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Kovacs, Iacopelli join K-Wings

Kovacs, Iacopelli join K-Wings

Tuesday, September 10th

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced the signing of forwards Justin Kovacs and Matt Iacopelli to the 2019-20 roster.

Kovacs returns to Kalamazoo where he started his pro career. The Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan native appeared in eight games for the K-Wings at the end of his senior season at Western Michigan University during the 2014-15 season. He also spent his first full professional season in Kalamazoo in 2015-16, where he posted 29 points (6g-23a) in 63 games.

The 27-year-old spent parts of two ECHL seasons with the Quad City Mallards, before heading overseas. Kovacs finished the 2017-18 campaign with HK Nitra in Slovakia, and spent the entire 2018-19 season with the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League, where he put up 43 points (13g-30a) in 53 games.

Iacopelli joins the K-Wings for his third season as a pro, after splitting the 2018-19 campaign between the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, and ECHL’s Indy Fuel and Manchester Monarchs. The Chicago Blackhawks drafted the Woodhaven, Michigan native in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to his first pro contract in 2016-17 after his sophomore season at WMU.

The 25-year-old comes to Kalamazoo with 116 games of pro experience. He had 27 points (14g-13a) in 85 games with Rockford and 19 points (15g-4a) in 31 ECHL games.

Both players enjoyed success at the collegiate level for the Broncos. Kovacs recorded 76 points (23g-53a) in 129 games over four seasons at WMU, helping the Broncos to the CCHA championship in 2011-12 as a freshman. Iacopelli compiled 43 points (21g-22a) in 67 college games over two seasons, including a very productive sophomore season in 2016-17, where he posted 36 points (20g-16a) in 40 games.