All year long fans have debated the comparison between the IHL and the CHL, and the players were always reluctant to go on the record during the season.
Nick Boucher:
``It took us 20, 25 games to realize you have to compete every night. There were a lot of games at the start of the year where we just didn't compete and we lost. We got what we deserved at the start of the year. We're not the big dogs on the block any more, and I think running the table like we had in the IHL, maybe a lot of guys, and I'm not excluding myself, maybe we felt it was going to come easy. Teams in this league are young, fast and hungry. We weren't the big dog on the block any more and there wasn't the fear of Fort Wayne like there had been. If there's anything we can take away from this season, it's that we have to compete and bring it every night. The league skill-wise isn't any better than the `I' was, but it's competitve. Look at Quad City, they didn't have a ton of talent, Bloomington... there were some teams without a lot of talent, but they just worked and they had good seasons because of it.''
Colin Chaulk:
``I don't think the league is a better league. I believe it's more of a skating league. It might be a touch faster, but players skate more. They move their feet more because of the obstruction and the rules. (Management) will look at that.''
Comments
Who would've thought you have to go into ALL of your games expecting/wanting to play to win?
Fort Wayne has way too many old guys and guys that aren't going to progress to the next level. Guys like Curadeau, Patrosso, and even A.P. are younger guys that have no shot at the next level. Than you have older guys like Dupuis, Thomas, Lardner, P.C., Chaulk, etc. that are past their prime and need to move on in life. You need to have one or two older guys to set examples, but the average age of this team is like 30. In today's Minor League Hockey, it is more developmental in which teams carry a lot of younger players. Get rid of Sims also. Yes, he has 3 championships in a row. But it was a league that the Frankes ran. Time for changes.
Lardner had 31 goals this season (28 being with the Komets). I wouldn't qualify that as being past his prime.
Yeah no joke, he was our best player when he got here to playoff time, he kinda fell off in the post season though. It would be cool to see Curadeau play as well as he did in the post season, all season.
Justafan be careful what you say here. You might get accused of sounding like me.
The difference between Tab and the rest is Tab has not tasted from the cup in Fort Wayne multiple times, does not have a cozy off season job in Fort Wayne etc. He has a reason to play hard each and every night and he did for the most part.
I disagree with you on Sims. I think he gets another year with a fresh roster. Time has come to rebuild this team but give Sims a chance to coach new sets of ears who will most likely pay more attention than this current group.
$4.17 gas today :(
Get a mid-west hockey league/southern/northern/western
AA & AAA in each league
I'm by no means a rah rah Komets are the best fan but I will strongly disagree that Chaulk is past in his prime. He might be past in prime in terms of getting an AHL shot but he can play for 2-4 more years at a high level in this league. It's not a coincidence that this team turned around when he came back. When assembling next year's team, it starts with Chaulk. That being said, there isn't a lot else I would bring back.
Forwards - Yes to Lardner and Schrock. No to Patrosso, Curadeau, Drouin (although I hear he is under contract), Thomas, and O'Connor. I'd say maybe to Podshendykov and LaPointe. Podshendykov would fit the needing more speed and LaPointe is a solid faceoff man.
Defense - Yes to DeAngelis (but I've heard he's wanting to go to Italy, not sure if others heard this also), Krug, Ratchuk (although I'm not sure we'll get any kind of say with those two guys), and Cescon. No to Dupuis, Molle, Phillips, and Warner.
Goalies - Yes to Boucher (I think he is under contract) and No to Reiter.
Find speed!
I wholeheartedly agree with Andrea!
justafan, would you rather have an all-young, fast, losing team, or an average age of 30 team that can score goals and win a few games? I'm just wondering.
Why does young and fast automatically = losing?
I have softened my stance on an average age 25 roster because it isn't a fit the way this league is right now.
However I want my 230-35 year olds to be guys looking to win a cup because they have something to prove or because they haven't won 2-4 cups in the last 8-10 years. Hungry guys, not guys who are embedded into the community and in the eyes of the fan base can do no wrong.
ooops 230=28 lol.
I think you need to start with Chaulk. Did he look "content" in game 3 down 4-1? No, he was pivotal in the comeback and still was the best player on the ice for us most games. Young guys need role models and leaders. We don't need a bunch of leaders that can't play, but Chaulk was the key variable in the team when they turned it around. If he hadn't returned, the Komets weren't making the playoffs.
I have tremendous respect for Guy Dupuis, and would never say he "should go", but I think he will choose to retire and the Franke's won't have to make a difficult decision.
Drouin will probably return for his last year, but Leo, Curadeau, Patrosso, Phillips, Molle, Warner, and O'Connor I expect to be gone. Lardner may be back, with Shrock, Artem, Cescon, Boucher, Mele (invite to camp) and Ratchuk. DeAngelis would be welcome, but I think he'll have opportunity elsewhere.
Not sure on others.
It would be nice to have a physical, "tough-guy" goal-scoring forward to play on Chaulk's line and maybe he wouldn't pick up so many penalties retaliating himself. But most of those guys are playing at the next level.
Sims has been successful. We aren't getting Boudreau back, so stick with consistency. We weren't out of the playoffs, we won a playoff round, battled a very good RC team to the deciding game, and this after having the worst team in the league for the first 2 months.
All in all, about 7 return from the playoff roster.
We'll see.
Hint Pascal Morency :)
As far as the roster goes I think a lot of these players proved that they can compete and want to win here in FW. But yes even some of those are past their prime. Here is who I would like to see back and what they need for next years roster. Bring back Chaulk, Lardner, Apod, O'Connor, Schrock and Lapointe at forwards. Krug, Cescon, Molle and DeAngeles at defense. Can't count Ratchuk because he's on loan from AAA. And Boucher in goal. Thats 11 of 18 players that can be on roster. They need a couple of forwards with speed that will park their butt in front of the net to get garbage goals and create havoc. A couple of big stick handling defenseman who can't be moved from their positions and can put puck in net.
A good young backup at goalie who can develop and be the next goalie after Boucher is gone.
I know these are obvious needs and am not set in stone on who they should bring back as far as who I listed. I think OC and Molle are iffy and maybe DeAngeles does want to play in Italy. But he should ask Chaulk on how well that may work out for him. But a complete overhaul 14-16 new players aren't necessary. 7-9 new younger faster players is where I think they need to look at. But thats just me.
I know the Frankes will do what they can to put a better product on the ice but I think they are also smart enough to know business wise you need to have some familiar faces from year to year to keep bringing fans back as well as having a good team that can compete and be good enough to win a championship.
Some people that are crapping on APOD need to get a clue.
He is a developmental player.
This league for the most part is just that.
He is a 20-21 year old player that has huge skill, incredible hands, good speed, great feel for the game, and has huge upside.
When he was finally given the chance to play, he was 1 of our best 3 or 4 players. Might have been our best player in the playoffs. What, being a point a game guy.
All of this "he goes, he stays, he sucks, he is too old, he has drank from a kup, he is not hungry, etc." is all speculation at this point because of the following:
a) we don't know for sure where we are playing next year.
b) we don't know vet limits, rookie limits, etc. for next year.
c) we don't know salary cap limits. Which I bet will be sliced again.
d) we don't know what players are willing to come back or who are out there who want to come here.
e) we don't know how many teams are folding and that changes all of the above all by itself.
We all have favorites we want to see stay.
Some of us hate guys so much that our trunk gets in the way of our eyes. Not naming names. LOL JK :)
This summer should be another summer of Minor League Drama.
No one knows what will happen in the next 4 months.
If you do know......share it with the rest of us. LOL
I am proud to be a Komet Fan.
Me Too!
I'm not sure why people are so quick to get Molle, he was solid and was one of the few players who had a positive +/-, I'd keep him, Chaulk, Tab, Patrosso, Frankie, O'Connor, Apod, Shrock, boucher, cescon, and if we could rat/krug....and then shop around but I wouldnt be that upset if they kept phillips and lapointe and curdy
The Elephant Man will love the last post.....LOL
? which post?
That Guy's.....
Well really.....all of them.
Most everyone wants 11-14 guys to return....LOL
I say be patient.....let's see where we are at, and who we can get.
I think we are in for another Krazy Summer.
AH... I got it.
The sad thing is I think some people do think I "hate" certain players. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have immense respect for anyone who puts on a jersey at the AA hockey level. Seriously, these guys risk losing eyes and doing other permanent damage to themselves for very little money every time they step on the ice.
I just believe it is time to rebuild. I give thanks to everyone on this years team and I look forward to seeing Chaulk, Boucher and Dupuis get their numbers retired in the next few years. Once Chaulk gets some experience he might even come back as a coach. (speaking of that, besides Boudreau, how many other former Komet players have returned as coaches?...not trivia, trying to remember)
I am hoping for an opening weekend of Home and Home Series with the K-Wings.....
That would be........AWESOME. Guaranteed Sell-outs in both buildings.
Hope they order lots of Breadsticks up there for that tilt....LOL
Sorry, was gone for a while. Young and fast does not equal losing. I'm just putting that out there as an if/or. Other people seemed to be doing the same thing, as in "if you're old, you can't play hockey past a beer league". I disagree. Come out on Tuesday nights around 7ish to Canlan....a bunch of "old" guys play there and would probably whoop the Komets. Age does not matter. Skill does.
On Apod and Molle.... camp invite...let them earn a spot if they can.
Apod will be a Komet after his AHL camp invite, if he is cut that is.
Let this kid hit the weights and work hard this summer.
He will only get better.
That to me is fun. Watching kids like him develop on a team that has a good mix of young and old.
The K's lacked size up front and it showed for the better part of the year. You have guys who can take punishment and give it to. You need guys like King/Reaney because they are big and get the garbage type goals. I think this year we had too much the same. Curdy, OC, Leo, Apod, etc those guys are the same you have to have diversity. They are good solid players but you have to surround them with size. One thing for sure the Komets have a lot to offer players but they have to be willing to spread the wealth and not wrap up all their money in the vets even if that means they do not fill up all their vet spots.
If I take one defenseman off of this years team, its Molle.
One forward, LKS.
There's no substitute for grit and effort and that what you get out of those two guys every second they're on the ice.
Chaulk, Lardner, Leo, Schrock, Lapointe, Apod
Molle, Krug
Boucher
I agree 100% with JM, my EXACT list as well
If I counted right i only had 8 skaters and a goalie...JM you don't keep frankie?
Like your list JM but I would leave Leo off appreciate his two years of service but I think it is time for him to go.
Glad none of you make the decisions. Now shut up and let the Frankes make another good team.