Fort_Wayne_Komets

Fort Wayne Komets

Fort Wayne Komets

Professional minor league ice hockey team in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This team was previously a member of the Central Hockey League (CHL), the original International Hockey League (IHL), and the second International Hockey League (UHL/IHL). Founded in the original IHL They have won four post-season championship titles in the original IHL in 1963, 1965, 1973, and 1993, four in the UHL/second IHL in 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2010, one in the CHL in 2012, and one in the ECHL in 2021. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Original Six teams of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL have played continuously in the same city with the same name longer than the Komets.

Quick Facts City, League ...

History

The original Komets franchise played in the previous iteration of the International Hockey League from 1952 until 1990. The original IHL franchise then moved to Albany, New York in 1990 as the Albany Choppers. Only two days later, the Franke family of Fort Wayne bought the Flint Spirits, moved them to Fort Wayne, and took the Komets name and history. The Albany Choppers would only play part of one season before folding on February 15, 1991.[1]

In 1999, the second IHL Komets franchise joined the United Hockey League (which later took the IHL name in 2007). In 2010, the UHL/IHL ceased operations and the Komets joined the Central Hockey League along with the surviving members of their former league. They left the CHL for the ECHL in 2012.

For the 2014–15 season, the Komets entered into a one-year affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, providing a direct line to Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.[2][3] After a successful season and partnership proving beneficial to all parties, on July 21, 2015, the Komets announced a continuance of the affiliation with the Avalanche and new AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage on a two-year deal through the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons.[4] However, the Avalanche and Komets mutually agreed to end the affiliation one season early in 2016.[5] After a season operating independently of an affiliation, the Komets agreed to a one-year affiliation deal with the Arizona Coyotes and their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners,[6] but did not extend the affiliation after the deal ended.[7]

On August 21, 2018, the Komets announced a new one-year affiliation agreement with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves.[8] The affiliation was later extended for the 2019–20 season.[9] The affiliation with the Golden Knights ended on May 19, 2022.[10]

On July 27, 2022, the Komets announced a new affiliation agreement with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.[11]

Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the last ten seasons completed by the Fort Wayne Komets. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Fort Wayne Komets seasons

More information Regular season, Playoffs ...

Records as of the conclusion of the 2022–23 regular season.[12]

Players

Current roster

Updated January 26, 2024.[13]
More information No., Nat ...

Retired numbers

The Komets have honored over 40 personnel in three sections - Executive Builders, Team Personnel and Media - in the Komets Hall of Fame established in 1988. They have also retired numbers to honor 16 people over the course of their history.[14]

More information No., Player ...
  1. For his career wins as coach

Notable NHL alumni

List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 100 games in the IHL and 100 or more games in the National Hockey League/World Hockey Association.

List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 25 games in the ECHL and 25 or more games in the National Hockey League.

The first NHL player of Indian descent was Robin Bawa, who played for WSH, VAN, SJS, and ANA. Bawa played 313 games for the Komets.

Franchise records

Scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; * = still active with the team

PlayerPosGPGAPts
Len ThornsonC7634128071219
Eddie LongRW801425427852
Colin ChaulkC581187497684
Terry McDougallC507249395644
Colin ChinC660246390636
John GoodwinLW480200387587
Guy DupuisD945126417543
Reg PrimeauC452200342542
Merv DubchakRW437321218539
Robbie LairdLW520223276499

Regular season

  • Most goals in a season: Merv Dubchak, 72 (1965–66)
  • Most assists in a season: Len Thornson, 93 (1966–67)
  • Most points in a season: Len Thornson, 139 (1966–67) & Terry McDougall, 139 (1978–79)
  • Most penalty minutes in a season: Andy Bezeau, 590 (1995–96)
  • Most wins in a season: Kevin St. Pierre, 43 (2003–04)
  • Most shutouts in a season: Kevin Reiter, 7 (2007–08) & Kevin St. Pierre, 7 (2003–04)

Team records

  • On March 28, 2008, the Komets set a new professional hockey record of 23 straight home wins. They defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 4–3.[16] The record ended at 25.
  • On April 12, 2008, the Komets set a new Fort Wayne hockey record of 56 wins in a season. The previous record of 53 was set in 2003–04.[17]
  • On May 15, 2010, the Komets defeated the Flint Generals in Game 5 of the IHL Turner Cup Finals to win the series, four games to one, earning the Komets a "three-peat" after winning the Turner Cup in 2008 and 2009 as well.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Miller, Chuck. "The IHL's Dirty Little Secret: the 1990-91 Albany Choppers". Chuck the Writer.
  2. [2]
    Bailey, Chuck (July 24, 2014). "Komets announce affiliation with NHL's Avalanche and AHL's Monsters". WANE-TV. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  3. [3]
    Sebring, Blake (July 24, 2014). "Colorado affiliation could be different and better for Komets". The News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  4. [4]
    Sebring, Blake (July 21, 2015). "Komets put together two-year deal with Avalanche". The News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  5. [5]
    "Komets, Avalanche Terminate Affiliation". OurSports Central. July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  6. [6]
    "Coyotes Announce ECHL Affiliation With Fort Wayne Komets". Tucson Roadrunners. July 31, 2017. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  7. [7]
    Sebring, Blake (June 18, 2018). "Fort Wayne Komets, Arizona Coyotes and Tucson Roadrunners end affiliation". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  8. [8]
    "Komets announce affiliation with NHL's Vegas Golden Knights". Fort Wayne Komets. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  9. [9]
    "Golden Knights And Fort Wayne Komets Renew ECHL Affiliation Agreement". Vegas Golden Knights. August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  10. [10]
    "Komets Seek New Affiliation". Fort Wayne Komets. May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  11. [11]
    "Komets Announce Affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers". Fort Wayne Komets. July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  12. [12]
    "Fort Wayne Komets Statistics and History [ECHL]". HockeyDB. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  13. [13]
    "Fort Wayne Komets Elite Prospects". Elite Prospects. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  14. [14]
    "Komets Hall of Fame". Fort Wayne Komets. August 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  15. [15]
    Cohn, Justin A. (March 23, 2017). "Sims thrilled about Komets saluting 504". The Journal Gazette. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  16. [16]
    "Komets Historical Win". Fort Wayne Komets. 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008. [dead link]
  17. [17]
    "54th win sets new Fort Wayne franchise record". Fort Wayne Komets. 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2008. [dead link]
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