North Iowa Bulls alumnus defenseman Greg Japchen has signed a contract to play professional hockey for the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Doylestown, Pennsylvania native came to Mason City in the final year of a junior hockey career that spanned parts of five seasons in four different leagues. Japchen spent three seasons in the North American Hockey League and played 106 games. The final 51 of those games were spent with the North Iowa Bulls in the 2021-22 season. During that season, Japchen set single season records in shorthanded goals and points for a defenseman in a single season that still stand today. He posted 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points on the Bulls’ blue line.
Following his junior hockey career, Japchen embarked on a collegiate career that took him to three teams in four seasons. He started at Union College, (Schenectady, NY), then went to Stonehill College (Easton, MA), and spent the last two seasons at Robert Morris University (Moon Township, PA). He ultimately laced up for 95 NCAA DI hockey games and scored 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points in those games. In 2024, Japchen earned an invitation to the San Jose Sharks’ offseason NHL Development camp. This season, Japchen helped the Robert Morris Colonels to their furthest run in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament since their program’s revival in 2023, finishing one game short of the conference championship game.
The Kalamazoo Wings have played in the ECHL since 2009 and have won their division title four times. The Wings are affiliated with the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks and American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Japchen is the fourth Bulls’ alumnus to sign a professional contract in North America during the 2025-26 season and the first to sign with an NHL affiliated team this season.
The Bulls congratulate Greg on completing his collegiate years and wish him luck as he embarks on his professional hockey career.