Tailing The Komets

The Quad City Mallards of the AA+ International Hockey League today announced that they have entered into an agreement to serve as the “IHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers.”

“On behalf of all of the stakeholders in the Quad City Mallards success – the fans, the sponsors the cities of Bettendorf, Moline, East Moline, Davenport and Rock Island as well as the administration at the i wireless center and of course the entire Mallards organization we are very proud to announce this relationship.  To align with the great traditions both on and off the ice that the Philadelphia Flyers have established is an honor for every Mallards fan.  Tough, physical hockey is the backbone of the Flyers tradition and it serves us well to emulate their style of play as we hope to emulate their successes” said QCHT, LLC Managing Member Christopher Lencheski. 

Lencheski added, “I look forward to opening night October 24th and growing this relationship for years to come.”

“The Mallards are an exceptional organization and we look forward to working closely with them in helping them develop a competitive team,” said  Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko.

The affiliation agreement allows the Flyers to assign a limited number of players to the Mallards’ roster at any time during the 2009-10 season. The Philadelphia Flyers’ history includes 33 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances in their 41 seasons of play in the National Hockey League, including two Stanley Cup Championships in 1974 and 1975.

The 11th annual Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana Buddy Walk will be held Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at Foster Park. It’s a 2.1-mile walk of approximately 1,500 people, including Komets captain Guy Dupuis and his family. That’s Guy’s picture with his son Matthew. Several of the Komets will also be taking part along with Leonardo, ICY, Mayor Tom Henry, Fort Wayne Firefighters, ICY, Premiere Dance Company, IPFW cheerleaders, several area mascots. Again, ICY. There are more than 350,000 individual in the United States with Down Syndrome. The Dupuis team is called “Matthew’s Mates.” Fort Wayne citizens generated more than $70,000 last year.

There are two ways to donate, either online or through the mail.  The website is very user friendly as follows:

* Go to www.dsani.org

* Click on Buddy Walk

*  Click Here to Enter the Official 2009 Buddy Walk Site

*  In the left column, click “Sponsor A Participant”

* Enter Participant’s Name: Nicole Dupuis

* Scroll down, click on my name to enter the “Matthew’s Mates” page

* Select your sponsorship level or enter a donation amount and proceed through the secure donation process.

* You can visit this page at any time to track our progress

* If you prefer, donations can be mailed to the Dupuis family at: 10224 Clarks Passage, Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

First off, congratulations to Justin for breaking that story,

Second, what are the issues you would like to see the new commissioner handle? What are your biggest concerns about the IHL? What do you think the commissioner’s duties should be?

Komets General Manager David Franke said today that forward Justin Hodgman has been invited to the Chicago Blackhawks’ training camp starting Sept. 11. Hodgman has already signed a contract with the Blackhawks’ AHL farm team in Rockford and could end up there or with Toledo of the ECHL.

“You can get to a higher level from Fort Wayne,” Franke said. “Sometimes it’s just tough convincing the players and the agents, but you can advance paying in the IHL and in Fort Wayne.”

Franke also said the Komets are going to add forward Michael Uvodich to the training camp roster as part of their affiliation with Evansville of the AAHL.

In other notes:

* The Komets will not have a formal affiliation this year with Norfolk of the AHL.

* I asked Franke about what he’s heard of Olivier Legault and Mathieu Curadeau and he said he hasn’t heard anything recently. Legault will not be coming back to the Komets, and Curadeau’s rights are owned by Dayton. Franke said he believed Curadeau was likely to sign in the ECHL. Franke said no other IHL team has approached him about Legault’s rights. I have calls in to both players.

The Komets announced Wednesday that four more players have inked agreements boosting the preseason roster to 30 skaters.

Rookies Matt Wagner (goaltender) and Tim Recio (defensman) will attend camp as part of the Komets’ affiliation with Evansville of the AAHL. 

Wagner, 22, appeared in 17 games with Evansville last season posting a 6-10-0 record and 5.87 goals-against average.

Recio, 25, also skated with Evansville last season posting a goal and 11 points in 31 games.

Also added to the camp roster was rookie defenseman Rich Zalewski and forward Ryan Potts.  Zalewski completed four seasons with SUNY-Oswego of the NCAA last year and appeared in six SPHL games with the Twin City Cyclones.

Potts, 27, is a Fort Wayne native and appeared in five games last season with the Komets scoring two assists.  The rookie forward is a grandson of Komet legend Reg Primeau.  Potts skated four seasons of NCAA play with Northland College from 2002 to 2006.

Saidachev, Varone, Whitehead invited to AHL camps

The Komets also announced today that three players on the current preseason roster will be attending AHL camps.  Right wing Evgeny Saidachev will attend the Worcester Sharks’ camp, center Rick Varone has been invited to the Lake Erie Monsters’ camp and center Travis Whitehead will make camp with the Norfolk Admirals.  Worcester, Lake Erie and Norfolk will conclude training camp the week of Sep. 28 and begin their 2009-10 AHL campaign on Oct. 3.  The Komets will begin training camp Monday, Oct. 5.

The Komets announced Wednesday that Fort Wayne single-A affiliate Evansville will host the Battle Creek Revolution, an affiliate of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, at the Coliseum Friday, Feb. 12 at 8pm. The Icemen will play host to Battle Creek in an official All American Hockey League (AAHL) game. The AAHL is comprised of six teams. In addition to Evansville and Battle Creek, the league includes the Chi Town Shooters, an affiliate of the IHL’s Dayton Gems, the Chicago Blaze, the Detroit Hitmen and the Madison Ice Muskies.

Ticket prices range from $10.00 in lower arena to $5.00 in the upper deck. Children tickets are $4.00 for any seat in the Coliseum.

Tickets to the Evansville-Battle Creek game will be included in all Komet season ticket holders packages at no additional cost to season ticket holders.

NHL is bidding to buy the Phoenix Coyotes after Reinsdorf group drops out.

There’s no league in hockey that’s stable right now. Maybe the NFL is the only league that doesn’t have any major problems.

Here’s the link.

Here’s the link.

Fort Wayne is no longer the defending champion, but finishing No. 2 is still very good in this poll.

In an article published Monday, Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal ranked Fort Wayne as the No. 2 minor-league sports city in America behind Hershey-Harrisburg, Penn. Fort Wayne was the top-ranked city in 2007 after coming in No. 7 in the magazine’s initial survey in 2005.

Here’s the full link.

The Kalamazoo Wings, proud member of the ECHL and affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, announce they have agreed to terms with forwards Sean O’Conner, Erik Johnson and defenseman Matt Krug for the upcoming 2009-10 season; per team policy, the terms of the contracts will be undisclosed.

One of the top rookies in the International Hockey League a season ago, O’Conner joins the K-Wings after spending last season with the Fort Wayne Komets.

Posting 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in only 59 games, O’Conner was fifth among all first-year IHL players in scoring and was tied for third among all rookies with a +20.