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TEXAS TOWNSHIP, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo may still have an ice shortage problem, but not as big as feared a few weeks ago. The closure of Wings Event Center in 2028 and the failure of the refrigerating equipment at Wings West left the community looking at the loss of four of their six ice rinks.

KALAMAZOO, MI – Members of several long-standing Kalamazoo area ice sports groups and businesses are uniting to support youth athletes and sports tourism in Kalamazoo. Representatives from non-profits Kalamazoo Optimists Hockey Association (KOHA), Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association (GKSA), Kalamazoo Curling Club, South Center High School Hockey League (SCHSHL), and Discover Kalamazoo along with local businesses Athletic Mentors and Hockey Services Source for Hockey, began meeting together immediately after the closure of Wings West. They all had one goal in mind—ensuring a bright future for ice sports in the area.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — An affiliate of Black Bear Sports Group is taking over operations at the Wings West Ice Facility after it closed in September because of a refrigeration system failure. The transition of ownership ensures hundreds of Kalamazoo athletes and families will have access to the ice ahead of it's reopening for the 2026-27 season.

Kalamazoo may still have an ice shortage problem, but not as big as feared a few weeks ago. The closure of Wings Event Center in 2028 and the failure of the refrigerating equipment at Wings West left the community looking at the loss of four of their six ice rinks.

Members of several long-standing Kalamazoo area ice sports groups and businesses are uniting to support youth athletes and sports tourism in Kalamazoo. Representatives from non-profits Kalamazoo Optimists Hockey Association (KOHA), Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association (GKSA), Kalamazoo Curling Club, South Center High School Hockey League (SCHSHL), and Discover Kalamazoo along with local businesses Athletic Mentors and Hockey Services Source for Hockey, began meeting together immediately after the closure of Wings West. They all had one goal in mind—ensuring a bright future for ice sports in the area.