K-Wings Drop Packed House NYE Tilt with Walleye
ECHL Kalamazoo Wings

K-Wings Drop Packed House NYE Tilt with Walleye

Published on December 31, 2025 under ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (10-12-2-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, traded blows but couldn't overcome three consecutive goals from the Toledo Walleye (16-5-2-2), falling in the New Year's Eve Contest Wednesday in front of 5,062 at Wings Event Center, 5-3.

Derek Daschke (4) got the celebrations started early with his fourth goal in his last five games at the 3:52 mark of the first period. On the play, rookie Colson Gengenbach (5) found Ryan Cox (6) in the right circle, who then dropped the puck to Daschke, driving down the left side and he fired a shot that deflected to the right of the crease. Daschke then wrapped around the net and tucked the rebound just inside the right post to take the early lead.

The Walleye then unfortunately responded with a power-play goal at the 15:22 mark to knot the New Year's Eve clash at one.

Nolan Walker (6) capitalized early in the second period with his first power-play goal of the season at the 5:33 mark. On the goal, the K-Wings went tic-tac-toe as David Keefer (4) in the right circle passed to Andre Ghantous (8) at the right edge of the trapezoid, who immediately relayed to Walker for the bang-bang score.

The Walleye's special teams struck again with two consecutive goals, one short-handed at the 12:18 mark and then again on the power-play at the 4:32 mark of the third period. Toledo scored an additional goal at the 12:41 mark, bringing Toledo's lead to two.

Walker (7) then responded with his second power-play goal of the night with a right-circle wrister that zipped inside the left post to bring the deficit to one at the 17:58 mark. On the setup, Daschke (2) sent a pass from just inside the offensive blue line to David Keefer (5) at the goalline. Keefer then found a firing Walker in the right circle for the 6-on-4 goal as the K-Wings lifted the netminder.

Unfortunately, the Walleye scored with one minute remaining in regulation.

Aku Koskenvuo (2-3-0-0) made 29 saves, and the K-Wings went 2-for-5 on the power play in the final game of 2025.

The K-Wings hit the road to start the new year in the front half of a home-and-home series against the Fuel at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 3, at Fishers Event Center.

Kalamazoo returns home for the second Jersey Giveaway Sunday as we honor the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. EST on January 4 at Wings Event Center. The K-Wings are giving away limited edition K-Wings/Detroit Pistons inspired youth basketball jerseys to the first 500 kids (12 & under) in the first home game of the new year.

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ECHL Stories from December 31, 2025


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