Canucks, Kalamazoo Wings Partnership Enriches Development Pipeline

The ECHL is a frequently traveled path for a lot of young players. 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.

This affiliation is the fourth time in franchise history for the two clubs, forging partnerships between 1984-1987, 2011-2015, and 2017-2021.

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.

"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."

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.

Throughout this summer, Abbotsford will help Martin get those depth pieces that can support the AHL club if injuries or illness disrupt the roster.

A pull for Kalamazoo as an ECHL affiliate is the team's 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.

With only 28 ECHL teams to 32 NHL clubs, AHL teams without an affiliation can still find players ECHL experience if needed, but there's not the same level of involvement between organizations.

The Canucks didn't have ECHL affiliation for the past two seasons, but Johnson kept a taxi squad in Abbotsford between 2021-2022. Last year, Kalamazoo was the Columbus Blue Jackets' ECHL affiliate, and in an agreement with the Blue Jackets Johnson sent Quinn Schmiemann, Chad Nychuk, and Marc Gatcomb down to the Wings. Martin and Johnson collaborated, and Martin organized film sessions and extra practice time to work with the players.

"Last year we had a few guys that went there, played anywhere from five to 20 games that came back to us much better players and much more ready to make an impact at the AHL level," Johnson said.

Martin was an assistant and goaltending coach for three seasons with the Wings before getting promoted to head coach and director duties. He's also an ECHL Hall of Fame goalie and relatable to the players, having experienced the call-ups and being sent down.

"As a coach, it's about understanding that players might not want to be there and trying to find some common ground and build a relationship," he said. "Let them know that you want to help them develop and get better so when they get their opportunity to be back at the American Hockey League level, they don't have to come back to us."