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IHL 2 Kalamazoo Wings

Fan Favorite Mark Vilneff Returns Tonight

December 1, 2004 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Kalamazoo, MI- The Kalamazoo Wings of the United Hockey League announce the signing of defenseman Mark Vilneff; per team policy, the terms of the contract will be undisclosed.

Vilneff is an 11-year professional that will be playing in his third season in Kalamazoo. The veteran defenseman ranks third on the UHL all-time list in game played with 652 and ninth on the K-Wings' UHL list with 117.

Besides becoming a fan favorite in his time with Kalamazoo, Vilneff holds a piece of K-Wings playoff lore. Mark scored the crucial game-winning goal in game four and forced a deceive game five in last year's Best of Five Colonial Cup Playoff Series against the Fort Wayne Komets.

"With Mark we get a solid defenseman that has a lot of character," said Vice President/General Manager Paul L. Pickard. "Over the past two seasons, he has played a key part in our franchises' transformation and we are hoping that he can help up to reach our ultimate goal of the Colonial Cup."

Vilneff joins an already stingy and defensive-minded K-Wings team. Kalamazoo is third in the entire UHL in goals allowed, allowing a miniscule 2.44 goals a game.

The former UHL Most Improved Player (1997-1998) was a member of the Fury's 1998-99 Colonial Cup Championship team.

Vilneff will make his 2004-05 Kalamazoo Wings debut tonight, as the K-Wings start their four games in five-night tour of the UHL's Eastern Division with their first-ever encounter against the Danbury Trashers.

The four games will conclude a six-game road swing for the K-Wings, who will return home to Wings Stadium on Wednesday, December 8th to host their intra-state rivals the Flint Generals at 7 p.m.

Tickets for all K-Wings home games are on sale by calling the Wings Stadium Box Office at (269) 345-5101 or by stopping by the box office during their regular business hours of 10AM-6PM Monday-Friday, or 10AM-2PM on Saturday.

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