The Komets announced Monday that seven-time Komet Defenseman of the Year Guy Dupuis has been re-signed for the 2009-10 campaign. Dupuis, also league Defenseman of the Year the past three straight seasons, will again captain the Komets in their defense of the Turner Cup championship.
The three-time Komet champion will be entering his 20th season as a pro and 13th with Fort Wayne. Dupuis, 39, hit the all-time mark of most games played by a Komet last season on April 8, 2009, when he appeared in his 867th Fort Wayne game to eclipse the old record of 866 games held by Eddie Long for 43 years. Dupuis completed the year with 880 games played as a Komet after skating all 76 regular season games and 11 playoff games.
Last season the veteran had the second-highest point total on the Komet roster and was the league-leading defenseman in points for the third consecutive year scoring 16 goals and 51 assists for 67 points.
The Moncton, New Brunswick native began his career in 1990 with a stint at Adirondack in the AHL after being Detroit's third choice in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Dupuis made his Fort Wayne debut appearing in 10 games with the Komets during 1991-92 while playing most of the year in Adirondack. Dupuis' first complete season with Fort Wayne was 1992-93 when he collected is first IHL Turner Cup title.
The Komets also announced Monday that Brad MacMillan will be returning for his second season in Fort Wayne. MacMillan, 26, skated 50 games with the Komets last season netting seven goals and 10 points while accumulating a team-high 231 penalty minutes.
MacMillan enjoyed his first pro playoffs last year appearing in all 11 Komet games registering two goals and four points. The right wing will be starting his sixth pro season in October.
Right winger Evgeny Saidachev has also agreed to terms with Fort Wayne for 2009-10. Saidachev (sy-DAH-shev), 23, will be returning after a stint in the CHL last year with Bossier-Shreveport where he posted three assists in 12 games. Saidachev skated with the Komets 54 games during his rookie season in 2007-08 scoring 11 goals and 26 points. The Khabarovsk, Russia native was named the IHL's Rookie of the Week twice during his previous stint with the Komets and appeared in five playoff games in Fort Wayne's quest for the 2008 Turner Cup.
The Komets have also added veteran Blair Stayzer to the preseason roster. The six-foot, three-inch, 225-pound defenseman has agreed to terms after being chosen by the Komets in the IHL's dispersal draft of former Kalamazoo players. Stayzer, 28, scored five goals, 12 points and 132 penalty minutes in 47 games last year with Kalamazoo. Stayzer began his career in 2000 with Johnstown of the ECHL after being selected by Calgary in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. 2009-10 will be Stayzer's 10th pro year.
Comments
Has anyone heard if Mac decided to get surgery or how the hand is doing? Glad to see these guys coming back. The jury is still out on Blair though...
I think signing Stayzer is good thing. He can play either forward or Defense is big and strong. He adds toughness to our blue-line which we clearly lacked last year.
Another player returning, gets BS up to 4 dozen.
Saidachev is signed! How awesome I can use my jersey of his again!
I still hold out hope that Sandy Beadle will make his long anticipated return so I can use his jersey again.
I like all 4 signings. Very good day for the Komets. You can never have too much team toughness and I think Blair Stayzer can help the blue-line alot. I would take his hard-nosed approach and hustle anyday of the week over a few that loaf around out there.
Glad #89 is back...Hope sy-DAH-shev can rebound and have a solid year. Defiantly has the talent.