K-Wings making hockey more accessible for youth

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — It was an exciting day for kids on Kalamazoo’s Northside as the Kalamazoo Wings hosted the first-ever ‘Game On’ camp.

“We wanted, as an organization, to get out in the community and bring the game of hockey to possibly some kids who haven’t had an opportunity to play the sport or know the sport very well,” said K-Wings head coach Joel Martin.

Ice hockey isn’t always accessible for everyone, which is why Martin has been pushing to get this program going.

“Ice isn’t readily available,” Martin explained. “There’s a lot of cost that goes with it but for us, street hockey could be played anywhere. It could be played in your driveway, on a tennis court.”

NHL STREET was established in 2023 to provide kids ages 6 to 16 and their families with the fun, exercise, comradery and memories that are associated with youth sports. It’s a more affordable, neighborhood-based model for the sport that allows kids across North America to learn to play hockey.

Since it was founded, NHL STREET has grown to include more than 100 league operators in the U.S. and Canada and more than 2,500 players.

The K-Wings announced in late June that the organization is the first professional hockey team to become an official NHL STREET operator.

Several dozen kids got to take part in the K-Wings first free youth camp at LaCrone Park on Wednesday morning, marking the beginning of a growing investment in NHL STREET for local youth.

The team partnered with Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan to give 31 youth ages 7 to 12 in underserved communities the chance to learn and play street hockey.

“There’s so many great people involved in the sport of hockey, so trying to give (youth) the opportunity to see that, to get kids active, get them out off the couch away from the TV and the video games and just get them being active as young kids I think is really important just for their health,” Coach Martin said.

The camp also gave some K-Wings players the chance to be a coach for a day.

“It was super awesome to see some kids who were super nervous to come in they were like, ‘Oh man what is this all about? What do I do? I don’t know how to hold a stick.’ And by the end of it, they’re scoring goals and slapping hands and having a great time,” said K-Wings Defenseman Collin Saccoman.

Thanks to a partnership with Jersey Mike’s, each participant in Wednesday’s camp got to take home a jersey, stick and ball to continue the fun at home.

The K-Wings will host a second ‘Game On’ camp on Aug. 17 for select youth in underserved communities. The organization plans to expand the program to offer more camps throughout Kalamazoo in the Summer of 2025. That’s also when the organization will officially launch the NHL Street Kalamazoo league.

More information on dates, locations and registration information will be announced on the K-Wings’ social media pages in the spring.

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