There first one is here, and the second one about how the
The guys are getting dressed to go out on the ice but here are a few updates:
* Travis Whitehead has signed a 25-game pro tryout contract with Norfolk and is off the Komets' roster for now.
* Vince Taratino is signing with the team, but he'll be going on injured reserve.
* Gary Graham is now a full-time assistant coach.
* The Komets have added local product Greg Leffler, a forward, and defenseman Zach Gieszler to the training camp roster. Gieszler is a friend of Brad MacMillan.
Flint has traded the rights to former Komets defenseman Jay Holladay to Quad City for cash considerations.
You can read the training camp preview here. You'll have to buy the paper for all the mug shots and bios of the players.
Everything at Memorial Coliseum
(Practices are not open to the public)
Monday: Noon, introductory press conference; skating first group 2-3 and second 3-4 p.m.
Tuesday: first group 9-10 a.m., second 10:30-11:30 a.m.; scrimmage 3-4 p.m.
Wednesday: pre-game skate 10-10:30 a.m.; players not playing 10:45 a.m. to Noon; Exhibition game against Dayton, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: first group 9-10 a.m., second 10:30-11:30 a.m.; scrimmage 3-4 p.m.
Friday: pre-game skate 10-10:30 a.m.; players not playing 10:45 a.m. to Noon; Exhibition game against Muskegon, 8 p.m.
Third-year pros Toby Lafrance (C) and Vincent Zaore-Vanie (D) are expected to arrive in time for the start of camp Monday.
Lafrance, 22, has skated the past two seasons in the ECHL. He appeared in 31 games last year with Johnstown scoring six goals and 16 points. Lafrance maintains rookie status in the IHL as he has appeared in exactly 60 games as a pro thru last season.
Zaore-Vanie, 23, registered five assists and six points in 42 games last season with the CHL's Laredo Bucks.
Will go on sale at 10 a.m., Thursday, starting at $77 for a three-game package. The games will be played at 4 and 7:30 p.m., March 27 with the final at 8 p.m., March 28. If Notre Dame makes the tournament, they'll be in the field as the site host.
Tickets for the Notre Dame-Michigan State game on Nov. 22 are already on sale at $14, $12 and $7.
Mitch Woods said this afternoon he's not going to be able to play for the Komets this year. It's a combination of a good job opportunity and some other personal considerations. Woods is working as a youth care worker in his hometown of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The job, he said, entails working with kids who have criminal backgrounds or who have been taken away from bad families.
Better known to bloggers as Chuckitt. He is going to receive the Colin Lister Award at the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association's Hall of Fame banquet on Jan. 29. Chuck is a long-time player, coach and manager for the Wallen Little League, and the award honors "dedication to the game of baseball and its historic legacy." As someone who has won it previously, I saw welcome to the club
I talked to David Franke, and he said nothing is finalized yet. Mitch has a really good job in a Youth Work Release Program and he's trying to get a leave of absence for the year. The leave was supposedly approved earlier in the summer, but now something has changed.
'We're still hopeful he can get his waiver and protect his job up there," Franke said. "We'll know more by Thursday or Friday."
Franke also said he heard from Travis Whitehead today, and the center has been asked to stay with Norfolk at least throught the weekend. It's doubtful Whitehead will sho
Rick Varone is back in Fort Wayne from camp with Lake Erie and is getting checked out for what the Komets hope is a minor rib injury.
Evgeny Saidachev is also back in Fort Wayne after going to camp with Worcester and scoring a goal and an assist in two exhibition games.
Mathieu Curadeau also went to Worcester's camp and is going to sign with Kalamazoo.
Maxime Gravelle is going back to college.
Rick Whitehead is still in Norfolk's camp.
Former Komet Mike Butters has been reassigned from Norfolk's GM to a scout and had a year added to his contract.
I was watching Letterman last night when he did a bit about new Fall TV shows.
NEW FALL SHOWS
- Thursdays at 10 PM on CBS -- "ABBACADAVER" -- This spine-tingling forensics show follows supergroup ABBA as they solve murders in Sweden
- Fridays at 9 PM on NBC -- "SUGAR AND SPICE" -- Rookie police officers Hank Sugar and Carla Spice are gonna clean up Miami's crime scene ---- if they don't kill each other first."
You can read what the boys had to say about their workouts here.
Can you smell The Komets started informal preseason practice at McMillen Park Ice Arena on Monday morning. Today the crew included Colin Chaulk, Leo Thomas, Guy Dupuis, Konstantin Shafranov, P.C. Drouin, Nick Boucher, Brandon Warner, Keith Rodger, Rick Varone, Matt Syroczynski, Ryan Potts, goalie Tommy Shear and local player Greg Leffler. Kevin Bertram was there on Monday.
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