming season and we expect him to be a consistent impact player for our team.”
Gorsuch, 27, went 4-3-1 in nine games split between the Utah Grizzlies and Fort Wayne Komets in 2020-21. The St. Charles, Missouri native enters his third pro season since finishing a four-year college career in Kalamazoo. He’s appeared in 15 ECHL games including five with the Toledo Walleye and one with the Reading Royals, posting a career record of 9-4-1, with a 2.54 goals-against average (GAA) and .919 save percentage. Gorsuch appeared in 52 college games for the Broncos, going 25-16-3, including a career-best 19-11-1 record in 32 games as a senior in 2018-19.
“I’m looking forward to being back in Kalamazoo and playing in front of the amazing fans that supported me while I was at Western Michigan University,” Gorsuch said. “I know we have a great group of guys and I can’t wait to get back to work.”
“We have had our eye on Trevor since his days at [WMU],” Bootland said. “His familiarity with the city and this league should make for a seamless transition.”
Kalamazoo will release its full promotional schedule next week for the team’s 36 home games. The team will continue to add to the roster in the weeks leading up to training camp, which is scheduled to begin October 7th.
The K-Wings open the 2021-22 season at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 23rd against the Toledo Walleye at Wings Event Center.
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