Ice Chips 06'-07'

Looking back at Bogey

This story, on one of my favorite Komets players, is from Feb. 3, 2003. It's long, but you'll enjoy it. I'll be back from vacation on Aug. 10.

Shut up and play. That's what you're gonna do. That's all you can do. And that's what Eric Boguniecki did. He kept his trap shut, took whatever assignment he could get and played the game. Unabashedly hard, he played hockey.

    He was unappreciated, unsigned and unsure what the future held back in 1997, at the age of 22. Fresh out of college he clung to one thing, a dream of being an NHL player, and that dream nurtured him in towns like Fort Wayne, Dayton, and Worcester, Mass.OK, maybe there was one other thing that haunted Boguniecki: the desire to prove them all wrong. All the people, the so-called hockey experts who doubted his dream.

    They believed he was too small to play in the NHL. Not well-rounded enough. Not a viable prospect.

    They were wrong.

   
Shut up and play. That's what you're gonna do. Even if it's in Indiana.

    It was the fall of 1997 when Boguniecki arrived in Fort Wayne, unsigned by an NHL team, one of a slew of forwards invited to training camp by the Komets of the high-level International Hockey League.

    Boguniecki had fine credentials - he tallied 78 goals and 169 points in 142 games at the University of New Hampshire - but he didn't have formidable physical attributes, standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 195 pounds. He also didn't have that knack for defending his own net.

    So he didn't have an easy entry into the professional ranks.

    "I always believed in myself and I knew I could play if given the opportunity," Boguniecki says now. "It was just getting the chance to make the adjustments and adapt to the pro style of play. It's a matter of that coach or general manager having the patience and then getting the opportunity."

    The St. Louis Blues had made him an eighth-round draft pick in 1993, but they never gave him that opportunity. He would find out years later that Larry Pleau, the Blues' general manager, was the reason. Pleau didn't think Boguniecki had what it took and never offered Boguniecki a contract.

    "I didn't think he'd be an NHL player, just didn't think so," Pleau recently told The Post-Dispatch in St. Louis. "I felt the kid would be a good minor-league player, but that's all."

    And Pleau was a guy who saw Boguniecki play all the time. His son, Steve Pleau, was a teammate of Boguniecki's in high school and in college.

    "He's always been feisty, but you always wondered can he play because of his size?" Larry Pleau said. "He had a lot of proving to do, a lot of guys to prove wrong."

    That process began in training camp with Fort Wayne, where Boguniecki openly expressed relief every time a player was cut and it wasn't him. But the last day of training camp brought news the Komets thought he was too raw and were sending him to Dayton in the low-level East Coast Hockey League.

    "Sure (he was upset) because at that age you think that it's not you, it's the coach," says John Torchetti, who coached the Komets then. "For me, it would do me an injustice if I don't teach him defense and let him be an offensive player. That's just a wasted year. It's tough love."

    So Boguniecki packed his bags for Dayton, where his process of becoming an NHL talent truly began.

    "Was he raw? No. Did he need to be humbled a little bit? Yeah. But there's nothing wrong with that," says Mark Kumpel, who was Dayton's coach then.

   
Shut up and play. That's what you're gonna do. Even if it's in Dayton.

    There was a clamor from Fort Wayne hockey fans for the kid. The Komets were off to a wretched start, 6-10-1 through seven weeks, and Internet message boards slowly began filling up with talk of this Boguniecki kid, Fort Wayne property, who was tearing up the ECHL.

    Boguniecki was leading Dayton in scoring with 19 goals and 37 points in 26 games, was named the ECHL's top rookie the first month of the season, all in a city he couldn't stand.

    "I'll never forget he called me one night from Dayton," says his mother, Mary Lou, "and he said, 'It's like the movie 'Slapshot.' They were throwing things on the ice.' He definitely was disappointed."

    That disappointment was no secret, not to his teammates or to his coach.

    "What I think really had to happen was for him to understand there was a pecking order and a way he had to get (to the higher levels)," Kumpel says. "He wanted the fast track. He had a great college career. He thought he was going to waltz in there (to the IHL) and succeed."

    That wouldn't be the case, not until his skills at both ends of the ice were developed.

    "Don't kid yourself," Kumpel says. "(Boguniecki) thought the best way for him to get out of Dayton was to score 100 points and he forgot about (defending the) back end."

    Komets fans got their wish in December 1997, when Fort Wayne recalled Boguniecki and never returned him. He wasn't much more than a third-line player with the Komets that season, scoring four goals and 12 points in 35 games as the team won a division title, but he carved a niche.

    He became a favorite among the Memorial Coliseum fans, who adored the work ethic, who crooned for the feisty little guy with the wicked wrist shot and the ability to bash the bigger and supposedly better prospects.

    "I was the guy sent to Dayton. Then when I was in Fort Wayne, who would play only a few shifts," Boguniecki says. "It wasn't until the following year that I established myself."

    It was in Boguniecki's second season with Fort Wayne that the higher-ups began to take notice. He played center and right wing, led the Komets in goals with 32 and totaled 66 points in 72 games. He also won an award as the fans' favorite player.

    Alongside the Memorial Coliseum fans were scouts from the parent club, the Florida Panthers, there to keep tabs on prospects Viacheslav Butsayev and David Nemirovsky. Those scouts developed a fondness for Boguniecki, who found himself with an NHL contract in the summer of 1999.

    "He was a huge part of that team, no question about it," Komets general manager David Franke says. "He was one of the top players on the team and I think that second season with the Komets is what catapulted him (to greater things)."

    Boguniecki spent a season and a half with in the Panthers' organization, playing mostly in the American Hockey League but also seeing four games of NHL action as an emergency call-up with the Panthers. But the knock on him was still his size and he was dealt in December of 2000 to, of all teams, the Blues for another unknown named Andrei Podkonicky.

   
Shut up and play. That's what you're gonna do. Even if it's in Worcester.

    When a prospect is let go twice by NHL teams, it's unlikely that player is ever going to be more than a minor-leaguer. Boguniecki knew that much when he headed for the Worcester IceCats, the top affiliate of the Blues.

    "I was in the AHL and I was having some pretty good success there," Boguniecki says. "It was making the decision, 'Do I want to be a career AHL player? Or do I want to do the little things to get me to the NHL?' I did a lot off the ice that has helped me."

    Included in that was learning the intricacies of the game and improving his strength and conditioning. While the other players vacationed, Boguniecki spent the summer of 2001 in Worcester working with a trainer, something that didn't go unnoticed by the coaches in Worcester or in St. Louis.

    "He was very, very committed (in) that part of the year and he really made significant gains," Worcester coach Don Granato says.

    When the 2001-02 season opened, it was immediately clear the scouting reports on Boguniecki were no longer valid. His size wasn't a hindrance, not with his new conditioning regimen. His defense was finally sound. He wasn't an incomplete player.

    He was dominant.

    "He elevated the competitiveness of the entire game," Granato says. "When Eric Boguniecki was on the ice, there was a whole other intensity level on both sides of the puck. He always has the drive to be the best of everybody on the ice.

    "He's a guy that had the ability to do that, to do everything. He was the guy to watch."

    Boguniecki went on to tally 38 goals and 84 points in 63 games with Worcester - he also played one game with the Blues - and he was named the AHL's MVP.

    He hasn't been in a minor-league game since.

   
Shut up and play. That's what you're gonna do ... in the freaking NHL.

    Silence is what Boguniecki gives you when you ask about the money. He must be making some serious bucks, right? Bought a fancy car? How about some jewelry?

    Finally he answers: "I don't get caught up in all that," he says. "I haven't forgotten where I came from."

    But if you want to get Boguniecki talking, ask him about September. It felt like Fort Wayne all over again. There was waiting, waiting and more waiting in the Blues' locker room to hear he was being sent down.

    But those words never came.

    "We got a few injuries and I got to play with some of the top players," Boguniecki says. "I just kind of got a chance to showcase what I could do."

    He put up three goals and seven points in the first seven games with the Blues. Earned a contract extension - a one-way deal with the Blues - and some job security through the 2003-04 season.

    And he kept on chugging through the first three months of the season. Led the Blues in goals through November. Earned a nickname, "The Quote," because of his popularity among reporters. Found himself on a line with Doug Weight, one of the best centers in the league.

    "I still play the same way that I did back in Fort Wayne," Boguniecki says. "My style of play makes up for the lack of size. I don't think it has been a problem."

    He used his speed to crash the net. Banged in the corners with guys who towered over him. Fired that blistering wrist shot to beat the top goalies in the world. Displayed the nastiness that fans from Fort Wayne to Worcester had come to love.

    "He still likes to mix it up," says his mother, Mary Lou. "Have you seen (he only has 24) penalty minutes? He's been doing it, but either he's not getting caught or he's doing it clean."

    And Boguniecki did through December what he'd always done best, say those close to him: He played the game like he was out to embarrass those who doubted him.

    "He always plays with a chip on his shoulder," Granato says. "He always feels he's got more to prove, which drives him to be better and prepares him for opportunities during games. He's got to prove tonight that he can be out on the ice with the guys around him and be the best guy out there.

    "From a coaching side, it's almost the ideal makeup of what you want. You know he's going to go into that game with that chip on his shoulder, the desire to prove himself, even if he scored a couple goals the night before."

    But then, in recent weeks, Boguniecki's fellow Blues began to heal and his ice time was trimmed. He began riding the bench for long stretches, just like that first season in Fort Wayne, waiting to seize any opportunity he could.

    That's what he does now. He waits for more chances to prove the doubters wrong.

    "Hopefully in the years to come, when I've earned it, I'll get the opportunity to be that go-to guy," says Boguniecki, who has 14 goals and 34 points in 51 games this season.

    And as the minutes go by and his teammates skate past, the frustration mounts. It's then that Boguniecki reflects on what got him to the NHL and what, perhaps, will keep him there longer than anyone now expects.

    "I just think a lot of guys mature over a year or two," he says. "When I think of myself back in Fort Wayne, I was just out of college and didn't know a lot. But I've definitely learned about the pro style of game."

    And he also learned that patience can pay off, if the will to succeed is there.

   

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

An old Sims story

This story is from Nov. 15, 1998, and you may enjoy the look back. Not a particularly great story of mine, but interesting that Sims is now back with the Komets. I'll be back from vacation on Aug. 10. In the meantime, check out www.journalgazette.net and all the other sports blogs we have.

Al Sims and Claude Noel have come full circle.

    Five and a half years after they coached the Fort Wayne Komets to the Turner Cup championship, Sims and Noel are together again behind the bench of an IHL team, the Milwaukee Admirals. But if there's a difference between the intense Sims-Noel duo of 1993 and the one of today, it's how much both of them have learned in the interim.``I think there's a lot of similarities,'' Sims said. ``Obviously, we're a lot more knowledgeable now. But a lot of things are the same. Both our strengths are our energy and being positive. And we both know a lot about the game.''

    Sims was the Komets' head coach in 1993, when he was joined behind the bench for two great months by Noel, who had just completed a season coaching Dayton of the East Coast League. Both were up-and-coming coaches in 1993 with bright futures ahead of them. Sims was the authoritarian while Noel was the players' confidant.

    The tandem was a success, and it led the Komets to a 12-0 record in the playoffs, catapulting both Sims and Noel into the spotlight.

    Sims spent the next four seasons coaching in the NHL -- three as an assistant with Anaheim and one as head coach in San Jose -- before taking the reins of the Admirals in 1997. Noel worked behind the bench of the IHL's Michigan K-Wings for five years, spending the last three as their head coach.

    When the K-Wings didn't renew Noel's contract last summer, Sims placed a call to his good friend, who had become adept at cultivating NHL talent with Michigan, the minor-league affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars. Milwaukee is the minor-league team of the NHL's Nashville Predators.

    But Milwaukee's contract with Nashville expires after this season and Sims, 45, said the Admirals have to prove they're worthy of another one. That's where Noel, 43, comes in.

    ``Claude knows a lot about coaching the young kids and prospects,'' Sims said. ``It's a different approach. The emphasis isn't so much on winning championships, but rather on developing (players).''

    Noel said he took a lot of knowledge away from his time with Michigan, where he worked as an assistant under Ken Hitchcock, now coach of the Dallas Stars, before getting a shot of his own as the K-Wings' head coach. Noel transformed several IHL players into NHL standouts while guiding the K-Wings to a 88-97-21 record.

    ``From a coaching standpoint, an affiliated team is great, because you have players hungry to play in the NHL,'' Noel said. ``You have to teach them a lot of things, but they have a future ahead of them.''

    However, an affiliation brings with it a myriad of problems, Noel said. For example, affiliated teams have less say in what players they have on their roster, the team has no consistency as skaters are constantly being replaced by the parent club, some players don't even have basic knowledge of systems, and the ultimate goal of the team isn't necessarily a championship.

    The latter could be the biggest problem in Milwaukee for Sims and Noel, who are both employed by the Admirals, not the Predators.

    ``It's a different approach with an affiliated team,'' Sims said. ``The emphasis isn't so much on winning championships but is on developing. Here (in Milwaukee) it's a catch-22. We are trying to win a championship and trying to help Nashville.'' The Admirals are 6-4-4 this season.

    While Noel has the experience to guide an affiliated team, and he's happy to have been given the opportunity with Milwaukee, coaching the Admirals isn't without faults. The transition from head coach to assistant is a difficult one.

    ``I think the role of the assistant coach is more of a white hat guy -- better with the players and a buffer between them and the head coach,'' Noel said. ``The head coach is more of a black hat guy. He has to come down on the players.

    ``When you've been a head coach you have to bite your lip sometimes. You just have to allow the head coach to run his program and help him, and you have to support the head coach. It certainly is an adjustment.''

    Sims has been in that position before. When he left Fort Wayne to become an assistant in Anaheim, he found it difficult to not disagree sometimes.

    As a result, he gives Noel as much responsibility as possible in coaching the Admirals.

    ``When I went to Anaheim, I went through a similar experience because I was so used to going and talking to players and ranting and raving,'' Sims said. ``My basic job in Anaheim was to put out fires for Ron Wilson. It was difficult for me. I'm sure Claude's going through the same thing right now.

    ``I give Claude a lot of responsibility and he will go into the (lockerroom) and say things on his own. He's not a guy that stands around and moves pucks for me.''

All content herein is © 2007 The Journal Gazette and may not be republished without permission.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Chaulk returns to Komets

One year after he left, a Fort Wayne Komets mainstay has returned.

The Komets announced this afternoon that veteran center Colin Chaulk, who skated four seasons for

Fort Wayne

and was a key component of the Komets’ 2003 Colonial Cup team, has agreed to terms. Chaulk, 30, will serve as a player/assistant coach for new head coach Al Sims, a prodigal son in his own right who was behind the bench for the Komets’ 1992-93 Turner Cup season.

Chaulk was a four-time All-Star and three-time Best Defensive forward for the Komets, scoring 91 goals and 349 points for the team in 282 games between 2002 and 2006. For more, see Thursday’s editions of The Journal Gazette.

-- By Ben Smith

Remember the Titan

Here's another story from the past -- Dec. 16, 2002 -- and I can't tell you how many details from this story made its way into other media outlets around the world. Nothing like hearing Paul Harvey basically read your story on the radio.

Remember, I'll be back from vacation on Aug. 10. Miss me yet?

They stood outside the locker room and chanted.

    They chanted for the equipment manager, of all people. They chanted for over an hour.

    Joe Franke lived the dream of all sports fans. He may be older, balding and a bit out of shape, but he played with the big boys and he won. And the fans wanted to thank him.

    "Everybody has that dream or that thought, 'Boy, what if I was able to be put in that position?'" Fort Wayne Komets president Michael Franke said. "Joe had his 15 minutes of fame that all of us, as a sports fans, can dream about. We wish we could have that opportunity to feel that."

    It was Saturday night, and the Komets were without a goaltender.

    Their No. 1 netminder, Tom Lawson, had been called up to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League the previous day. Backup Pokey Reddick couldn't go on any longer because of muscle cramps and would need an IV.

    That left Joe Franke, the 42-year-old longtime equipment manager, to skate into a 1-1 game with 11:03 remaining on the scoreboard. He had never played in a professional game, hadn't played organized hockey since high school despite dressing as an emergency backup about 28 times throughout his years with the Komets.

    He had eaten two hotdogs and drank four Mountain Dews during the first two periods, since he had been at the rink since 8 a.m. tending to uniforms, equipment and players, without a chance to dine.

    "I didn't want to do it. I sure didn't want to go in," Joe Franke said. "Thank God it turned out the way it did."

    He stopped 4-of-6 shots in regulation and an unbelievable 3-of-4 attempts in an overtime shootout, plus he earned an assist, and the Komets beat the Elmira Jackals 4-3.

    The result was pandemonium. The crowd of 6,497 went berserk as the victory was completed. The players stormed off the bench to tackle the middle-aged man. The on-ice officials patted Joe Franke on the back. The supposedly impartial off-ice officials and statisticians gave him a standing ovation in the press box.

    "I haven't heard that building so loud in years," Michael Franke said. "There were only about 6,500 people in the building, but it was so loud."

    And more than a hundred of those in attendance decided to hold vigil outside the locker room to pay tribute to Joe Franke, a franchise fixture not related to the Franke family that owns the team. Maybe it was because the fans have had little to cheer about this season - the Komets are a mediocre 4-5-2 at Memorial Coliseum - or maybe there's something more.

    Think of your favorite NFL or NHL team. Can you even name the equipment manager?

    Well, here's what you need to know about Joe Franke: He makes sure the players have got clean underwear. Sounds silly, sure. But think about it.

    How many people in your life have made sure every day that you've got clean underwear? I'm guessing your mom or dad, and that's it.

    Joe Franke is the guy behind the scenes at Komets games that sees to the players' needs. No matter how minute the detail, from equipment to wardrobe, Franke takes care of it.

    Need sticks? He'll order them for you. Jersey ripped? He'll sew it for you. Going out of town in a hurry? He'll pack for you.

    Need 3-of-4 shots stopped in a shootout? He can take care of that, too.

    "I've played hockey for quite a number of years now and he's the best equipment manager I've ever had," 32-year-old defenseman Troy Neumeier said. "He's just as important as anyone else on the team. When you need something done, he's on the case before you even know it."

    Lawson was informed late Friday that he had been called up to the AHL, and he was told less than five minutes later by Joe Franke that his bags had already been packed, underwear and pads included.

    "Every player who has ever come through Fort Wayne has always tremendously respected Joe's ability and his report with the players," Michael Franke said. "He's always known how to deal with the players. That's such a touchy role. He does their skates and everyone always wants something different."

    Joe Franke joined the team in 1977 as an assistant equipment manager in the now-defunct International Hockey League.

    He served as the Komets' trainer and equipment manager from 1979 until 1983, then had stints with the IHL's Indianapolis Checkers and Muskegon Lumberjacks. In 1991, the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins called him up from Muskegon to be a trainer for the playoffs. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup that season and Joe Franke has a championship ring from that time.

    He was rehired by the Komets in the summer of 1991 as a trainer and equipment manager, and he's been with the team since. He had to drop his training duties in 2000 because the UHL mandated trainers have a particular certification he lacked. To supplement the lost income, Franke started a landscaping business.

    He's missed only one game in 25 years of hockey, and that's because his son was injured.

    "(Me and assistant equipment manager Jack Prindle) know what goes on more than anybody does because we're with the players all the time," Joe Franke said. "The coach only comes in when its practice time. We're there hours before and hours after. If it weren't for those (players), I wouldn't have a job. So I treat them well."

    If the Komets need a power play, Franke will see whether he can detect one of the opposing players using an illegal stick. When center Colin Chaulk struggled early in the season, Franke made him change his number to change his luck.

    When the Komets are short a goalie in practice, as they were Saturday morning, Franke is asked to suit up.

    "I'll tell you what, Joe skated (Saturday) in the pre-game morning skate with us," Komets coach Greg Puhalski said. "He was on fire. That was the best I've seen him look."

    No one thought he'd actually get into the game that night, but the fans were certainly thankful he did. As they chanted for him repeatedly, however, Franke was too busy to make an appearance.

    "The players were complaining because as soon as I was done talking to (the reporters), I started wiping off the stalls and cleaning up," Joe Franke said.

    The dream didn't last long. But it sure was sweet.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

A golden oldie

I will be on vacation until Aug. 10, during which time I hope my daughter starts sleeping through the night, the Red Wings add some scoring punch and the Komets get a goaltender. In the meantime, I'm sure the capable staff of The Journal Gazette will keep you informed with what's going on with the Komets, so keep checking out www.journalgazette.net.

In the meantime, for some reading, there's always Ben Smith's blog.

And to keep you occuped, from time to time, I've set this site up to reprint some of my favorite stories from through the years, which I thought you'd get a kick out of reading again.

Start with this one, from Oct. 11, 2002.

He scored the goal anyway. He scored it on instinct, as he had thousands of
goals before. He did it as his world was going black, as the crowd looked on
in horror, as viscous fluid drained from his eye to his jersey.

He sent the puck past a sprawling goaltender, and then he sprawled in the
corner himself. He felt no pain, only the cold of the ice. He saw the trainer
coming toward him, but he saw the trainer with only one eye.

"It's over," he screamed.

David-Alexandre Beauregard's hockey career was over. His dream of earning
an NHL contract, so close to being realized, was erased.

He wept.

It was Oct. 16, 1994, when Beauregard was carted off the ice having scored
what he thought was his last goal. He endured three hours of surgery but
remained blind in his left eye.

He was 18 years old.

Beauregard lived the young life of the typical hockey player in Montreal.
He was the oldest of three kids, all hockey-playing boys, and he longed for
the day he could skate alongside the NHL greats.

It was clear early on that Beauregard was a skilled skater and scorer. When
he was 7, he eclipsed 200 goals in a 40-game season.

"I didn't know if I would prefer being a defenseman or forward," Beauregard
says. "But after that, I figured I'll be a forward for a bit."

He was drafted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League when he was 17,
then debuted for the St. Hyacinthe Lasers as a scrawny 5-foot-10, 145-pound
left wing in 1993.

"I was very, very tiny. I didn't know if I was big enough for (high-level)
juniors," Beauregard says. "But I always scored goals, and I did (again with
St Hyacinthe). I proved that I could compete in a major junior league."

He tallied 21 goals and 56 points in 59 games his first season with St.
Hyacinthe.

In a bit of eerie foreshadowing, he suffered an injury to his left eye that
season. An opposing player's stick slipped under Beauregard's visor, severely
scratching his cornea. Beauregard missed two weeks of play because of the
injury.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime happening, he figured. After all, visors are
supposed to protect against these sorts of occurrences.

Beauregard was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 11th round of 1994 NHL
entry draft.

He began his second season with St. Hyacinthe in furious fashion, scoring
15 goals in 12 games. He was drawing the admiration of scouts, heading into
the game against the Granby Bisons that changed his life.

He skated toward the opposing goal on a breakaway, but somewhere between
the blue line and the goal crease, history repeated itself. An opposing player
hooked him from behind, the stick crept under his visor and he was poked in
the left eye.

The eye was punctured, drained of its fluid and robbed of its blue
pigmentation. It had been rendered a useless organ.

"I was in the hospital, and I knew my career was over," Beauregard says. "I
knew I would play hockey again, but I thought it would only be with my friends
or in some old-timer league."

Beauregard's mother, Genevieve Dallaire, visited her son that evening in a
Montreal hospital. Everything she knew about Beauregard's courage and spirit
was reaffirmed.

"You know something, depressed for David and depressed for another person
is not the same," Dallaire says. "He was so courageous. I can't believe that
somebody who is 18 years old could accept this like him.

"I remember that I cried. He told me, 'Why did you cry, Mom? You always
told me that you have two choices in life: You can cry or you can accept it
and continue.' "

Eager to move on with his life, Beauregard returned to the ice to practice
with his teammates, just three days after sustaining the injury.

He wanted to see whether he could still play the game as a pastime.

"I was the worst player on the ice. I couldn't do anything," Beauregard
says. "Every time I was turning the corner, I would hit the boards. I was
receiving a pass and I wasn't even sure it was my blade."

But he kept at it. He skated twice a day, every day, for three months.

He developed what he calls "a sixth sense," an awareness of where the
boards, the puck and the other skaters were, even if he couldn't see them.

And he recaptured the belief that he could compete at a high level of
hockey. So three months after his career had ended, Beauregard began a new
one.

People called him nuts.

Even worse, Maurice Richard called him nuts.

It was the NHL's lockout year and all of Montreal's attention was on junior
hockey. Beauregard's story was the biggest story of them all. The reporters
quoted everyone on the subject of Beauregard's comeback attempt, even "Rocket"
Richard, the legendary Montreal Canadiens forward.

"(Richard) said I was just crazy to even think about making a comeback,"
Beauregard recalls. " 'This guy's stupid. He's gonna get killed.' "

It was a sentiment echoed, almost word for word, by former Quebec Nordiques
coach Michel Bergeron.

"Everybody was scared for me," Beauregard says. "I was scared, too. But I
wanted to try."

He sought the blessing of his family and received it.

Beauregard returned to the St. Hyacinthe lineup on Jan. 14, 1995, and he
scored a goal. In the 28 games that remained that season, he added another
eight.

He hasn't stopped scoring since.

"I knew that he wouldn't continue to play if he thought it was impossible.
I have confidence in him for that," Dallaire says. "Sure, I would have liked
(for him) to stop, but now he's proved to me that he was able."

You wouldn't know it to look at him. You wouldn't know that this guy is, to
some extent, handicapped.

Eight years after losing 50 percent of his sight, Beauregard, now 6-feet,
190 pounds, has established himself as one of minor-league hockey's elite
scorers.

He was the Central Hockey League's Rookie of the Year in 1997-98, when he
scored 42 goals and 71 points in 57 games and helped Wichita to the playoff
finals.

During the 1998-99 UHL season, he tallied 52 goals and 81 points in 69
games with Flint and Muskegon.

Beauregard, 26, had a monster 2001-02 season, scoring 50 goals and 85
points in 69 games for the UHL's Port Huron Border Cats. He reached the elite
50-goal plateau by scoring six times in the final two games.

"He's so quick. He's got that quick step. He moves his legs so fast that
it's just tough to play against him," says Michel Massie, the Fort Wayne
Komets' scrappy left winger.

"He's just got that skill. (He knows) how to score goals. Sometimes you
think you've got him and he's gonna score anyway. He's got that skill that
anywhere he is, he can score a goal from there."

Massie has formed a close friendship with Beauregard. They're both natives
of Montreal. They were teammates in Port Huron during the 2000-01 season, and
they play softball together in the summertime.

It was Massie who helped convince Beauregard to sign with the Komets in the
offseason. Fort Wayne was in search of a scoring boost and, more importantly,
character players to fill its locker room after missing the 2002 playoffs.

"I think (Beauregard has) just got a great attitude, (the way he) sees
things," Massie says. "He could have gone down with that injury and said,
'It's over. I've got one eye. I'm not gonna play hockey anymore.' He sees
things a different way - 'I've got one eye. I've just got to deal with that.
It's just a big adjustment.' "

Beauregard can never play in the NHL, because he can't meet the league's
minimum vision requirements of 20/400 sight.

He played five games in the higher-level American Hockey League in 1996-97
and 15 games in the International Hockey League during 1997-98, but preference
for ice time was given to those players with a shot at moving up to the NHL.

"There's no question that he'd be somewhere else if the injury hadn't have
happened," Komets center Adam Lewis says.

Beauregard, who now dons a full face shield that cannot be penetrated by a
stick, does get belted to the ice often. But he denies it's because he can't
see the opposition coming.

"No, I get hit a lot because I'm such a good goal scorer," he says with a
chuckle.

Beauregard is content with being a star at the UHL level - he will
undoubtedly skate on the Komets' top line this season - and he's thankful he
made the choice to rekindle his career in the face of skepticism and
criticism.

"There were so many people who told me not to come back," he says. "But I
tried it and I'm glad I did."

All content herein is Copyright © 2007 The Journal Gazette and may not be republished without permission.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Voices from the past

This should conjure up some bad memories for you longtime Komet fans. If you've got a few minutes, click here and listen to the sixth clip on it. This is from Dave Eminian's blog at the Peoria Journal Star; it is audio from a roast of recently retired broadcaster Norm Ulrich. Anyway, the sixth clip is the Ulrich's call of the Turner Cup-clincher for the Rivermen in Game 6 at Memorial Coliseum in 1991.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

What Bertram had to say

Defenseman Kevin Bertram said he's both excited and nervous about rejoining the Komets after a two-year retirement.

"I'm really excited about it, aside from the nervousness," Bertram said. "It's been two full seasons since I've played. That's the part I'm not really sure about, if I can do it, but I'll have to find out. The only thing I can worry about is making sure I'm in the best shape I can be."

Bertram said he got the itch to play in the pros again, and learned he could balance hockey and a full-time job at the Fire Department, while coaching Snider's hockey team last season.

One of the apprehensions with re-signing with the Komets was the risk of injury, but he said everyone's been supportive. Also, he's been on skates with the Fire Department team for the last couple of years.

Bertram said, since it will take some time to re-acclimate to the speed of the pro game, he may have to be more of a physical enforcer early on.

"There is going to be a transition time," he said. "I might not be the guy they go to on the penalty kill right off the bat. If (being physical) is what I have to do to help the team, I'll step up. But my goal is to at least play how I played my last season (with the Komets)."

• Matt Syroczynski signed with Elmira.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Komets talking with Chaulk

The Komets have been speaking with center Colin Chaulk, who captained the team from 2002 to 2006, about a possible return.

"We've been talking to him," general manager David Franke said. "We're trying to see where he's at. I won't know anything final on him for probably a week or so. But we have had some talks with him and we're trying to see if we can maybe work something out."

Chaulk, 30, had 23 goals and 57 points in 49 games last season with Hockey Club Alleghe in Italy. He was expected to play in Italy again this season.

With the Komets, Chaulk had 91 goals and 349 points in 282 games. He was the franchise's leading point-scorer in United Hockey League play.

Chaulk couldn't be reached for comment.

By the way, defenseman Kevin Betram will not be retiring from the Fire Department. He will continue with it and play for the Komets, too, Franke said.

"No, he's not quitting the Fire Department," Franke said. "The most he would miss would be possibly one practice a week. He told me he's got enough time, to rest easy because he's got it handled."

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Komets sign 4 players

Click here to read an early version of the story. More on this in tomorrow's editions of The Journal Gazette.

McWhinney still in the mix

While things have been quiet on the goaltending front, Komets general manager David Franke said some news should be coming soon.

And Dan McWhinney's name could come up.

"We believe he'd like to come back here and it's just a decision he'll have to make," Franke said of McWhinney, who as a rookie went 9-3-1 with a 3.11 goals-against average and .900 save percentage for the Komets.

The Komets are looking at McWhinney to again be their No. 2 goaltender, but with Kevin St. Pierre no longer on the team, he'd probably have a shot at challenging for the starting spot.

Meanwhile, it sounds as if Shawn Degagne is still very much a possibility to be the No. 1 goaltender. Degagne, a sixth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 1997, played four games last season with Elmira of the United Hockey League, but he was injured. The season before, he went 24-16-2 with a 3.05 GAA and .911 save percentage for Amarillo of the Central Hockey League.

So far, the Komets have only defenseman Guy Dupuis under contract for next season.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Former Komets player dies

John Ferguson, who played with the Fort Wayne Komets during the 1959-60 season and went on to a lengthy NHL career, died Saturday at the age of 68 from prostate cancer.

Ferguson scored 32 goals and 65 points in 68 games with the Komets, as a right wing, then became the first franchise player to make the jump to the NHL. He skated with the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1971 -- he had 29 goals in 1968-69 -- and was known as one of the league's toughest players. He went on to be coach and general manager of the New York Rangers. He also was general manager of the Winnipeg Jets.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Gallant back in NHL

Gerard Gallant, an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Komets in 1998-99, has been hired to be an assistant with the NHL’s New York Islanders. Gallant, a longtime Red Wings player, coached the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2003-04 until last season.

McAllister an Everblade

The ECHL's Florida Everblades signed forward Kyle McAllister, who was scoreless in four games late last season with the Fort Wayne Komets.

Richardson update

Here's the story from The Wichita Eagle on Bruce Richardson's signing with the Central Hockey League's Wichita Thunder.

Dupuis back, OK with new IHL

There have been players concerned with the direction of the new six-team International Hockey League, which is emphasizing more physical play.

Guy Dupuis, the Fort Wayne Komets defenseman and team captain, is optimistic.

“You know, we’re here as players to cater to the fans,” said Dupuis, who became the first player to sign on with the Komets for the 2007-08 season by agreeing to a one-year contract Tuesday. “We’re here to put entertainment there. Without going out of control, we have to put a good show out there. The Komets’ fans and those in other cities, they want to see rough play and a little bit more fighting, more hitting and physical play, and we’re there to entertain the fans. … If that means the skill level or the finesse will be taken away – maybe it will be a little bit – but when it comes down to it, if 60 percent or 70 percent of the fans want to see rough play, I’m all for it.”

This from a player known more for his sportsmanship, scoring prowess and sound defensive play than anything. Dupuis, 37, was selected as the United Hockey League’s Best Defenseman last season – before the UHL reformed as the IHL – when he had 11 goals and 76 points in 76 games.

This will be Dupuis’ 11th season with the Komets dating back to 1991, when he played for them in the first incarnation of the IHL. He helped the Komets to a championship in 1993 and now he’ll be reunited with the coach from that team, Al Sims, who was rehired by the Komets this summer.

“Guy is the top defenseman in the league,” Komets general manager David Franke said. “He’s been a real pleasure for us to have on the team for all the years that we have had him. It was a no-brainer to re-sign him. It just took some time to get the details worked out. But Guy is a very solid player and solid citizen off the ice. … He plays like a 26 year old.”

The addition of Dupuis helps soften the blow of losing center Bruce Richardson, one of the team’s inspirational leaders, who informed the team Monday he would be leaving for the Central Hockey League, in part, because he was concerned about the stability and direction of the IHL, which had 10 teams as the UHL last season.

“I’m excited that we have six solid owners and I’m excited that we have close road trips,” Dupuis said, citing the geographic sanity for which the IHL is striving. “Hopefully, teams will sign a lot of guys they got (in a recent dispersal draft of players from former UHL teams from Rockford, Quad City, Chicago and Elmira). If that happens, I think the talent will be as good or better than last (season). But if a lot of the players don’t sign, I don’t know what the caliber will be.”

Dupuis is in the midst of running his Little Caesars’ hockey camp at McMillen Ice Arena and terms of his contract were not disclosed.

“I’m really excited,” Dupuis said. “Right from the end of the season, it was my No. 1 goal to re-sign with the Komets. … I didn’t really look anywhere else.”

Meanwhile, the IHL released its schedule – teams will play 76 games – and the Komets will open the season Oct. 20 at Memorial Coliseum against the Port Huron IceHawks.

They will play their traditional holiday games on Thanksgiving, at home against Port Huron, and on New Year’s Eve, at home against the Bloomington Prairie Thunder.

The season finale will be April 12, 2008, at Flint, Mich.

The Komets will face Bloomington and the Muskegon Fury the most times with 16 meetings apiece.

“We are very pleased with the schedule,” Komets president Michael Franke said. “Thirty two of our 38 home games are on Fridays, Saturday, Sundays or holidays. We will be playing all the teams in the IHL a similar number of times and that allows us to reach our goal of scheduling parity.”

More on this in tomorrow's Journal Gazette.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Bruce admits leaving, won't say where he's going

Bruce Richardson made quite an impression in his first season with the Fort Wayne Komets.

He had 15 goals, 47 points and 135 penalty minutes in 57 games, endured a painful injury – a torn labrum in his hip – which he played through until he needed surgical repair, helped coach the Komets to a regular-season championship and became wildly popular with fans at Memorial Coliseum.

His first season, however, will be his last with the team.

According to Komets general manager David Franke, Richardson will play next season for the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League. Richardson, who has negotiated with multiple teams in the CHL, wouldn't say Monday night who he's signing with but confirmed he's leaving the Komets.

"It's probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make in hockey," Richardson said. "Fort Wayne was the best organization I've ever played for. ... But I'm going to the Central Hockey League, for sure. They will announce it later in the week. The decision has been made and I'm not coming back to the Fort Wayne Komets. I wanted to try the CHL. They play a (shorter) 64-game schedule and it's the only league I haven't played in and I wanted to try it."

Richardson, 30, was a player/assistant coach with the Komets. It’s unclear if he’ll have the same role in the CHL -- "I want to play hockey," Richardson said, "and worry less about coaching." -- and it’s also unknown if the Komets will have someone in the player/assistant role under new head coach Al Sims.

“It just depends on who we come across this summer,” Franke said.

Early in the summer, the Komets felt they were close to re-signing Richardson, who has always had high praise for the Fort Wayne franchise and the city. But that was before head coach Pat Bingham, with whom Richardson had a close relationship, departed for an assistant-coaching job with Bridgeport of the higher-level American Hockey League and before the Komets’ United Hockey League reorganized itself as the six-team International Hockey League.

The league's size and the IHL’s move toward more physical play – it is instructing referees to call things more loosely – left Richardson with some reservations.

"With a six-team league, it helped make my decision a little bit easier," said Richardson, worried about playing teams 15 or so times. "As for the rules, I was a little worried. As a player, you want your league to be a little bit like the NHL. (The IHL) is trying to sell their product, and that's fine, it's OK, and this was a small part of things for me, just like the money, but when you add it all together (I wanted to leave.)"

There will be a full story on this in the Tuesday paper. One thing: Bruce said the CHL offer wasn't that much more than the Komets' but that at this level, "even an extra $25 or $50 a week" makes a big difference come the end of the season, when you have a family and all.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

More on Richardson leaving

Bruce Richardson made quite an impression in his first season with the Fort Wayne Komets.

He had 15 goals, 47 points and 135 penalty minutes in 57 games, endured a painful injury -- a torn labrum in his hip -- that required surgical repair, helped coach the Komets to a regular-season championship and became wildly popular with fans at Memorial Coliseum.

His first season, however, was his last with the team.

According to Komets general manager David Franke, Richardson will play next season for the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League.

"It's a disappointment," Franke said. "But we made him a very good offer -- a very good offer -- and it had a second year that was his option. Obviously, he felt he needed to do this. We have no ill will. We'll move on as a franchise and Bruce will, too."

Richardson, 30, was a player/assistant coach with the Komets. It's unclear if he'll have the same role with Wichita, and it's also unknown if the Komets will have another player/assistant under new coach Al Sims.

"It just depends on who we come across this summer," Franke said.

Early in the summer, the Komets felt they were close to re-signing Richardson, who had nothing but good things to say about the team. But that was before head coach Pat Bingham left for an assistant-coaching job with Bridgeport of the higher-level American Hockey League and before the Komets' United Hockey League reformed as the six-team International Hockey League.

While the IHL's move toward more physical play would seem to suit Richardson's rough-and-tumble style, it seems the money was too good to turn down.

"It's a very nice contract (he got from Wichita), from what I've heard from his agent," Franke said, "and he went for it. The Central Hockey League is throwing a lot of money around out there."

Richardson couldn't be reached for comment, but last week he told The Journal Gazette: "We just have to look at the good and the bad from both teams. I have a wife and two kids and you have to consider what's best for the family and everything."

More will be coming on this later in the day and in tomorrow's paper.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Richardson is leaving Komets

Center Bruce Richardson will play next season with Wichita of the Central Hockey League.

"It's a disappointment," Komets general manager David Franke said. "But we made him a very good offer -- a very good offer -- and it had a second year that was his option. Obviously, he felt he needed to do this. We have no ill will. We'll move on as a franchise and Bruce will too."

Richardson spent one season with the Komets as a player/assistant coach.

I will have more on this later in the day.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Doomsay or doomsday or just hockey talk

Regular reader Goalie Girl commented recently that this is the "doomsayer" blog and that it's getting a "bad rep." OK, I agree with the former. I choose to disregard the latter.

Clearly, there is a lot of negativity among all the comments. Again, I know, it's hard to be positive with teams falling into oblivion and no players yet signed for next season. And by now you probably know how I feel: You're all entitled to your opinions and should vent away.

Although, it is nice to read what the positive thinkers are feeling, too, so don't be afraid to chime in with things. If you feel things are going well, don't let the gloom-and-doom troops monopolize things.

Which brings me to the next, more important, point. Please, be civil to your fellow posters. I can't tell you how many people have come up to me to thank me for the blog and all the information, only to follow that with a statement like, "I read it, but I don't leave comments on there. I don't need to get attacked by other fans."

Seriously, let's all have some constructive debate on here. Unless, of course, you're just really angry and need to vent. I appreciate it. Public service announcement over.

Onto more fun things: This was posted on www.intotheboards.net and I just saw it, which is why I bring you something so dated. But interesting nonetheless. Apparently, Greg Rajan, a reporter with the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, has some unpleasant recollections of new Komets coach Al Sims. Click here and also here, to see two blog entries. One question: Isn't this the guy some of you readers were comparing to Dave Eminian from the Peoria Journal-Star? Reading his stuff, it must be. So, we'll take it with a grain of salt -- a big grain of salt.

Also, check out this story from the Bloomington Pantagraph; the Prairie Thunder is having a free-agent camp. While I think paying $350 is a bit much -- do these people not bring their own equipment? -- I like the idea of an open tryout. Wouldn't it be nice if the Komets had an open tryout where they looked at locals? Can't hurt to look. Anyone see "Invincible," the movie?

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Are you losing faith?

So, maybe the word is caught in my head because I'm sitting here reading Tony Dungy's autobiography "Quiet Strength" -- he'll be signing books at the Anchor Room on July 15, by the way -- but I'm wondering if you Komet fans are losing a little faith these days. It's all gloom and doom out there, especially in cyberspace, because the team hasn't signed any players yet.

Frankly, I don't blame you. Kalamazoo has Tyler Willis and Nick Bootland in the fold already. Flint just inked a decent-looking goaltender in Eric Marvin. Heck, even the Bloomington Prairie Thunder -- or, the PT, as the International Hockey League's web site is calling it -- has a former NHL player, Jarrod Skalde, in its ranks.

It does seem like ages since we've had any player news come from the Komets, as we sit on pins and needles waiting to learn if Guy Dupuis and Bruce Richardson will again grace us with their presences, as fans continue to obsess over the departure of Colin Chaulk, now more than a year old.

So, I opened up my files to see if the Komets are really behind schedule. Hmmm, nope. Last year, they didn't even have a coach in place until July 10, didn't sign a player until July 18. They didn't hit the 10-player mark until Aug. 24. And come to think of it, last season, the Komets did pretty well on the ice, at least compared to the rest of the field.

Now before you start calling me a Franke family apologist -- I know that's too much to ask -- I'm not saying there aren't genuine concerns. The Komets have to sell players on the direction the IHL is going and build what seems like it'll be an almost entirely new team. But it's reading a little too much into it at this point to think this is because no one wants to play for Al Sims or something along those lines. It's still early -- really early.

By the way, Ben Smith mocked me on his blog, And Another Thing ..., but your readership has helped his site take off. I told him, "Be careful, the power of Ice Chips can be used for good or for evil," so he'd better be nice. But seriously, keep reading, it's a really good blog.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Gascon 'out of mix'

The Fort Wayne Komets did have interest in bringing back center Martin Gascon but, according to general manager David Franke, he's likely to play in Europe next season. "He's out of the mix," Franke said. Meanwhile, the Komets have been informed by the agent of Bruce Richardson, who has been weighing offers between the Komets and an undisclosed team from the Central Hockey League, that a decision may not come until late next week, Franke said.

The Komets have now gotten in contact with all of the players they selected in a dispersal draft last month. They had trouble getting in touch with their top pick, defenseman Sergei Durdin, who is in his native Latvia. Through his agent -- the same agent as Richardson -- the Komets got word to Durdin and are waiting to hear back to learn if he has interest in playing in Fort Wayne.

Also, former Komets goaltender Kevin Weekes signed with the New Jersey Devils.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The great debate

Today, Ben and I debate the International Hockey League's direction toward more physical play.

For my story, click here. For Ben's story, click here.

And there was another story today, with updates on Bruce Richardson and more. Click here.

Richardson mulling things over

Center Bruce Richardson hopes to know by the end of the week whether he'll be returning to the Komets or going for a lucrative contract with a team in the Central Hockey League.

"Fort Wayne is looking good for me, for sure," he said, "because I was there last year as a player/assistant coach. If they're able to match the offer (from the other team), it's something I'll be able to keep considering. It's not a dead market for me. We're still working on it and hopefully we can come up with something."

I know that sounds grim and asked Richardson if this other team was the front-runner.

"I wouldn't say that," Richardson said. "We just have to look at the good and the bad from both teams. I have a wife and two kids and you have to consider what's best for the family and everything."

Richardson said the Komets have made him a contract offer and he doesn't have anything in writing from the CHL team, though the verbal offer was higher. He also doesn't have assurance he'd be a player/assistant coach from the CHL team.

"I should know by the end of the week where I'm going," Richardson said. "I'll do what's best for my family."

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Looking at goalies and more

The Fort Wayne Komets are still in search of a No. 1 goaltender for next season and at least one new name has cropped up: That of Kevin Reiter.

Reiter, who played against the Komets while with the United Hockey League's Missouri River Otters from 2004 to 2006, spent most of last season with the Central Hockey League's Laredo Bucks, going 17-6-1 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

"He is a player we're interested in," said Komets general manager David Franke, whose team is now in the International Hockey League.

Two other goalies in the fold are Shawn Degagne, the former Elmira player whose rights the Komets got in a dispersal draft last week, and Dan McWhinney, the Komets' backup goalie last season.

Degagne missed most of last season with an injury but in 2005-06, he was 24-16-2 with a 3.05 GAA and .911 save percentage with Amarillo of the CHL. McWhinney was 9-3-1 with a 3.11 GAA and .900 save percentage as a rookie with the Komets.

Franke said the Komets are not limiting their options to just Reiter, Degagne and McWhinney; they are keeping tabs on goalies trying to make it in the higher-level American Hockey League who may be sent down later.

Speaking of which, while they're not especially interested in getting an affiliation with an AHL team, the Komets are trying to arrange AHL training camp spots for some of their players, in hopes doing so would compel some players to sign with Fort Wayne. The Komets may even ask the Rockford IceHogs, their former rival from the UHL, if they'd take a look at some potential Komets players.

Fort Wayne is also hopeful both defenseman Guy Dupuis and center Bruce Richardson will re-sign with the team sometime in the next week. Richardson is being courted heavily, though, by a team in the CHL.

• Make sure you check out journalgazette.net or, better yet, buy a newspaper and look at the Front Row page in the sports section. Ben Smith and I will have some columns you should enjoy.
• Speaking of Ben, it occurs to me, I never made mention of his blog, entitled And Another Thing ... . I know many of you enjoy Ben's Komets coverage, so bookmark it.
• As a reminder, I'm scheduled to be on the TNT Morning Show, 98.9 FM, on Tuesdays around 9 a.m. Speaking of which, they have a new web comic strip there. It frightens me a bit, but here you go anyway. (I do have a theme song on their show; is it too much to ask to have a few comic appearances?)
• Several blog readers have been taking part in Charlie's trivia game. Click here to get to that. All I can promise you is that it will have very obscure questions and no tangible prizes. But kind of fun nonetheless.
• Finally, noticed the poll on the left rail of this page? I guess people don't want the Turner or Colonial Cups recycled for the new IHL.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette