KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, have signed forward Collin Adams to a contract for the 2023-24 season.
Last season, Adams was selected to the ECHL All-Star Classic and notched 32 points (14g-18a) in 30 games for the Worcester Railers while adding seven points (3g-4a) in 20 games with Bridgeport of the American Hockery League.
A Brighton, Michigan native, Adams is heading into his third professional season. Over the past two seasons, he has recorded 39 points (17g-22a) in 40 games with Worcester and 18 points (8g-10a) in 65 games with Bridgeport.
The 25-year-old played junior hockey with the United States Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks from 2015-17) posting 112 points (51g-61a) in 116 games while earning a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team with 61 points (27g-34a) during the 2015-16 campaign.
Adams then played four seasons for the University of North Dakota from 2017-21, recording 77 points (33g-44a) in 122 games.
The Vancouver Canucks of the NHL, Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL and Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL are excited about their affiliation and the advantages it provides all parties, especially Abbotsford.
The Canucks’ affiliation with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings is important because both sides are invested in player growth, which enriches the experience for the players while helping sustain the Canucks’ AHL and NHL rosters.
There is familiarity with people in both organizations and established trust:
Head coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Wings, Joel Martin, and Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson worked together when Martin was an assistant coach for the Utica Comets before the relocation to Abbotsford.
For Johnson and Abbotsford Canucks the benefits are a no-brainer, according to the article:
“There’s a lot of trust and a relationship that’s already there. He knows how I operate, and I really appreciate how he operates so it’s a good fit for us,” Johnson said, adding, “Developing our young players is the importance of that relationship, and the communication has to be there.”
Martin similarly sees immediate benefits:
For Martin, he says it’s beneficial for him to work with different players, plus his coaching staff gets a first-hand look at other teaching techniques at the next level in Abbotsford.
“Having a partner that believes what we provide from a development side of things is key, and in turn, we get some depth and some talent from them which helps our hockey club on the ice,” Martin said.
Another large advantage in the relationship between both organizations is Kalamazoo, “resources are superior to some of the other ECHL clubs due to ownership investments.”:
Wings’ owners, Bill Johnston and Ronda Stryker, budgeted for full-time coaching staff, including an assistant coach, assistant and video coach, strength coach, and life coach.
“They provide us a beautiful facility, weight room, and a locker room which not a lot of teams at our level have, along with full-time coaching staff. It’s all in place to help us operate like an American Hockey League team to give players everything they need to develop on and off the ice,” Martin said.
Seems like a win-win-win to me for Vancouver, Abbotsford, and Kalamazoo.
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