On Wednesday September 2nd, the Kalamazoo Wings announced that Ben Wilson would be departing from the organization. Instead, the former Wings captain agreed to a contract overseas in Romania. The defensemen now joins Erste Liga after signing on with ASC Corona Brasov.
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Wilson played major junior for the Calgary Hitmen in the Western Hockey League. Spanning two seasons in his hometown, the winner of the Ed Chynoweth Cup played 138 games before being promoted. As such, he would score eight goals along with 29 assists for 37 points. He also added 220 penalty minutes.
Turning pro in 2013 with the K-Wings, Wilson worked very hard over the next few years before seeing a breakthrough. That saw him appointed team captain just prior to the 2015-16 season. Over his seven seasons with the K-Wings, Wilson scored 15 goals along with 57 assists for 72 points.
During his tenure with the K-Wings, the Canadian recorded 543 penalty minutes. He brought passion and energy to his game, which throughout his career, really rubbed off on his teammates.
While Wilson was a tough guy on the ice, the Canadian’s presence will be missed in the community. Wilson was always front and center for charitable functions while in Kalamazoo. He donated a lot of his time to visiting patients at Bronson’s Children’s Hospital.
As well, he also participated in several cancer related fundraisers. The fanbase of the K-Wings will certainly miss #14 in Michigan this season.