Ice Chips 06'-07'

Reynolds moves on

Komets forward Matt Reynolds is taking his services elsewhere.  The Excel Hull Stingrays of the bmibaby Elite League has signed the 27-year-old forward for the upcoming season.

Reynolds scored 19 goals and 33 assists during a record-setting regular season and eight points in 13 games on the way to the Turner Cup, and was a solid presence at the offensive end particularly.

-- Ben Smith    

Look at the rivalries

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 Komets' top rivals from the past nine seasons. (That covers the team's time in the AA level of hockey.)

10) Asheville Smoke -- There were some memorable, physical games against the short-lived team from the south.

9) Missouri River Otters -- They weren't always the most exciting games, but the River Otters and Komets had good, close, defensive-minded games that would have you afraid you'd miss the pivotal goal.

8) Muskegon Fury -- Fort Wayne fans love to hate some of the the Fury's skill players, who through the years have had a penchant for diving and whining. And there have been some good games, too.

7) Binghamton Icemen -- Remember that great playoff series in 2000? Too bad the Icemen departed this level not long afterward.

6) Port Huron Icehawks -- Anyone else think the Komets' comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to take the Turner Cup from the Icehawks' clutches will be the start of a good rivalry? Me too.

5) Flint Generals -- These teams have hooked up for some nice melees. And there have been some nice off-ice incidents, including some Generals officials allegedly measuring the Komets' sticks to check their legality, then calling for referee inspections during the game. For years, the Komets have responded by guarding all their equipment up there.

4) Kalamazoo Wings -- Geographically, this should be a monster rivalry. Especially since the Fort Wayne contingent is what gets Wings Stadium rocking. But the Komets have dominated and there's seldom any heat. Could we get a good line brawl to change all that? Olivier Legault, make that happen, please.

3) Elmira Jackals -- Yup, they brawled, especially when Robbie Nichols was with the Jackals and Pat Bingham coached the Komets. And they always seemed to be on the ice for strange happenings, like when Joe Franke, the equipment manager, was forced to play for the Komets. It had the makings of a great rivalry except the United Hockey League brass kept messing it up by scheduling too few games between the teams.

2) Quad City Mallards -- It fizzled over the years, especially once Brian Curran started coaching those boring Mallards teams, but these teams were just so good and kept meeting in the playoffs. There was hatred, even between front-office types.

1) Rockford IceHogs -- Didn't you just love to hate the way they played? They celebrated every goal like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Steve Martinson was always stirring stuff up on and off the ice. They were always running the Komets' goalies. C'mon, admit it, you hated them.

Some wild and crazy guys

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

Coaching stuff

Justin Cohn's stunt double here, Ben Smith, filling in while Justin takes a few well-deserved days off ...

Anyway, here's what I've got:  Although the Atlanta Thrashers are still denying it, Canadian media sources are reporting that former Komet and Chicago Wolves coach John Anderson is about to be hired as the Thrashers new coach.

This is welcome and long overdue news for a guy who, like fellow ex-Komet and NHL coach of the year Bruce Boudreau, has paid some long and profitable dues behind the bench in the minors.  Can't believe a guy with Anderson's resume hasn't gotten a shot before now.

Also, the Bloomington Prairie Thunder has hired 37-year-old Jarrod Skalde as its new head coach. Skalde, who played parts of nine seasons in the NHL in a 17-year playing career, served as player-assistant for Bloomington for the first half of last season.

-- Ben Smith   

Best defensive forwards

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 best defensive forwards of the Komets' past nine seasons. (That encompasses all of the Komets' time at the AA level of hockey.)

10) David-Alexandre Beauregard -- Sure, he scored tons. But his speed was a great defensive asset.

9) Keli Corpse -- Smart hockey player.

9) Adam Lewis -- A great role player, he'd mix it up with the best of skaters.

8) Bruce Richardson -- Lots of heart, blocked lots of shots.

7) J.C. Ruid -- Props for short-handed goals.

6) Chad Grills -- Forgotten man here, but he was pretty good in an awful season.

5) Jim Logan -- You may have gotten by him, but he'd make you pay for it.

4) Jason Goulet -- What was he doing at this level?

3) Sean Venedam -- Good coverage and great on faceoffs.

2) David Hukalo -- You don't notice him much. Too bad, because he's awesome.

1) Colin Chaulk -- Opposing forwards hate matching up against him.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Congrats to Gabby

Congratulations to former Komets player and coach Bruce Boudreau. He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the Year.

Drouin's back in Fort Wayne -- for good

P.C. Drouin has had a home in Fort Wayne for years, so I figured his re-signing with the Komets was because of comfort and convenience.

It turns out it's more than that -- he's linking the future of his hockey career to this town, to the Fort Wayne Komets.

He just likes the place so darn much.

"It was a very easy decision," Drouin said, after re-signing with the Komets on Thursday. "I wanted to come back and that was my plan the whole way. I had such a great year and want a chance to repeat that. I want to finish my career here. I knew that a long time ago. But now it's definitely more certain. You won't see me going anywhere (else)."

Asked how long he'll continue to play, Drouin plans to take it "year to year."

A former NHL player with the Boston Bruins, this will be his fourth season with the Komets since 2004. After starting the season in Europe, he joined the Komets last November and was a key component in sparking them to regular-season and playoff championships. He had 23 goals and 74 points in 62 regular-season games, then three goals and seven points in 13 playoff games.

Drouin, 34, recently became an agent with Three Rivers Insurance Group.

He and center/assistant coach Colin Chaulk are the only players signed for next season, though head coach Al Sims will be back, too.

• The Flint Generals have given their head-coaching job to Peter South, who was one of the three assistants that ran the team after Kevin Kerr was fired last season. South is a former scout with the Komets, who coached them in one game and then raided their roster with big contract offers. He did decent job with the Generals, who made the playoffs and lost in the first round, but I'm surprised the team didn't go for someone with a more proven track record. But maybe that team can improve with some stability behind the bench.
• Still no progress on Youngstown's possible entrance to the IHL. Click here to read more. Despite some reports to the contrary, adding the SteelHounds to the IHL's ranks would be great. I would add a new partner that fits well geographically, has a good arena and decent ownership group. And we don't really want to go another season with just six teams, two of them likely bad, do we? I'm not reading to much into the SteelHounds' rift with the Central Hockey League. What kind of morons really thought that travel and possible subsidization of it by the league would work? Youngstown and the IHL makes sense and will work. But someone need to let owner Herb Washington in on the skill of the IHL.
• Welcome back to one of my favorite bloggers -- Greg Rajan -- who was without a team to cover in Corpus Christi, Tex., for what? Ten minutes. He used to be one of those guys who bashed the IHL with no credible evidence, but we here at Ice Chips have whipped him into shape.
• The Chicago Wolves won the American Hockey League's Calder Cup. If Wolves coach John Anderson, the former Komets player who has been the most overlooked coaching prospect in, perhaps, all of sports, doesn't get an NHL job, there is no justice in the sports world. Oh, wait, we already know there isn't.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Drouin back

P.C. Drouin has re-signed with the Komets. I will have more later today.

A look at the new scoreboard

You asked for it, you got it. These are artist renderings of what the new scoreboard at Memorial Coliseum will look like.

Download scoreboardrendering.pdf

There are some important things to realize about these:

1) The top and bottom rectangles will actually be round, 360-degree LCD display ribbon boards. They will be capable of switching from advertising to graphics that correspond with games, such as denoting goals.

2) The design of the advertising panels on the side may change.

3) While it's hard to tell from this, the size difference between this scoreboard and the old one will be very dramatic.

Thanks to the folks at the Coliseum for getting these to me.

• There still has been no announcement out of Muskegon regarding the future of coach Bruce Ramsay, but this makes it sound like he's going to be back. Although the last comment, about "crash and burn" hockey, that sure sounds like a bad choice of words.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Seems like Drouin's coming back

I ran into Colin Chaulk and P.C. Drouin at the Mad Anthonys Charity Classic for Children on Monday. They looked like twins, with their matching black-and-orange golf shirts -- not the best choice for the 90-degree weather, I'd say.

Anyway, I told Drouin fans were abuzz with talk about if and when he would be re-signing with the Turner Cup champion Komets. (For the record, Chaulk is the only player already under contract.)

Drouin said the answers were: "If is probably. When is soon."

I wouldn't buy your jerseys until it's official, but as I've said all along, I'd expect him back.

Meanwhile, I've knocked the International Hockey League and, more critically, it's predecessor, the United Hockey League, countless times in the past. But a couple weeks of covering the Fort Wayne Freedom of the Continental Indoor Football League has taught me the IHL is a more well-oiled machine than I thought.

The Freedom, in case you didn't know, has had ownership changes, coaching changes, payroll issues, and has missed the playoffs. But check this out: The league's best team quit just before the playoffs began, all because Flint, which has an IHL team, didn't show up for a game.

So, knock the Franke family and this league all you want, they do things pretty well and we sometimes forget that.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Soon, they'll be replaying Drouin slapshots at the Coliseum

This just in from Journal Gazette reporter Amanda Iacone: The Memorial Coliseum scoreboard, complete with walking taco animations, will officially be a thing of the past.

A new four-sided video scoreboard will replace the 15-year-old matrix scoreboard this summer.

Allen County will play White Way Sign & Maintenance Co., which is based in Illinois, $1.1 million for the scoreboard, shot clocks and other items. Plus, New York-based HD Group, Inc., will install hockey cameras and video equipment for $182,310.

It will all be installed in August and September.

This means replays are now a possibility, though I wouldn't count on International Hockey League officials utilizing them. This should help the Coliseum's bid to host a NCAA hockey playoffs, too.

Check out Saturday's editions of The Journal Gazette for more on this.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Frenchy looking for help

Former Komets goaltender Kevin St. Pierre is holding a golf outing benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It will be June 14 at Noble Hawk Golf Links in Kendallville.

For those wanting information, call Tim Dykstra at 1-888-GOLF-321.

The fee for a four-person team is $240, which includes greens fees, carts, lunch, dinner and beverages. There will also be gift bags and awards. The tournament will have a 2 p.m. shotgun start.

The tournament coordinators will help individuals looking for a team.

They are also looking for sponsors or prize donations.

JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with juvenile diabetes, which the second most prevalent disease among school-age children.

• Click here to see the latest out of Youngstown on the SteelHounds' possible move to the International Hockey League.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

IHL interested in adding Youngstown

International Hockey League commissioner Paul Pickard told me he is interested in adding the Youngstown (Ohio) SteelHounds to his league's ranks. He will have exploratory talks with the team soon and if the two sides decide to move forward it could happen in time for next season.

"We've had conversations and we'd like to get together face-to-face," said Pickard, whose IHL has six teams, including the Turner Cup-champion Fort Wayne Komets. "Obviously, there are many things that have to be taken into consideration. We're only three weeks away from our annual Board of Governors meeting and our schedule is already completed. ... We would entertain changing it, if it were the right situation. The nice thing is Youngstown is not a start-up franchise. It's been doing business for a few years."

The SteelHounds were booted from the Central Hockey League on Monday for undisclosed reasons and are alleged to be interested in both the IHL and ECHL. Pickard said Youngstown would certainly fit the IHL's geographical framework, which is aimed at cost certainty through reduced travel costs and solid ownership.

Step one for Pickard will be a meeting with owner Herb Washington.

While I've heard for months that the IHL was hoping Youngstown would come to the IHL, Pickard said he's never made any advances toward that team -- until today.

"They weren't really on my radar as a representative of this league," Pickard said. "I was trying to do things the way I'd want to be treated. I don't want to go into another league, one of our competitors, and try to court a team away from it. As far as we were concerned, they were part of the Central Hockey League and I had no contact with the CHL or Youngstown."

Youngstown is about 266 miles from Fort Wayne. The SteelHounds are coached by former Fort Wayne player Kevin Kaminski.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Lucky number 7?

So, you may recall, not so long ago I was predicting that the International Hockey League would have seven teams next season, regardless of what the higher-ups or the schedules said.

To steal a line from John "Hannibal" Smith, I love it when a plan comes together.

As I suspected, the Youngstown SteelHounds are out of the Central Hockey League, though the team claimed it was a shock. Click here to read about it. And there's more from later in the day: Click here.

The SteelHounds are coached by former Komets player Kevin "Killer" Kaminski, who coached in the IHL (with Missouri) when it was the United Hockey League.

Though they won't talk about it on the record, the IHL has coveted Youngstown because of its proximity to the rest of the league. And even though the spin has been the SteelHounds believe they'd be a better fit for the ECHL, it'll make much greater financial sense for them to be in this league.

We'll have to keep our eyes on this situation.

Speaking of the CHL, it's dropping teams left and right. I hope this won't spell the end of one of the best hockey blogs in the minors -- that of Greg Rajan -- who once called me an "Uberblogger."

Though I've read elsewhere it's not official, this site claims that former Flint Generals coach and ex-Fort Wayne player Kevin Kerr will coach in juniors with the Atlanta Knights.

And I'd like to thank those of you who have been rubbing in the Penguins' triple-overtime victory. Sorry to say, your elation won't last. I picked Red Wings in six coming into the series and I'm sticking with it. By the way, how horrible have those goaltender interference calls been? Here's hoping that garbage doesn't trickle down to the minors. Now you're supposed to control your momentum while attacking the net and not brush a goalie's sleeve? Yuck.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

We have a schedule, not much else

Finally, the Fort Wayne Komets released their schedule. Click here to see it. Nothing earth-shattering there. Another 76-game schedule. Yes, they're playing on Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.

I can't believe a six-team league has an unbalanced schedule against opponents, but what's one more game against Flint anyway?

As I reported over the weekend, the season opens Oct. 17 at Port Huron, Mich.

Komets general manager David Franke said today that the team is still having end-of-season meetings with players and that no contract offers have yet been extended. (Center Colin Chaulk is the only player under contract.) Franke said he doesn't expect either defenseman Guy Dupuis or left wing Konstantin Shafranov to retire, so I'd say chances of both returning are good.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette