International Hockey League (1974-2000)
Tombstone
Born: October 17, 1973 – IHL expansion franchise1ASSOCIATED PRESS. “Kalamazoo Gets IHL Franchise”. The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI). October 18, 1973
Re-Branded: May 16th, 1995 (Kalamazoo Wings to Michigan K-Wings)21996-97 Michigan K-Wings Official Guide & Record Book
Folded: April 2000
First Game: October 18, 1974 (L 6-3 @ Flint Generals)
Last Game: April 16, 2000 (w 3-2 @ Orlando Solar Bears)
Turner Cup Champions: 1979 & 1980
Arena
Wings Stadium (5,113)31993-94 International Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book
Opened: 1974
Branding
Team Colors:
- ????-1988: Red, White & Blue
- 1988-2000: Green, White, Gold & Black41993-94 International Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: R.T. Parfet & Martha Parfet
NHL Affiliations:
- 1974-1984: Detroit Red Wings
- 1984-1987: Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers & Vancouver Canucks
- 1987-1993: Minnesota North Stars
- 1993-2000: Dallas Stars
Attendance
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Sources:
- 1996-97 Michigan K-Wings Official Guide & Record Book (1974-1996 Wings figures)
- 1998-99 International Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book (1997-98 Wings figures)
- 2000-01 International Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book (1999-00 Wings figures and 1990-2000 IHL figures)
- Hockeydb.com (1996-97 and 1998-99 Wings figures)
Trophy Case
Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy (Regular Season Scoring Champion)
- 1981-82: Brent Jarrett
- 1993-94: Rob Brown
Background
The Kalamazoo Wings / Michigan K-Wings were a minor league hockey institution in southwestern Michigan for nearly 30 seasons. Founder Ray Parfet (usually known as “Ted” or “R.T.”) owned the original Wings franchise for its entire run from 1974 until 2000. Parfet was the chairman and chief executive of the Upjohn Company, the pharmaceutical giant that was one of Kalamazoo’s largest employers for decades.
When Parfet founded the club in 1973, the International Hockey League was a small Upper Midwest bus league. The minor league baseball and hockey boom of the late 1980’s transformed the IHL, as NBA owners and other big money investors bought up and relocated small market clubs. By the mid-1990’s, long-time IHL cities like Flint, Muskegon and Toledo were wiped off the map and the IHL became an air travel league with outposts stretching from San Francisco to Houston to Orlando. Parfet was one of the only old guard small-market Midwesterners with the financial resources to continue in the modern IHL. In May 1995, Parfet changed the name of the team to the Michigan K-Wings, acquiescing to IHL officials who felt “Kalamazoo” sounded too small-time for the league’s new image.
The End
At the end of the 1999-2000 season, the NHL’s Dallas Stars elected not to renew their long-time affiliation with Kalamazoo and Parfet decided to fold the team in April 2000. The move was likely inevitable even without Dallas’ pullout. The IHL’s big city ambitions had failed and the organization was collapsing upon itself. The league would fold one year in later in May 2001.
Three months after the IHL K-Wings went out of business in April 2000, the Madison Kodiaks of the smaller United Hockey League moved to town. Parfet gave permission for the new team to revive the “Kalamazoo Wings” name. Two years later, Parfet bought the new UHL Wings club himself. Although Parfet passed away in 2006 at age 84, this modern-day version of the Kalamazoo Wings continues to play today in the ECHL.
Kalamazoo Wings Shop
Links
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