KALAMAZOO, MI — One of the biggest perks for Colin Murray after signing with the Kalamazoo Wings was being able to watch his NHL favorite Detroit Red Wings games.

The forward, who is from Oshawa, Ontario, played four years of college hockey at Castleton (Vt.) State College and “I only got to watch the Boston Bruins,” he said.

“When I was younger, my favorite team was Chicago. Then I got a necklace from one of my grandfathers and it was a Detroit Red Wings logo and I looked them up, liked the logo and my favorite color is red. One thing fell into another. It just so happens I’m here. It fell into place.”

Murray was almost a point-a-game forward his senior year at Castleton, where he played every game.

This season, Murray has played in just four of the K-Wings’ 12 games, but used the down time as a learning experience.

“For me, I’ve had a chance to watch the majority of our games this year,” Murray said. “I think it’s a lot easier when I watch a game to see things that we could change and things we could do.”

He put that knowledge to good use in his third game, the K-Wings’ 4-3 shootout loss against the Reading Royals last Friday. That’s when Murray scored his first pro goal.

One big adjustment for a first-year player is going from top dog in college to rookie in the pros.

“Coming here after being a 25-year-old senior at my school and now I’m a 25-year-old rookie on the team,” Murray said. “It’s a little bit of an adjustment.

“It’s something you’ve got to do in every sport, in every league, in every team you play on. I think picking up pucks, and loading the bus, cleaning the bus and getting the food ready, we’ve all done it, whether you’re 25 or 19. It’s the same stuff at every level.”

Said linemate Josh Brittain: “He brings a lot of energy, a lot of life. In his first year in the league, you’re just trying to show him the ropes and kind of ease him into the game as much as possible. Having said that, he’s been a great impact so far for our team and we’ll continue to see his impact moving forward.”