KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Fans attending Wednesday’s Education Day game at Wings Event Center will not only be treated to a top-notch hockey game, but they’ll also get to witness history firsthand.
When the puck is dropped on the Kalamazoo Wings’ game with the Cincinnati Cyclones, it will be the first time that two head coaches of color will have faced off, in the 35-year history of the ECHL. New Wings Head Coach Joel Martin and Cyclones Head Coach Jason Payne are currently the only two black head coaches in North American men’s professional hockey.
Martin became the fourth black head coach in ECHL history when he was hired by the Wings in August, following a three-year stint as an assistant coach. Payne is in his second year with the Cyclones, posting a record of 36-32-4 and leading the team to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2021-22. Before that, he was an assistant coach for Cincinnati for two seasons.
Payne (left wing) enjoyed a successful 14-year playing career in six different leagues, including 132 ECHL games with seven teams. In 140 UHL games, he collected 1450 career penalty minutes.
Martin spent 15 years between the pipes as a pro, nine of which were in Kalamazoo. He is the K-Wings all-time goaltending leader in games played (422), saves (12,310), wins (229), shutouts (21), and minutes played (24,755). Martin was named to the 14th ECHL Hall of Fame Class in January.
Both Payne and Martin are members of the NHL Coaches’ Association’s BIPOC Coaches Program. The program aims to support black, indigenous, and coaches of color in skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, networking, and career advancement opportunities.
As part of K-Wings Education day, the two squads will face off at 10:30 a.m. in front of an arena full of schoolchildren.
Pro Hockey News will have more on this historic game in the days to come.
Fans not able to attend the game will be able to watch on FloHockey or listen to the play-by-play broadcast online. Links are posted below for each team’s broadcast.
Contact the writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com
Follow us on Twitter: @ProHockeyNews, @JohnHallPHN
You must be logged in to post a comment.