After being forced to sit out the first four weeks with a rib injury, defenseman Jake Pence can't wait to get back on the ice.
"It's really hard to do," Pence said. "You really want to be out there skating. You skate with them in practice every day and then to have them go play a game seems a little unfair. I'm really excited about getting back."
Right wing Sean O'Connor, 5-11, 180, right wing. Coach Al Sims saw him at Norfolk's training camp and then he got sent to Augusta where he played in one game with no stats. Last year with London of the OHL he had 17 goals and 43 points in 46 games.
"I think the thing I saw in Norfolk is that he's a really gifted player," Sims said.
O'Connor has not been signed.
Komets lead all minor-league attendance
Fort Wayne, IHL 9,115
Stockton, ECHL 8,829
Hershey, AHL 8,742
Tulsa, CHL 7,195
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL 7,090
Mike Emrick is one of eight people who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame today in Toronto. Emrick grew up in Lafontaine, Indiana and got his start from working with Bob Chase whom he still keeps in frequent contact with. Mike also wrote the foreword to Bob's upcoming book which will likely be out after Christmas. Mike also graduated from Manchester
* David Franke said Brandon Warner has a deep bone bruise and a small fracture in his wrist. He said it might take 2-3 weeks to heal. The Komets are hoping to get Jake Pence back this week, and Olivier Legault. Dominic Osman is shooting for Thanksgiving.
* The Komets are waiting to hear what IHL VP Brad Jones has to say about a knee-on-knee hit from Muskegon's Kyle Kos on Brad MacMillan Friday night. Kos received a kneeing major which means it will automatically be reviewed by Jones.
* There's only one goaltender in the IHL with a GAA under 3.00.
Despite a horrible first period, the Komets still had plenty of offense to beat the Bloomington PrairieThunder 6-4 at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday before 9,464 fans.
Couple of things the Komets are sure to work on this week: Penalty kill and moving the puck from their own offensive zone. They gave up five power-play goals in two games this weekend and Bloomington and Muskegon both showed the Komets need work on turnovers in their own end.
I don't know what else to say other than to apologize again. They are still at the printing plant in Tennessee. This is supposedly a hugely busy time of year in the printing industry and if you are a small fry like this book is, you get pushed back to the end of the line. There's nothing more I can do about it, because believe me, I've tried everything.
Don't worry, Bob Chase's book is with a different publisher so it might even arrive first. Who knows? I certainly don't.
