I'm on vacation right now, but fear not -- I wouldn't leave you without a topic to ponder.
Today, I give you the list of the wackiest personalities of the Komets' past nine seasons. (That encompasses all of the Komets' time at the AA level of hockey.)
10) Bobby Stewart -- He sure knew how to get the crowd going, playing the game with some flair. And off the ice, he kept things loose.
9) Colin Chaulk -- Believe it or not, he's got some pizazz. He likes to throw expletives into just about any interview, which makes my job difficult but also fun.
8) Mike McKay -- Lots of talent. Lots of goals. Lots of off-ice antics. No one seems to know where he is now either, which is strange.
7) Tommy Bolduc -- One strange cat. And he could barely skate.
6) Mario Larocque -- He had the stylish fauxhawk and was good for some laughs off the ice, even after he scored into his own net during an All-Star Game at the Coliseum. "Hey, a goal is a goal in my book," he quipped.
5) Lance Galbraith -- A motormouth on and off the ice. Fun to cover. A pain to play against.
4) Bruce Richardson -- Ask Richardson about the weather and clear your calendar for at least an hour. He loves to talk, about anything, especially if it's his desire to win a Cup. Good a guy as you'll come across.
3) Frederic Bouchard -- Lots of flair on the ice, he was sometimes too concerned with stats and not enough with winning. He once berated me for pointing out his minus rating instead of his assists. But a darn good player anyway.
2) Pokey Reddick -- Had I been here in early 1990s and witnessed the stories firsthand, he'd surely top the list. But he gets second place for toning down his act. Reddick was very superstitious. And weird instances followed him. We're still not entirely sure what ailment forced him out of the 2002 game that cause equipment manager Joe Franke to make an entrance into the net.
1) Mitch Woods -- I still haven't gotten over the story about Woods' father telling me about Mitch going to a "horse doctor" for treatment after an injury. Even funnier: Mitch keeps telling me, "It wasn't a horse doctor. It was a faith healer." Yep, that changes everything. But he's a riot and heckuva a lot of fun to watch on the ice.
-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette
In regards to your poll on hodgeman, i was curious, in 9 yrs. of the ks playing in AA hockey, how many players if any have made it to the NHL? it would be nice to see him make it!
Posted by: harley | June 21, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Colorful characters are always the best kind. Thanks for the info.
As for Hodgman, I wouldn't bet against him. The thing that impressed me most about Justin was how much he picked up during his relatively short time here. I don't think there is any telling how far he could go considering how hard he works and how quickly he picks things up. I'm reminded of the myth that goldfish only grow as large as the bowl they are kept in. Put Hodgman in a big enough "bowl" and he might just do great things.
Posted by: Wendy | June 22, 2008 at 03:58 AM
bulduc story-he was drunk in the stands & was going to beat-up my bosses 16yr. old=did not act tough when confronted.
Posted by: mightbite | June 22, 2008 at 07:25 AM
1-NHL player=Gainey-dallas stars
Posted by: mightbite | June 22, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Here's a question I have, as an outsider, about Mr. Reddick: He seems to be something of a fan favorite in Fort Wayne. How/why is this?
As I recall, he ended up with the Blades in 97-98 after forcing a trade to get out of San Antonio, which wasn't long after Grand Rapids had shipped him out to the Dragons. Then he walked out on the Blades and quit the team in the middle of the playoffs.
I'm not trying to start anything, but from all I've read, it seems like Komets fans generally like the guy and have a good relationship with him. How'd that happen?
Posted by: KCBladesMan | June 22, 2008 at 10:11 AM
these are hilarious! scoring into your own net, then tooting your own horn about it...i love it! thanks for a great topic, justin! i still love the one about woods..and i'd add the whole steak/chicken thing, but maybe that's just me...lol! faith healer? well, who says ya can't have faith in your horse doctor, i suppose? ha ha!
i know the family who hosted pokey reddick, and from all accounts, they say he was on heck of a nice guy! he lived in their house for a while when he played here, and never caused them any problems, so i'm not sure what all the trading/walking out deals were there in the other cities, KCBladesMan...maybe they just did not know how to treat their players like we do here in the jungle!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 22, 2008 at 10:36 AM
i got a problem guys, my gf is having withdraws... from no hockey especially KOMETS hockey.
when we first met couple years ago (around 2004-2005 season), she wasnt no hockey fan, but went couple games anyways and the same in 2005-2006 season. then last year, we went to all the home games except 5 or 6 games even game 6 at PH
i have game 7 on my dvr but she wont watch it because she knows the outcome
so does anyone have any suggestion for me
thanks
Posted by: bruce | June 22, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Basket weaving maybe....lol
Posted by: deuce | June 22, 2008 at 10:55 AM
XBOX 360 - NHL 09 - Build your own team, choose komet colors and make the players. All the advice I have for her.
I don't remember Bulock, how long was he around for? I do know that he's in the LNAHL now, but that's all I got.
Posted by: Junior | June 22, 2008 at 11:29 AM
He was the talk black guy that couldn't skate, handle the puck, or stop on the ice without running into the boards. He was a fighter!!! As long as he could stay up on his skates, he was pretty good a fighting too. The only thing I remember talking to Joe Franke about him was that Tommy had HUGE FEET!!! The frist game he came to play with us, they had to cut the toes out of the ends of the skates just to make his feet fit. I think, and correct me if I'm wrong Justin, he was the one that ordered skates that were big enought for his feet, but they only came in white. So they spray-painted them black. They were the ugliest things to ever step foot on MC ice, except Tommy's game....
Posted by: Hoss | June 22, 2008 at 02:17 PM
bruce...check on the website for the plex...they have a roller hockey league and i went friday nite and checked it out...it was a lot of fun! it was not the komets, but it was hockey! geronimo from this blog plays there, so he could tell ya lots more about it. also, justin and st chris play wednesday nights out at macmillan arena 5:30 and 7 pm...again, not the komets, but it is ice hockey...or you could just sleep until october...those are my only suggestions. i feel your pain!! "wake me up when september ends", to quote green day......
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 22, 2008 at 07:54 PM
no Morency?
Posted by: lovelost | June 22, 2008 at 08:50 PM
Greetings from Cincinatti. Where, no, I'm not scouting the possibility of IHL expansion. Anyway, on the feet, are you sure you're not thinking of Kevin Holliday? His feet were massive. I think we did a story about it. Bolduc wasn't here long enough for anyone to look at his gear, I don't think. The best part was they traded to get that guy. Don't know what it was. Hopefully, not much.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | June 22, 2008 at 10:11 PM
I bought "Slap Shot", "Miracle" and "The Mighty Ducks" on DVD last week. I hadn't seen the first two and it had been a while since I'd seen the third. That helped with the hockey withdrawl. And now I know why everyone keeps talking about "The Hanson Brothers". :D
Posted by: Wendy | June 22, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Where is Derek Gauthier on that list? Goater has to be on that list!
Posted by: Brandon | June 22, 2008 at 11:47 PM
What about our Goaltender that skated MC ice during Disney on Ice rehearsals with only a jockstrap on? That guy should make the list. I think it is the same guy that started a fight with Bert in the middle of the playoffs....ummm...on the ice? How'd he not make the list? And he turned out to be the hero of the Turner Cup finals in goal. Coach called him the best goalie in the league even though he was runner-up in the voting to our other goalie on the team....
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | June 23, 2008 at 12:08 AM
Bruce... The only thing you can do is get involved by playing - her too. Plenty of skating around town, and you're never to old to learn. I'm almost 50, and I'm having a blast. Fun playing w/the younger guys, too. I think it actually reverses aging (or is it the Geritol?...) I hate it when the season ends, and this keeps me goin'.
Posted by: Geronimo | June 23, 2008 at 07:44 AM
KCBladesMan-
In regards to your question about Pokey Reddick...I think he is well liked here in FW in part because he backstopped the team to a championship here...the first in 20 years at that time. And he did it in great fashion by going 12-0 in the playoffs. Even before all of that, Pokey played here early in his career (1984-85) and then went on to play in the NHL for the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers where he won a Stanley Cup as a back-up to Bill Ranford in the 89-90 season. He came back to FW in the 91-92 season for 14 games before capturing the Turner Cup in the 92-93 season as I mentioned above. So, I think that's why he was so liked here. He always kind of seemed to be a quiet, introverted, and superstitious person as some goalies are. As far as him walking out on the Blades and demanding a trade out of San Antonio, I have no idea, maybe there was some conflict between him and the organization, but that's purely speculation.
Posted by: Harbz | June 23, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Glad you finally got to see "Miracle", Wendy. It's a must-see as far as I'm concerned! I think I'm in terminal-stage hockey withdrawal, I had a bizarre dream about a Komet game that I'll share later when I'm not trying to blog at work!
Posted by: FiveMinuteMajor | June 23, 2008 at 11:15 AM
"Miracle" is a great hockey movie. Probably the best serious hockey movie ever made, though it was so hockey-centric, it made me wonder if people outside the sport would really be able to enjoy it. That is probably why it didn't do better at the B.O.
I already had "Mystery, Alaska", btw. That's a good one, too, though it gets a bit melodramatic with the personal stories.
A Komets dream? Do tell! And I hope you aren't using the word "bizarre" too casually! :D
Posted by: Wendy | June 23, 2008 at 03:31 PM
I think MRS.Mightbite could of beat-up bulduc.
Posted by: mightbite | June 23, 2008 at 05:54 PM
I thnk Mrs.Mightbite could beat-up bulduc.
Posted by: mightbite | June 23, 2008 at 05:55 PM
I think you're right.
Posted by: RaVeN | June 23, 2008 at 06:07 PM
ok, that's it...slap shot and miracle are going on the list of "must sees" right now...of course i've seen a couple of the mighty ducks movies b/c of "the goalie" in the house (and loved 'em myself!), but not these others...i have never even heard of miracle! slap shot, of course...deuce has talked about that one, but i've never seen all of it, just parts of it here and there.
five minute major, where are ya?? i'm dyin' to hear about this dream too!! i blog at work all the time too...mostly when the boss is gone, but i try to sneak every now and then when he is there, and that's when the typos start to appear in my posts...then and when i'm drinking and posting...never a good combo either!!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 23, 2008 at 07:06 PM
Sorry to keep ya hanging! Ok, here goes. I got to the Coliseum for Opening Night (is it October yet?!) and the whole place is under construction, inside and out. There is no new scoreboard in the arena- no scoreboard in the arena period, but there are new scoreboards in all the hallways and at the souvenier stand. There are tarps all draped all over the glass and I was really annoyed by this. Then I realized that my seat had been moved from by the opponents bench to down by the goal that the K's shoot at twice. The glass and the boards have been removed down there and the seats are right down on the ice- like courtside seats in basketball. The only part of the ice I can see from my seat is the goal- because of the tarps on the glass everywhere else. People keep walking out on the ice during play (!) because there are no walls to keep them in their seats. I was at the game with a co-worker and she kept running across the ice to talk to someone she knew on the other side. I was yelling at her because I was afraid she was gonna get hit by a puck.
So... any Freud-wannabes out there in Ice Chips land want to take a stab at deciphering that one? Was it just the Chinese food I had for dinner?
Posted by: FiveMinuteMajor | June 23, 2008 at 07:40 PM
It better not mean that new scoreboard is not coming after all!!!
Posted by: Hoss | June 23, 2008 at 08:25 PM
ok...here's my take on this...the team is under construction, and that is playing itself out in your dream life, fiveminutemajor...your stress over who is gonna be on the coming season's team is causing you concern that you cannot "see" what will be going on, hence the tarps draped over the glass. all the scoreboards might be a reference to the time thing...we are ALL counting down the minutes till october, and all the scoreboards have clocks on them, so that could be where that whole thing comes in...as far as your friend walking out onto the ice...maybe she's just nuts! lol! and, yep, the oriental food may have had a bit to do with it...i stay away from it myself...i try not to eat anything where i cannot identify what is in the food...ha ha!
so justin...can ya help the poor girl out any...ANY news on any signings?? what about henley, woods, legault, saidachev, durdin...just mentioning my own personal few faves, but wanting so many more back...anything at all from anyone???
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 23, 2008 at 08:32 PM
Hey, wow. That's deep, Cat Eyes! :) And it sounds pretty close to the mark, though I've always believed that the dreamer is the only one who can decifer the dream. Think about it, FiveMinuteMajor... What did it mean to YOU? How did it make you feel?
And Cat Eyes: "Miracle" is the story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team -- the one that upset the Russians to win the gold. It stars Kurt Russell as the coach and a bunch of real young hockey players as the players. "Slap Shot" was a 1975 comedy starring Paul Newman. It was about a struggling minor league hockey team. And trust me. You'll LOVE the Hansons! :D Mitch Woods is like the three of them all rolled into one. In fact, I had to wonder if his wearing the number 17 had anything to do with that. Maybe not, but what a coincidence. They wear the numbers 16, 17, and 18 in the film. I guess they were actual hockey players, too, unlike the rest of the cast. Also some Komets players of that era participated as extras. So yeah, you should check it out. :)
And I know what you mean about player news. I do hope we'll be informed, even if a player signs elsewhere.
Posted by: Wendy | June 23, 2008 at 09:58 PM
I hate the off-season. Sign Woods already. Hell, sign Durdin so I have something to gripe about.. Just do something...
Posted by: JungleMonkey | June 24, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Re-signings for next season basically boil down to career advancement, money, and chance to win a championship, not necessarily in that order. Especially for the younger guys we had.
Concidering our championship roster, its going to be awhile before the tweeners and rookies decide on any location. I fully anticipate the next 2 months to be filled with discussing dreams, movies, fighting, rumors, and getting barrel hockey updates.
Posted by: scoops | June 24, 2008 at 10:54 AM
one of the hanson brothers was jeff carlson who played for the komets for one season.
Posted by: chuckitt | June 24, 2008 at 11:19 AM
One of the Hanson brother's son played for Notre Dame this year.
Posted by: Jerad Shaw | June 24, 2008 at 03:50 PM
ok...i really gotta see this movie now, because every time someone writes "Hanson brothers", all i can think of are those little blond kids, and i think, they played hockey too? lol!!! maybe it's just the kinda day i have had.....
JungleMonkey...you're gonna gripe if we get Durdin back? uh-oh...i might have to keep YOU in that cage in my garage if you don't behave!! just teasin' ya...you can like who ya like and not like who ya want to...
hey scoops...got anything else we can talk about? otherwise, you pretty much nailed the next coupla months on the head, man...what'd you dream about last night? lol!! i did have a komets dream, but it was gone as soon as my feet hit the floor, so i cannot share...i am sure i was influenced by my freudian turn here last night for fiveminutemajor.
sigh......are we there yet???
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 24, 2008 at 05:22 PM
My K's wish list=Morencey-Richardson-Woods-Legault-Mirasty & Popp+King Kong HENLEY.
Posted by: mightbite | June 24, 2008 at 06:21 PM
Yeah, the OTHER Hanson brothers. They do make YouTube searches tricky. Click on the wrong thing and instead of seeing a "Slap Shot" clip, you hear "MMMBop". :D And to give you some idea of how popular their clips are, the DVD I bought has a section in "bonus features" that takes you directly to all of their scenes.
Hey, I've got a topic! When, exactly, did sponsors decide that discreet advertising is for losers? Now, we can't have a power play without it being a "Comcast Power Play!" And every penalty kill is a now a "Touchstone Energy Penalty Kill!" We have so many corporate logos on the ice that I've actually heard the game announcers use them to specify player positions. As in "Did you see Woods? He was all the way over by the Y in Subway!" And don't even get me started on the way corporations have overridden the original names of venues or agreed to have their names attached to new stadiums. Gone is "Deer Creek Music Center" -- replaced by -- gag -- "Verizon Wireless Music Center". Or how about "Lucas Oil Stadium"? Ick. Or the "FedEx Orange Bowl". OMG. Where will it end? The players already have corporate logos on their jerseys. Should they get corporate logos tatooed on their foreheads next?
I know that corporate sponsorship is vital, but wouldn't it be nice if companies showed a little taste? A little restraint? Whatever happened to the good old days when putting up a poster in the corridors, advertising in the game program, and having the announcer mention your name once or twice was enough? If it gets much worse, I'm going to start boycotting. Mark my words! :D
Posted by: Wendy | June 24, 2008 at 08:06 PM
Mallette signed in Flint.
Posted by: lovelost | June 24, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Wendy, I would rather the ads be there than have our season tix be twice as much or our team have half as many good players. If our tickets were way out of wack $$$ wise and our team sucked, yes I would be mad about the ads. Something needs to pay of our all players under the table!!!
Posted by: Hoss | June 24, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Thanks Cat Eyes & Harbz!! I've always been interested in how certain players endear themselves to fans in certain cities. I didn't put 2 & 2 together on Reddick taking the Komets to a championship, and didn't realize there were host families in FW either. I don't recall us having that in KC.
It's very cool to have guys like that though. Glad to see he had success and stability with the Komets.
Posted by: KCBladesMan | June 24, 2008 at 10:19 PM
who are the hanson brothers?
Posted by: greatwhitenorth | June 24, 2008 at 10:52 PM
One Hanson brother was at the NHL draft. His son was one of the draftees.
Posted by: Karla Stranger | June 24, 2008 at 11:10 PM
THE MULLET IS BACK............Barry Melrose IS now the coach for Tampa Bay.
Posted by: Karla Stranger | June 24, 2008 at 11:14 PM
I'm not complaining about corporate sponsorship, Hoss! I'm just saying that it would be nice if they could support the team financially without requiring their name and logo to be plastered on EVERY SINGLE THING. :P
Posted by: Wendy | June 24, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Cage? We'll have to negotiate.
Posted by: JungleMonkey | June 25, 2008 at 08:35 AM
You don't have to yell at me Wendy....I bruise easy!!! Just ask scoops.
Posted by: Hoss | June 25, 2008 at 08:42 AM
KOMETS SIGN NEW ENFORCER!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwfzOOgJhYw
Posted by: IcyKometsFan84 | June 25, 2008 at 09:18 AM
Cat...game tonite at McMillen 530 and 700, I'm sure you'll recognize a few of the scoop guys playing.
Posted by: St.Chris | June 25, 2008 at 09:31 AM
In case anyone cares (Nic)Frank Littlejohn signed with Muskegon - it's on the IHL website today.
Posted by: Teresa | June 25, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Wendy...I can understand your disdain for corporate sponsorship,however, it is the price paid to make any professional sport affordable to the masses. Noteably, the increase of dollar amounts in players contracts, the cost to operate a team and its facilities and travel expenses are some examples of exorbitant costs. Most of these expenses are offset by...you guessed it...corporate sponsorship. If you think it is rampantly out of control here in the US...check out some of the European hockey leagues, the jerseys are covered in sponsorship logos.
Posted by: St.Chris | June 25, 2008 at 10:11 AM
IcyKometsFan84...I'd rather see that bear take on some of the crappy refs we had last season...
Thanks, St Chris...I'll try to get out there...no sitter, tho, so no promises! But going to the Plex last Friday to watch Geronimo definitely got me revved up and ready for more hockey, so keep me posted, 'cause I'm definitely coming to see a game, ok?
Wendy, I see your point on the corporate thing, and I understand theirs too...I wish there could be a better balance. I hate having Comcast rammed down my throat every Power Play, too...but then again, I hate even paying $18 for a lower arena seat, so I guess I can't complain too loudly. I don't know what the solution is there...I DO hate the re-naming of the stadiums and arenas, though. That is crap, in my opinion.
JungleMonkey...you sure on the cage negotiations? Even Durdin would not go for it, and he is a big, tough IHL hockey player...lol!! Plus, you do know I'm an Irish redhead with a bad temper, right?? :)
Posted by: Cat Eyes | June 25, 2008 at 12:32 PM
IcyKometFan.... Posting a video of Worlton on here isn't really all that funny. =)
If it keeps Durdin out of town, I'll gladly take his place in the cage.
Posted by: JungleMonkey | June 25, 2008 at 01:03 PM