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NEW LOGO

THE FUTURE STARTS NOW

When you walk into any of our rinks, it’s common that you’ll run into another KOHA family…there’s a familiar joke that the rinks are like Cheers, where everyone knows your name. It doesn’t matter what team your kids play for, there is a sense of community when you walk through the doors.

 

 We’re all one team, regardless of who our kids are on the ice with.

 

With this familiar experience already in place, the KOHA Board of Directors and staff are excited to announce that starting in the 2023-24 hockey season, we are rebranding under one name: KOHA K-Wings. The same level of dedication, energy and investment will go into our Travel, House B and House C programs as before. Each of these programs have our hearts as much as they have yours.

 

This rebranding will help to further unify the hockey community and create a stronger sense of identity and pride for all players, families and supporters of KOHA.

 

 

F.A.Q.'S

 

What will our teams be called?

 

Beginning in the ’23-’24 season, KOHA Travel and House B programs and individual teams will be known as the KOHA K-Wings and we will have a singular logo for the entire club.

 

The Travel teams will continue to be identified by birth year and age appropriate designations, i.e. 10UA or 10U AA and include Red & Blue teams numbers permitting at 12U A, 12U AA, 14U A and 14U AA.

 

The House B teams will continue to be double birth years and retain a color label to distinguish between multiple teams within age appropriate designations. 

 

The House C (recreational program) teams will continue with business sponsorships and will be co-branded with both the sponsor and KOHA logos.

 

What does this mean to you?

 

Regardless of what KOHA team you’re used to cheering for, the programs that you know and love will remain the same. Our ultimate goal is to continue to produce well-rounded, confident, skilled hockey players who will be successful at all levels of the game, in the classroom and the community. The only difference will be that their team colors are now red, white and blue. 

 

Why have we made this choice?

 

Some additional benefits other than the one listed above, are:

 

We’ll now have more control over our logo creating more flexibility where we can use it (e.g. merchandise).

 

While there is great pride in our K-Wings, Broncos and House C programs, having multiple brands dilutes our efforts as we collaborate with local, regional and national organizations to grow the game and create awareness of what our program has to offer. Having one brand to promote creates a stronger sense of identity. 

 

Will there be additional costs to membership for this transition?

 

With the brand image for House B being updated, teams will have new uniforms for the ‘23-‘24 season. While we understand this may not be ideal for some, there are several ways to reduce the burden that this may cause families including utilizing our Scrip program or participating in the KOHA yearbook ad sales.

 

Since the overall design of the new K-Wings logo is a subtle shift from the current logo, it will be OK to continue to wear current K-Wings uniforms if they still fit, number remains the same, etc.

 

What will be changing with the rebrand?

 

House B will have a new name and uniforms this fall. 

 

Logos on all branded items moving forward (website, emails, social, merchandise, etc.).

 

Since we now have more control over our brand, it will be easier to create merchandise and fan apparel.

 

 

What will NOT be changing with the rebrand?

 

Travel teams will still hold tryouts and players will have to earn a spot on the team.

 

House B Teams will still have evaluation skates and teams will be drafted equally, there are still no player cuts in House B.

 

 

 

Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association Launches New Logo to Unify and Strengthen Club Identity

 

Kalamazoo, MI (May 1, 2023) Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association (KOHA), a youth hockey club dedicated to providing young athletes with a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow as hockey players and individuals, is proud to announce the launch of its new brand and logo going into full effect for the 2023-24 hockey season.

 

The new branding initiative aims to bring a more cohesive look to the organization by unifying all teams under one club logo. The goal of this move is to strengthen the sense of community, identity and pride among its players, families, and supporters of KOHA.

 

Due to our strong partnership with the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings, it was a natural decision to collaborate with them on this rebranding initiative. As a result, our club will now be recognized as the KOHA K-Wings moving forward, with the new club logo being prominently displayed on all club materials such as uniforms, banners, and promotional items.

 

“The Kalamazoo Wings and Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association have a long history of representing the city of Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. We are proud to be aligned with our logos and goal of having a positive impact in our community.” - Joel Martin, Head Coach of the Kalamazoo Wings

 

"By unifying our teams under one club logo, we hope to create a sense of pride and belonging among our members," said Matt Kakabeeke, Executive Director of KOHA. "We want all of our athletes to feel like they are part of something special, and that their individual achievements are part of a larger team effort."

 

“The K-Wings are a developmental AA minor league professional hockey team in the ECHL. Our goal is to develop players to move up to the next level(s) of hockey. This is at the cornerstone of our purpose and aligns with the importance of youth hockey and what KOHA offers the next generation of potential professional hockey players in our community. The Kalamazoo Wings and KOHA missions align beautifully and this new logo showcases this.” - Toni Will, General Manager & Governor of the Kalamazoo Wings

 

The Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association (KOHA), established in 1965, is a 501

(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a safe and inclusive environment for youth of all skill levels to learn, develop, and excel in the sport of hockey. We strive to instill a lifelong love of the game and promote sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership among our players. We pride ourselves on providing age-appropriate player development and skill-appropriate coaching.

Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association

MISSION AND VISION

The mission of the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association (K.O.H.A.) is to provide a safe and inclusive environment for youth of all skill levels to learn, develop, and excel in the sport of hockey. We strive to instill a lifelong love of the game and promote sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership among our players. We pride ourselves on providing age appropriate player development and skill-appropriate coaching.

KOHA exists to offer a premium, affordable opportunity to learn the game of hockey for players in our organization. Through high-quality coaching, training, and competition, we aim to help our athletes reach their full potential on and off the ice. Our ultimate goal is to produce well-rounded, confident, and skilled hockey players who will be successful at all levels of the game

The KOHA Office is located at Wings West Ice Arena

5076 Sports Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
269.349.7825
info@koha.com