On Tuesday November 10th, the Kalamazoo Wings announced the signing of American centreman Brady Vail. The two sides agreed to terms on a standard player for the upcoming season.
Vail stands at six-foot-one and 196 pounds and brings good size and a strong skillset to the centre position, which for the K-Wings, has lacked in prior years. Prior to making the jump pro, Vail spent four years playing with the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL. There, he scored 77 goals and 123 assists which made for 200 points.
Vail, 26-years-old, enters his sixth full season a pro and his first in Kalamazoo. Throughout his professional career, Vail has played with the Gladiators, the Norfolk Admirals, Fort Wayne Komets and Orlando Solar Bears. Most recently, Vail competed with the Cincinnati Cyclones.
In 325 contests, Vail has scored 95 goals and 152 assists, making for 247 points. In a statement from Nick Bootland on Tuesday, head coach of the Kalamazoo Wings, he said of the team’s latest signing, “Brady is a player who has excelled at our level in every city he has played. He also played eight AHL games last season and is still hungry to be better. He plays in all situations and is a consummate professional for our younger players to learn from.”
The hockey club’s roster is starting to take shape and it certainly appears on paper that the Kalamazoo Wings have added significant depth and a veteran presence at every position. Fans are looking forward to puck drop as the K-Wings are set to return in the second tier opening on January 15th. They’ll do so upon league approval as well as that of the state and local government.