K-Wings Announce Affiliation with New York Islanders

The Kalamazoo Wings announced on Monday morning that they have entered into an affiliation agreement with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. Under terms of the agreement, the K-Wings will become the Islanders ECHL affiliate and will also be associated with the Islanders American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

During the 2010-11 season, the Islanders will be assigning players to Kalamazoo. The K-Wings are also affiliated with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL.

“We (K-Wings) are excited about being the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders,” said Paul L. Pickard, president said in a memo released by the organization. “The Islander organization is full of young and talented prospects that will bring energy and a strong work ethic to the K-Wings organization. As part of the Islander family, we will do our part to help them be successful both on and off the ice.”

The Islanders won four consecutive NHL championships between 1980-83, but have not won a playoff series since the 1992-93 season.

“Having a strong ECHL affiliate is crucial to our organization’s future,” said Garth Snow, Islanders general manager in the press release. “The Kalamazoo Wings have a rich history, and I’m confident that they’ll provide the necessary resources to properly develop our prospects and provide a stepping stone to the AHL and NHL.”

The partnership with the Islanders marks the seventh NHL team that the K-Wings organization has been affiliated with. In their history, the K-Wings have been affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings (1974-1987), Philadelphia Flyers (1984-1987; 2009-2010), Vancouver Canucks (1984-1987), Minnesota North Stars (1987-1993), Dallas Stars (1993-2000) and San Jose Sharks (2009-present).