This story was written by MTU Athletics

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Michigan Tech hockey senior Tyler Heinonen signed a standard ECHL contract with the Kalamazoo Wings, the team announced on Wednesday.

The forward joined the team in Florida and is expected to play against the Everblades Wednesday night.

Heinonen, a native of Delano, Minnesota, played four years for the Huskies, appearing in 122 games. He had a team-high 38 career goals and 28 assists and was named to the All-WCHA Third Team in 2015-16 after a career-high 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists.

Heinonen was a member of a senior class that won 89 games—the most since the 1984 class. The Huskies twice went to the NCAA Tournament, won the MacNaughton Cup, won the Broadmoor Trophy, won the Desert Hockey Classic, were ranked No. 1 in the country, and went 4-for-4 in the annual Winter Carnival series during his time in a Tech sweater.

Heinonen was a nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award in 2015-16, received the Elov Seger Award as the team's most improved player in 2014-15, and buried nine game-winning goals in his career—none more memorable than in the first round of the 2015 WCHA Playoffs in the third overtime against Alabama Huntsville.

Before his career at Tech, Heinonen was a star at Delano High School, and then transitioned to the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. While with the Lumberjacks, Heinonen totaled 64 points (36 goals, 28 assists) in 91 games before ending his junior career with the Chicago Steel, where he potted eight goals and assisted on nine others in 24 games.

Kalamazoo is an ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) and Syracuse Crunch (AHL). The Wings have five games left in the regular season.

Former Husky Eric Kattelus (2007-11) is in his sixth season with the Wings and currently serves as an assistant captain.