K-Wings re-sign Kovacs

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced the team has re-signed forward Justin Kovacsfor the 2020-21 season.

Kovacs began his pro career in Kalamazoo in 2015 and returned to the K-Wings last season, scoring 32 points (11g-21a) in 52 games. The Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan native first appeared in eight games for the K-Wings aftre concluding his senior season at Western Michigan University. He then posted 29 points (6g-23a) in 63 games during his first full pro season in Kalamazoo in 2015-16.

The 29-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.

Kovacs recorded 76 points (23g-53a) in 129 games over four seasons at WMU from 2011-15, helping the Broncos to the CCHA Conference Championship in 2011-12 as a freshman.