The captain is coming back. The Cup-winning goaltender is, too.
Among the Fort Wayne Komets' four signings Tuesday were longtime defenseman Guy Dupuis, who captained the team to their Turner Cup playoff championship last season, and Nick Boucher, who was the netminder in the last three games as the Komets recovered from a 3-1 series deficit against the Port Huron IceHawks.
The team also signed physical right wing Brad MacMillan and rookie defenseman Danko Mironovic.
For the 38-year-old Dupuis, it will be his 19th season in the professional ranks, his 12th with the Komets. Last season, he tallied 15 goals and 58 points in 69 games and was selected as the International Hockey League's Defenseman of the Year. He took the same honor with the Komets the previous season in the United Hockey League.
Boucher, 27, was 24-2-4 with a 2.32 goals-against average in the regular season, while splitting time with Kevin Reiter, who won the IHL's Goaltender of the Year award. In the playoffs, Boucher went 5-2 with a 2.09 GAA.
"My wife's going to be attending law school in Chicago, so it made sense for both of us to stay in the Midwest," said Boucher, who turned down offers to play in Europe. "It's pretty well known in minor-pro hockey that they treat their players well in Fort Wayne. It was a no brainer and wasn't a hard decision on my part to want to come back."
The Komets are still talking with Reiter about a return, an idea Boucher supports.
"I would love to play with him again," Boucher said. "We both enjoyed having each other as partners. Whether it's Kevin or another guy, with the way the (76-game) schedule is, it's not a bad thing to have two guys who can play. Look at last season, I was out for a month with an injury, so it's good to have another guy you can look to."
Neither Reiter nor general manager David Franke couldn't be reached for comment.
MacMillan, 25, played five games last season with Trois of the semi-pro Ligue Nord Americaine de Hockey, tallying two goals and three points. In 52 games with Missouri of the UHL in 2005-06, he had seven goals, 12 points and 230 penalty minutes in 52 games.
Mironovic, 21, who is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, had seven goals, 22 points and 80 penalty minutes with Vaughan, a junior team, last season.
The Komets have eight players under contract, including forwards Konstantin Shafranov, P.C. Drouin and Colin Chaulk, plus defenseman Kevin Bertram, all of whom were on last season's team.
"As many guys as we can sign from last season's team, the better," Dupuis said. "We had good chemistry in the dressing room and obviously a lot of talent, with good character. To me, the more we can sign from last year, the better. So far so good. I've seen teams that had lots of talent and didn't mesh o the ice, but we had a lot of talent and we meshed. Don't break a good thing.
-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette
Brad MacMillan seems to have a good fight record. There are a few in there against the Komets. http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/2775/fightcard/reg2006
AS excited as I am to hear of these signings there are afew I am anxiously awaiting - (Legs, Henley, Reiter) I hope they come true!
Posted by: Homco | July 15, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Im lookin for Saidachev, Woodsy and Hodgy. Hoping for Reiter and Henley too.Not sure who legs is.....LOL.
Posted by: Karla Stranger | July 15, 2008 at 04:28 PM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=22zadBzIIxE
Posted by: tj | July 15, 2008 at 04:39 PM
Oh gosh, Woods, totally biffed that one, he is on my wish list too. Legs = Legault
Posted by: Homco | July 15, 2008 at 04:47 PM
As far as Henley goes...Im not sure. With all his injuries he has had in my opinion it time to hang the skates and enter coaching in some capasity. Love him to death, but there becomes a time to say enough is enough and go forward.
Posted by: Karla Stranger | July 15, 2008 at 04:54 PM
Great to have Dupuis and Boucher back. And Dupuis said it all right there -- "Don't break a good thing." I wish that were so.
Any word on how things wound up with Hodgman and the Wild camp? I hope things go well for him.
Posted by: Wendy | July 15, 2008 at 04:58 PM
I already like MacMillan.
Posted by: mightbite | July 15, 2008 at 05:37 PM
You KNOW I already like the guy too, Mightbite...hmmm...too early to consider a jersey, do ya think? LOL!! "The Goalie" watched the video and said "awww, yeah..."...only after being SURE for sure the dude was playing for the Komets this season! Well, if I can't have My Man Mitch, I'll make do with a Mac Attack!!!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 15, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Whoa... I just had an epiphany. It wasn't until just now that I realized the reason I liked Woods WASN'T because he was a fighter. Thanks for that, mightbite and Cat. I need to sit down now! :D
Posted by: Wendy | July 15, 2008 at 08:59 PM
Ha ha, i saw that too TJ, I'm a fan already
Posted by: Ryne Gurney | July 16, 2008 at 04:45 PM
I would like 5+ more fighters=FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT!!!1
Posted by: mightbite | July 16, 2008 at 05:15 PM
ignorance continues to be bliss for some.
Posted by: sigh | July 16, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Macmillan has also had a soldier problem the past year, so who knows how much he will fight. he didn't much last year.
Posted by: lovelost | July 16, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Sticks & stones may break my bones=would not be the first time/but words will not hurt me.I would like to have as K's=Morencey-BigSnake-Sgori-Mirasty-Chaz Johnson-HENLEY=FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT!!!!!1
Posted by: mightbite | July 17, 2008 at 04:28 AM
Mightbite...it's ok...I've been called names on here too...just keep on being yourself!! I like the fights too, nothing wrong with that. I like the game more, but I like when they fight too. Can't help it, I'm an Irish girl!! :)
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 17, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Lovelost...what's a "soldier problem"?
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 17, 2008 at 09:44 AM
I think lovelost meant a shoulder problem? If he's having a problem with his soldiers that's a little TMI... :P
Posted by: FiveMinuteMajor | July 17, 2008 at 11:11 AM
FiveMinuteMajor...thanks!! And ya crack me up!! I was hoping it was not a, um, personal problem, because what would that have to do with hockey? :) LOL!!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 17, 2008 at 12:31 PM
According to hockeydb.com
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid%5B%5D=81367
MacMillan didn't play the '07-08 season and 5 games in the LNAH the '06-07 season.
I do remember MacMillan's fighting Danny Stewart in '05-06 when he played for Missouri. He landed a nice punch on Stewart's forehead.
Posted by: Shutterbug | July 17, 2008 at 12:32 PM
CatsEyes-do you like UFC fights? If so it's on Sat. night on Spike./I like it when there is one fight after another off the faceoff.
Posted by: mightbite | July 17, 2008 at 05:27 PM
You know, it's funny...outside of hockey, I don't like any kind of fights, really, organized or not! For some reason, just the hockey ones grab me. Probably because I like the particular players/teams, maybe? Or just the sight of two guys trying to duke it out in full gear, so protected, was what initially struck me as funny and reeled me in, now I have to watch 'em! Either way, just the hockey ones for Cat!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 18, 2008 at 08:28 AM
Im with you there cat.I cant stand boxing,wrestling nor the cage UFC fights. BUT....get me to a hockey game or football where there is a chance of a good fight and I am a happy camper.
Posted by: Karla Stranger | July 18, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Never have seen a good fight in a football game...just mostly pushing and shoving. Basketball, now that's another story...the Pacers brawl a couple years ago was a shame, but the biggest fight I've ever seen in basketball. Baseball...too many to count!! Been there for so many too...we've road-tripped to lots of stadiums and seen lots of games before I got into hockey. I saw Kerry Woods of the Cubs pitch one of his first ever games and saw him hit one of his first ever home runs for them too at Wrigley...that was a rockin' day!!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 18, 2008 at 01:18 PM
I've always found the fights amusing more than anything else -- especially the way the fans get into them. It just makes me laugh. Also, as I understand it, it is incredibly difficult to generate a punch with any force when you are wearing ice skates. So unlike boxing and such, the fights actually seem kind of harmless. A player is far more likely to get injured during the game itself, you know?
Except for poor John Ferguson. Last night I was reading about the incident where he accidentally punched someone just as they were bringing their skate up. Ooooooo! Not good... not good...
Posted by: Wendy | July 18, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Wendy-if you plant your skates & grab your opponent putting most of weight on your back foot & pull him towards you while throwing a punch & distributing your weight towards your front foot & rolling your shoulder into it you can do some damage.
Posted by: mightbite | July 19, 2008 at 10:31 AM
One of the first games I went to with Deuce, we sat really lower, probably 211, maybe 4 rows off the ice or so...I think they played Kalamazoo, it was November '07, and I think there were more fights the first couple periods than there was any hockey!! I had "the goalie" with us, and he was not used to seeing the fights so close-up, and he got a little freaked, and would not watch, back then. I think that night, even Chaulk got into it twice with someone...can't remember for sure. I just remember Kalamazoo's goalie had a really unfortunate last name that had something to do with "cheese" in Spanish, which I took the liberty of translating for our little rowdy bunch, and from then on, our entire section delighted in providing that poor man with new cheese-related nicknames every time he was near us. And he had the unfortunate habit of skating over to our side of the glass at every stoppage in play, much to his detriment!! That took "the goalie"s mind off the fights, and he's been okay with them ever since. That, and the fact that Bert whipped someone's butt right in front of us, I think that helped as well, because the dude just went down quick and with no blood. Less scary that way!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 19, 2008 at 04:18 PM
mightbite: I just said it was incredibly difficult, not impossible! Legault doesn't knock people out by just looking at them. But generally speaking, what's the worst that can happen? A broken nose? Losing some teeth? And the officials usually break it up the moment the combatants drop, so they can't keep pummeling each other like some "Rocky" sequel on ice. Generally speaking, the things that can happen to you in the game itself are far worse. That's all I'm saying. And that's probably a good thing. Because if someone did die as a result of a fight, the calls to end the fighting in hockey altogether would be VERY loud.
Cat Eyes: Funny you should mention that. I think I remember that game! I was listening on the radio, but I do remember a game in which Bob Chase was covering a fight, and occasionally, hockey would break out! :D It amazed me how quickly he could switch from play-by-play to fight commentator. It was actually quite hilarious.
My dad took me to games when I was little, too. And, I can still recall the first fight I saw. Well, not the fight itself. I just remember my dad leaning over and saying, "There're going to fight," with a little wink. I said, "They are going to WHAT?" And sure enough, they went at one another. It was like ancient Rome. The crowd roared its approval. I was dumbfounded -- mostly by the fact that getting into fights was not only allowed, it was encouraged. But, as is the case with most things in life, after the fact, I was just really amused. I still am.
Posted by: Wendy | July 20, 2008 at 01:07 AM
Er... "They're going to fight." :P
Posted by: Wendy | July 20, 2008 at 01:09 AM
My little guy is pretty sensitive, so he was so NOT amused at first, but he's toughened up pretty well as he's gotten older...he loves the fights now that he knows, like you pointed out, that it's not like anyone really gets pounded too badly in them, for the most part. And especially when we have to sit in the upper deck, and cannot see them really well, you really cannot see anything fly, so it looks like it's not real.
And I know what you mean...people would so try to put an end to the fighting if someone got hurt, and I know they would mean well, but that's just a part of this sport. Testosterone runs high in this game, and that's gonna happen! Not everyone likes that part, though, and I can respect that...but I like it as long as it is not ridiculous! The one game we were at was getting a little out of control, but there must have been some warnings in both locker rooms, because I think in the third period there were no fights at all. Of course by then, we (the crowd) were all pumped up and wanted more, so we were bummed that everyone had settled down!
Posted by: Cat Eyes | July 20, 2008 at 07:49 PM