C'mon, K's, make it more interesting next time

Whew, I don't know about you, but I feel like I've been run over by a Zamboni.

I still can't believe Game 7 of the finals went to triple overtime. I don't care what level of hockey you're talking about, that's excitement. But just when I was thinking this was one of those wonderful sports moments that anyone would appreciate, a co-worker told me she left the building after two overtimes.

That's weak.

Anyway, the Komets are the Turner Cup champions. As you'll notice in the upcoming coverage, I'm referring to this as the greatest game in Komets history. I've run it by several people who say, there's no question. But if you have any arguments, let's hear about it now. It was the third longest game in franchise history.

I know there is a rumor out there that last night was Bob Chase's last game. As he left the press box, he said, "No way."

I did stop by the locker room on the way out of the building, to see what they were up to. I'm sure the players wouldn't appreciate me sharing most of their celebratory antics -- what happens in the room, stays in the room, as they say -- but here are some things I don't think they'd mind a fly on the wall sharing.

At one point, the players were chanting Nick Boucher's name. Kevin Reiter was clearly happy for him but also told me he wished he'd played better in his last outing. Personally, I don't think he got much help and I told him as much.

Some members of management, and their family, were smoking cigars.

A lot of the older veterans were low key in their celebrations, choosing to stay in the trainer's room or the private shower area. After more than 100 minutes of play that night, they were gassed. But one of the most jubilant was captain Guy Dupuis, who at age 38 has yet to decide if he'll play next season. He was downright giddy. 

There was way more beer in that locker room than champagne. So, it's not exactly like it is in the NHL.

Surprisingly, only one player, Mitch Woods, gave me a hard time about writing the Komets were done after going down 3-1 in the series. Refreshing to cover a team that doesn't take it personally if you knock them.

Fort Wayne native Brandon Warner just had a glow about him. He grew up dreaming of playing for the Komets. To be in that locker room celebrating a championship, of which he was a key part, was probably more like winning a Stanley Cup for him than anyone else.

I did some investigating into the durability of the new Turner Cup, which had the cup part break off when Dupuis hoisted it. Well, that thing was darn heavy, probably about 65 pounds, and the top wasn't fastened together nearly strong enough to deal with the weight distribution. But, it's not the first time the Komets have broken some hardware. The Tarry Cup was broken in the 2003 celebration. The old Turner Cup was broke in 1993, but, supposedly, it was given to the Komets that way. So maybe it's good luck. Or bad luck, if you consider they didn't repeat in those years.

OK, here's some other stuff you might be interested in:

• In case you haven't seen all the great stuff we had today: Click here for my game story. Click here for Ben Smith's column and here for his blog, which you better have bookmarked by now. Awesome slideshow, with audio, can be viewed by clicking here. We'll have more cool stuff in Wednesday's paper, so I would recommend picking up the print edition.
• If you want color reproductions of today's Journal Gazette as a keepsake, you can get information by calling: 461-8377. They'll mail the Turner Cup coverage to your home for $15.
• The annual season-ending party and jersey auction will be Wednesday at the Coliseum Expo at 6:30 p.m. Season-ticket holders and kids get in free; all others get in for $5.

On a more personal note, I want to thank all the readers for visiting Ice Chips this season. I won't get into specifics, but readership has been through the roof. I love that people around the league are making this their place for news and banter. I appreciate you all keeping the discussion witty and polite. As  one of the oldest blogs in minor-league hockey, and as the longest continuously running blog in the IHL, we take pride in all the goings on here and not bringing you fair-weather coverage.

I will continue to keep Ice Chips updated throughout the summer on a regular basis. But, thankfully, I'd like to take some time off here and there. If I don't put any new posts up, please, feel free to start some topics of your own in the comments section. Just keep it clean. And we will have some exciting changes to the blog in the near future.

And remember to check Komets Korner all the time, too.

Thanks,

Justin Cohn

Comments

[Heather]

Thanks for a great season Justin.

[deuce]

Hey Justin, one last time for this season, but thanks again for everything you do for us. Even though at times we can be a pain in rear!

[mightbite]

K's=CHAMPIONS/mightbite=not to bright/THANS JUSTIN.

[Ryne Gurney]

I was just going to say that I think you owe the Komets a thank you cohn, I bet they were really fun to write about this year

Brandon Warner Skating With the cup over to his family and hoisting it there was awesome (mainly because I was in the first row of Warner's Corner)

Justin Hodgman for mayor!

[Shawn]

A big thanks to Justin from all of us in "Komets Nation". This season will stay with us for a very long time!

[Jerad Shaw.]

HAHA Mightbite, we all know that isn't true!!!

[cat eyes]

new to the blog (better late than never!!)...looking forward to next season!! i met some of you all last night and looking forward to chattin with you soon! i am up for mother of the year...had my 7 year old there last night till the end and thru some of the celebration, and no, he did not go to school today...hey, the K's only win the Turner Cup once a season, right??? And we'll be doin' it again next year!!

[Heather]

hey shaw you never explained what happened?

[sh*t_stirrer]

Is it too early in the off season to say, I think the Komets should move to the AHL?

[sh*t_stirrer]

Is it too early in the offseason to start the "Komets should move to the AHL" thread?

[Mark]

lol

Thanks Justin for all of your hard work to bring fans like me all the coverage.

Everyone have a great summer
GO KOMETS

[Charlie Crawford]

Wow what a great season! Justin thanks for all your hard work. Everyone have a great summer!

[Hit Somebody!!!]

Greatest game ever, or one of them in my eyes.

The Komets showed their HEART. Bigtime.

Guys were getting murdered on the ice and still they found a way to pull off this win. Crazy!

I think we will look back on this season 10 or 20 years from now and think this might be the greatest team we have seen in Fort Wayne. Guys like Legault, Hukalo, Dufresne, and Pence suiting up to skate after the game, that says alot about this team and proves they are a true TEAM. Awesome.

Thanks Komets and IHL for giving us an amazing product this season. Great games, great rivalries. Awful officiating. There is always room to improve in a year old league...But great start for sure. You all should be proud. Continue to stay the course and grow this league. It is worth it for this town and our fans.

Justin Cohn...simply the best. No one compares to your effort and coverage. You deserve a raise before an NHL team swoops in and steals you from us. If it happens it happens, we can all say we knew you when you were slumming with us little guys. Thanks for all the info and coverage on an incredible season. You help us get closer to our team, closer to the other fans, and give us a place to hang out....kinda like cheers...Hoss..are you Norm? Scoops are you Cliff? Kidding.

Let the off-season begin. I am sure alot of guys are moving on and alot of guys are moving upward. Awesome group of players. Durdin played the game of his life last night. Handled the puck like we knew he could. I and others have blasted him, He was awesome last night.

See you next season. Remember Lets Go Komets...and Hit Somebody!!!

[CHASEFAN]

Anybody out there got a .wav file of Chase calling the winning goal?

[No Pucking Frisoners]

I have never been to the after season party they are having this wednesday night. Can anyone give my info on it? Is there always a huge turnout? If I can't get there until right at 6:30 will it be difficult to get in?
You can e-mail me at [email protected] if you want! Thanks Everyone!

[Jake]

If somebody is going to make copies of game 7 when it is re-aired I will gladly pay for a copy please email me at [email protected]
It was my first year having season tickets and was deffinetly one of the best investments I've ever made. Hope to see alot of people Wednesday.
WAY TO GO KOMETS!!!!!!!!!

JUSTIN HODGMAN FOR PRESIDENT

VOTE NOW

[Tom]

Does anyone have last night 11pm news taped because I was interviewed and had a friend told me they showed it on Channel 15. Since I am in Warsaw and was at the game I didn't have a chance to see it and I wanted to find a copy to show my mom. Thanks to anyone who can help me out with that. Also if anyone can tape the game tomorrow night or dvd let me know too because I will be in FW at least 2-3 times/month in the off season. Thanks for any help. Again thanks to all of the Komet family who attended road games this year and stuck up for each other. That is why I get depressed this time of year because I have to say good bye to most of you. I love all of the Koemts fans and look forward to seeing you at 3 Rivers and maybe a baseball game. Email me at [email protected] if you can help me out with either Monday nights news with the interview with me or the game that I guess is on FW cable. Thanks again everyone for a great season....sobs...GO KOMETS!

[scoops]

Any truth to Justin Hodgeman is getting a LA Kings camp invite from Robbie Laird?

[just wunderin]

So where are all the Franke bashers that questioned where the toughness of this team was or why they didn't try harder to bring back some of the dead weight of years past?
Funny how once again Komets management proves that maybe, just maybe they know what they are doing and yet next year when the likes of Woods or the goalies are not brought back, those same voices will once again accuse management of failing to deliver.

[Wendy]

I'm glad that everyone got home safely after last night's game. It will be on TV tomorrow at 7PM, right? But they re-air them at 11 AM the next day, too, don't they? I don't want to miss taping it, but I was hoping to make it to the party. I've never been to one of those, though, so I'm not sure what to expect. It would be great to have a chance to meet some of you. Will the team actually be doing autographs? I've printed out a photo I took that I'd love to have signed, but walking up to someone and asking for an autograph isn't something I normally do. Normally I just run and hide. :D

By the way, I'll have a slideshow of some sort ready with the photos I took at game 5 shortly. My game 7 images are in for development now, so keep checking back for a link to those as well.

THANK YOU, KOMETS, FOR AN AMAZING SEASON!!!! Rest up now, and I hope that those of you who need to do so recover quickly.

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER and BEST OF LUCK FOR NEXT YEAR!

[kometfan]

woods will be back!! but anyways what a game....get home at 2 am and study for a 8 am final...so much excitement i didnt feel the need to go to bed!! great season...lookin forward to next season already..just think its not that far away!

[Jerad Shaw.]

Kometfan737, I would like a copy of the game if possible. Tell me how much you want for it. I can either come get it whenever it is available, or will pay for shippin and handling. Up to you! Let me know!! Thanks!

[onice]

Kometfan737, I would also be interested in a copy of the game.
[email protected]

[Hoss]

For everyone asking, the Komet party is a great time!!! The players have fun with the crowd, you can walk up to all the guys and ask for an auto and not feel out of place. The best part, or at least the last time we won the cup, they played the winning goal on the big screen with Bob's call! Hope to see some of you out there. Come up and say "hi!"

Hit, if this is "Cheers" does that make you Woody? I know JC would have to be Sam, or would he be the old guy that worked the bar? I think Scoops would be Diane/Rebecca..."Sometimes you gotta go (everyone join in!) somewhere everyone knows your name. Dun, Dun, Dun..."

[Jerad Shaw.]

From what I heard scoops, they just said Laird was in attendence for game 7 and they said that he should invite hodge to camp. This was on the radio as I was coming home after the 2nd OT

[No Pucking Frisoners]

Kometfan737, I would be interested in a copy of the game as well. I will pay for shipping, dvd, etc. Here is my e-mail.
[email protected]

Also Hoss, Thanks for the info on the party!

[RIck]

I would like a copy of the game. I live in Auburn and we do not have Comcast

[Teresa]

Hey Shaw - did you make it to work yesterday morning on time? You missed it buddy. You should have stayed. It was amazing! Not to mention the look on Sterling's face when he went to the dressing room. Priceless!

[scoops]

Thanks Shaw. I heard tailgating before game 7 and heard it again at the game. I'm sure he could get drafted this summer too. Regardless, he probably is going to have alot of options to concider and I think alot of people in the "Komet circle" in hockey may have taken notice of this kid as well as Curdy and Aquino.

[Chris]

Justin - thanks for all the great coverage. We're not only lucky to have the Komets organization, but we're also lucky to have such great support from the community, including the media coverage. It's a seemingly symbiotic relationship. The team puts a great product on the ice, the fans show up, the media provides great coverage, further driving fan interest, and the thing just grows. It's great and I hope every Komets fan realizes how good they have it!

Sorry for the false rumor about Chaser. I'm glad to hear it was wrong. I got it from a dude that works at Federated Media. There may or may not be a hint in the verbiage above exposing my source. ;)

But seriously, thanks again, Justin for the great coverage all season long.

[Trish]

I would be interested in having a DVD copy of Game 7 also. How much would that cost? Please e-mail the info. at [email protected]

[Greg]

Taking time off????

There's no stinkin time off!!!!!

Your Wings and my Penguins possibly in the Stanley Cup Finals!?!?!?!

[Greg]

BTW- Thanks for everything you do in covering the Komets Justin!!!!

[Jerad Shaw.]

I made it to work, but left around 8:30. I wasn't feeling well the day before, and I think the lack of sleep caught up with me.

[Sharon]

Kometfan737...If you have extra copies of the game I'd like to buy one from you. Please email me at : [email protected] I will be glad to pay for shipping.

[Donovan]

I would like a kopy of the game mail or pick up is fine. [email protected]

[Jerad Shaw.]

kometfan373, my email is [email protected] email me when you have an idea of how this will all work out. Thank you much!

[Jungle Monkey]

Chris, what DUDE are you talking about? =)

[Conley]

Kind of funny everyone looking for a video. Reminds me of getting the bus for port huron. It would be nice to have a copy however. Shaw, get me one please. I'm sure they will have a great video on the new scoreboard next year for the home opener with highlights of game 7.
P.s. It would be a nice day if I were a duck.

[Jerad Shaw.]

I will do my best. I wish we had the Ft. Wayne local channels down this way. Really hinders my Komets coverage.

[Homco]

Throw my name in the hat for a DVD too please!

[email protected]

[Conley]

Agreed. I would rather have Ft. Wayne channels too. I get them with antenna at the shop but its fuzzy. Shaw you should have seen some of the cuts coming out of here yesterday. Wow! Not on the A game with 3 hours of sleep. I was going to bring my shears to the game for a little razzing on Zehr but figured the red coats would assume I was wanting to harm him.

[Jerad Shaw.]

haha. Glad I didn't come in to get the hair trimmed. Not that you can mess up this dome!!!! I left work at 8:30 yesterday and had to call in today. I wasn't feeling well and I think the lack of sleep caught up with me. I'll be back on the horse tomorrow hopefully!

[RUCHSKI]

I WOULD LOVE A COPY OF THE DVD AS WELL MY HUSBAND AND SONS GOT TO CELEBRATE ON THE ICE AND LOCKER ROOM. [email protected]

[RUCHSKI]

I WOULD LOVE A COPY OF THE DVD AS WELL MY HUSBAND AND SONS GOT TO CELEBRATE ON THE ICE AND LOCKER ROOM. [email protected]

[jonndfi]

Anybody have TigerDan's address? We can send him one as a reminder....

[Junior]

Justin:

Thanks for keeping us all informed during the season. We all obviously appreciate your efforts. Not only was it a great season, it's been nice to listen to a group of men that have erased all of the old record books and ACTUALLY stood up for each other on the ice this season.

I know that I'm all "hockey blogged out" and hope to take some time off for my wedding and honeymoon. But I'm sure it will be a long summer of player signings around the league and puttin down the bashers for me.

BTW, I'm trying to get the cup at the reception! It'd be a great story JC, I'll even let you be the first to the ceremonial keg stands.

Thanks again

[Abby]

how much are the dvds going for? I'm interested...
[email protected]

[greatwhitenorth]

I didn't get to drink from the cup or celebrate on the ice and never set a foot in the locker room, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[chuckitt]

random notes to close out the season...in the beginning i told all of you to be patient cause the frankes and sims had a plan and we needed to wait and see. luckily it was better than even i expected....we are so lucky in ft wayne that we have fans who are knowledgeable and care, thats why as a region we are the #1 spot for minor league sports....we are also blessed with media that spends a lot of time on local sports and leaves the big boys to espn.....justin and blake give us a service second to none and even tho they wont say it, they do care what goes on in local sports!...even the tv people back local sports, when i had to go home early, both stations had cut ins live from the game and its hard to find our media coverage in any other market!! lets hope the summer is productive and fun. lets hope whoever returns brings the hunger with them and the new guys buy into the tradition and lets keep filling the jungle and make the ihl a great league...thanks to all and to all a great summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!