Updates on Gratz, Fic and Justin Timberlake

I just had a chance to speak with Brian Gratz, the Fort Wayne native and former Komets goaltender, who is in his first season as a head coach with the Indiana (Penn.) Ice Miners of the new Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, a five-team Single-A circuit.

I don't want to get into too much about what I spoke with Gratz about -- I'll have a story soon -- but he told me he's having a lot of fun, though the job has been hard.

He's basically the coach, general manager and equipment manager -- he was washing the team's towels while we spoke. He turned down an assistant coaching job in England to go to Indiana, and his team is off to a 2-0-0 start, having outscored the opposition 18-5.

Gratz said he has six or eight players who could play at the AA-level, which is what the Komets are in, and he's even made some recommendations to Fort Wayne general manager David Franke.

"I've put together a group of guys focused on making it to the next level," Gratz said. "I'm hoping all the things I'm trying to do for my players will pay off. As for me, if there's ever the opportunity to move up to Fort Wayne as a coach, I'd love the chance."

Gratz is 26, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up coaching at Memorial Coliseum someday. He spent much of his playing time listening to and learning from coaches, knowing he would someday be behind the bench, and he was beloved by his teammates here because of his work ethic.

• This would be like hearing Rush Limbaugh announcing he's no longer a conservative; radio broadcaster Terry Ficorelli is leaving the Muskegon Fury after 13 seasons to call games for Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League. Undoubtedly, he is the most unique broadcaster I've sat next to at games, and I'm known for my Ficorelli impersonation. But he'll be crankin' and swankin', being about 10 seconds behind the play, in the junior ranks now. And I'll miss the press releases, or prose if you will. Recently, columnist Ben Smith and I got a particular hoot out of this one: Check out the third paragraph. Anyway, good luck, Fic.
• Check out this story from the Bloomington Pantagraph about Leo Thomas, back from filming a movie with Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake. Hey, don't laugh, "Alpha Dog" wasn't that bad.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Comments

[lovelost]

This is what we need. We need a farm team. They could bring up and comers to us. But this is good we got another place where we can get skilled players at. Hope the contacts stay together well.

[Andrew]

Just like if we had an AHL afillate...would we like it if they took Saidachev (for instance)?

[Andrew]

Just like if we had an AHL afillate...would we like it if they took Saidachev (for instance)? I don't like farm teams for any sport, and if it's optional then why should we do it?

[lovelost]

Well if we were at the top of the chain we wouldnt be taking are better skilled players there. But we could also get better players for instance. I am not saying take 5 of our guys there and 5 of theres here. I am just saying bring one for a game every once in a while.

[chuckitt]

did ya notice ryan jorde opening his big mouth again? if i played for the thunder id be runnin him on the first shift!!

[Jerad Shaw]

I was a little dissapointed last night. Bought NHL 08 to play with some hockey. All the AHL teams are in it, but no Pascal. I was a little purturbed. I refuse to play with Rockford or QC though. The hatred remains!!!

[Jungle Monkey]

Cohny, Alpha Dog Stunk! Stunk!

[Bud]

I wont watch B2 at Muskegon because of FIC,he is the worst announcer in hockey.Good bye and good ridance.
The paragraph reads just like he announces sounds like he is in love with Plante.

[The Fan]

A comment was made in a past posting about the MAHL League. Indiana has a player by the name of Justin Depretis. The kid stands 6-3 and weighs in at 230. He has eleven points in two games (7 goals, 4 assist). I would like to see what he could do at the next level. I say offer the guy a try out. There are a couple forwards that could use some motivation.

I have desided not to let myself down by anticipating physical play (Old IHL). The last home game is an example. Where was my 2nd period wake up call? Where are the thundering, grinding checks along the back boards? I'm not crying for a fight fest. I just want to see hard hitting, physical hockey. Line someone up and follow through with the check, not a little love tap. I will add in the defence of those who have tried to add this element. The ref's call this boarding or roughing. This needs to be addressed. Last home game there was a little face wash with the gloves in front of the net. No big deal, just the boys saying hello. Both were called for roughing? The ref's take the spunk right out of the game. IHL Hockey? Na. Still the UHL and the same ole crappy UHL ref's.

[Jungle Monkey]

I think retaining the refs from the UHL was a mistake.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

I Agree with both of you two.

"The Fan" makes excellent points. It is not the fights that make the game. It is the physical stuff along the boards and in front of the net. We don't do it enough as a team. Wins are great. But to be a great team, everyone must buy into physical play. Someone said that one of our veteran players played physical? He is the example of the love tap. And the refs do make it tough on players when they call normal checking....roughing or boarding. There is a difference and it does need to be addressed. One fight at the very end of the game is great and all for those of you who fall for that...it is the style of physical play that others in the league have brought night in and night out that most of us want to see.

Flint plays physical.
Port Huron is playing it some.
Bloomington plays physical.
Kalamazoo plays physical.
Muskegon plays physical.

The Komets start a fight every now and again and the fans say "Look there, that is the physical play that they promised, you other fans need to apologize to the team now...."

[Hit Somebody!!!]

The positive thing is...I like the 6 team league thus far. It will foster hatred amongst teams. Jorde shot his mouth off at Bloomington and that will be a war...I think tonight? Those sort of things will make for exciting hockey. We have a team full of great potential. We have an exciting third line that creates a buzz. We have Big Bert. We got Woods, when he plays that is. Chaulker, Acquino and Sessa will be deadly this year.

Lots of positives. I would just like to see a physical approach night in and night out. There really is no excuse not to play that way...is there? Hit...or be Hit!!!

Go Komets!!!

[Andy]

Anyone know why Marchant is not playing.

[scoops]

These mass generalizations that everyone plays a physical style but us is par for the course. This after only two weeks of the season has past and most of us have only seen 3 of the 5 teams with our own eyes.

Must be watching all the games on B2?

Traveling up to Port Huron to catch a Icehawk/Generals game on a Saturday night? Or Bloomington? Or Muskegon?

You keeping track of hits?

Of course not, not exactly, and well, no.

Reading the boxscores? Probably.

[David]

For Team loaded with "offensive" firepower our PP right now is absolutly horriable. Had a 2 man advantage for about 5:00 and did even sniff the goal.

[Ex-STH]

Thank God for Acquino because it looks like nobody else on this team can find the net. Let's see in 20 periods of hockey this team has scored 18 goals (pretty sad) and Acquino has 5 of them, I believe. That doesn't say much about the rest or maybe it does. And where does this team rank in special teams, both PP and PK? I know it is early, but let's get real here. It's early for the other five teams in the league too.

[Ex-STH]

Score at 11 seconds of 3rd to tie it up? Thank you. I think I'll vent more often.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

Apologist.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

As Always.

[Andrew]

Marchant who?

[positivlypositive]

Whoa look at all of the fair weather wind blowing through here.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

Question for Mr. Scoops...

Would you say the Komets are a physical style of Hockey Team in the games you have seen with your own eyes this season?

I haven't seen Flint yet. I have seen the other 4 teams play. And yes they are physical thus far. And taking the accounts of people who report on the Generals and watch their games, they seem to be the most physical team in the league. So unless you know otherwise, Don't generalize that the other teams aren't.

I gave my opinion on the style of hockey that the Komets will need to play to be successful in this league. Since it is not the same opinion as yours...Scoops...does it make it wrong? Only your opinions are valid? Thanks again for your love.

[Hoss]

Girls! Girls! Girls! You are both pretty!!! Now let's drop it! LOL

[scoops]

I'm happy with it thus far.

Does everyone try to drive their target through the boards at every opportunity? No, not everyone on this team plays that way and/or has that type of role on the team. I want guys like Sessa, Aquino, Chaulk, and Shafranov scoring goals, not scoring hits.
Have the boards been rattling for 60 minutes each game like they supposably were from 1936 through 1994? No, and it never will be that way, ever.

You never said the K's don't play physical but you sure left the door wide open for someone like myself to assume that is what you meant by it. If I misread something then I apologize. You are always entitled to your opinion as always but I'll call you out on something if I choose to do so. Come on man. We've done this dance before.

Now I don't quite have 20/20 vision and with that being said I don't recall Port Huron, Muskegon, or Bloomington running us out of our building with their physicality or hearing that we got outmatched physically in any of our road games. If you want to make a fair comparison then you cannot compare how our team plays physically by how Flint and Muskegon played each other one night or how the Bloomington/Flint game was the other night. Its not the same.

Until we get owned, their team vs. our team, I just cannot agree with you at this given moment.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

That is fine. I never wanted you to agree. I was expecting you to criticize and tell me why I was wrong when I was typing what I typed anyway and should have just deleted it to start with. But I left it as my impressions so far of this team is that we have some guys who haven't bought into physical play and hustle. I am not saying that about everyone on the team though. We have a few guys who bust their arses every shift and I respect them for that. What Bert has done out there so far is unreal. Hukalo, Chaulk, Curadeau, Saidachev, Acquino, Woods, Sessa, Warner, Hanson, and Pence have been great thus far. Guy has done well. I might have left off someone but I think there have been some notables that haven't gotten after it like they should. In my opinion there is no room for guys on this team that are lazy and don't get after it. There are too many young guys in this league that will go 100% and it will kill those guys who don't. Everything will shake out as it always will. My preference is for physical hockey. Even the guys who are supposed to be "scorers" can play a role in the team's physical play by hustling, going to the net, fighting for pucks, taking a body every now and again.

K's lose....hope they can get it going again fast. They have way too many talented players to not.

[lovelost]

I loved Chase's comment after Shaf's shootout attempt. "No Effort at All, No Effort"

We had 9 chances on powerplay and didn't get one? I really thought at the starting of the year that we would dominate on powerplay and so far this year it hasn't been great. But glad we came back and tied it up to get a point. Rather lose a Shootout then a game or overtime. I am proud of Bertram playing his first game with not getting a stupid penalty. Way too many penalties in overtime for both teams. 2 a piece. If we can just get line 2 and 4 going we shall be unstoppable. Lets go out and beat the Thunder tomorow! Go Komets!

[Hit Somebody!!!]

line 4?

[David]

Outside our PP being brutual at this point the IHL website is also horrible it goes down every Friday night. And for the sake of discussion the K's got out hit tonight.

[Hit Somebody!!!]

No way!

[lovelost]

well I should say if we used a line 4.

[Bud]

Sounds like the guys are pressing.Six games into the season,no reason to panic right now.

[scoops]

Out hit? If you were ever satisfied with ANYTHING the team did preseason, regular season, postseason, offseason, and/or playoffs....I'd buy what you are selling.