This is a letter I received today from Komets fans David and Waynette Ray who are originally from Fort Wayne and who now live in Athens, Texas about halfway between Shreveport and Fort Worth. They went to Saturday night's game in Shreveport. David has followed the Komets since 1973
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We got back home from Shreveport on Sunday afternoon, after seeing a great K's win on Saturday night.
First time I have seen them play in person in over 15 years. We sat behind the K's bench in Sec. 119. Had to buy tickets through ticketmaster.....and they said, our tickets were supposedly 11 rows up behind the visitors bench.
NOT! They were directly behind the glass of the visitors bench! Hard to see the game........but One Komet player did notice my 40th Anniversary komets jacket I was wearing and smiled. As we walked down to our seats, a couple and their son noticed my jaket. SURPRISE! They were Komet fans also! She was originally from Ft. Wayne, her husband from Dallas and they were dressed in Komet shirts and jackets! They made the drive over from Dallas where they live. All in all, there were 5 Komet fans that we knew of at Sat. night's
game.
As for the action........Remember, I have not seen them play in many years. Reiter made some great saves and the defense played good also. Once they crossed the K's blue line, the K's defense held their own and did a great job of checking and freeing the puck up. Several times the K's put good defensive pressure on in the Shreveport end....trying to get them to cough up the puck.
Both fights did not favor the K's, especially the first one with Delory :(( From what I have read....we do not have a Cal Puriton or Steve Fletcher to take care of those annoying matters? LOL :)) IMO.....the best way to solve that....is to score goals, that usually shuts up the mouthiest thugs real quick!
Sorry, I do not know every player on the K's roster by heart.....I kept pretty busy, helping a young 12 year old boy, first time fan, who sat next to us......and explained the game to him. Along with my wife who is not very hockey savvy. The young boys parents and him made the trip over from Longview, Texas. Always glad to help a young fan understand the game.
Century-Tel arena is a great place. They announced the attendance for Saturdays game at over 4,500. The Mudbugs fans and security were great!!! Very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. I guess they have been there since 1997? Many banners hanging from the rafters with the teams accomplishments.
When we got there, we had asked a security person to see Bob Chase.....The Arena security took us right to him! WOW! Can you believe it? At first the Security guy asked me if I knew Billy Welker. He is the former Komets owner's son and is the trainer for the Mudbugs. I told him No, I did not
know Billy, I would like to see Bob. Bob was doing his usual pre-game stuff. When I noticed he was through, I got his attention and introduced myself to him. My wife and I told him we drove over from Canton, Texas about 120 miles
west of Shreveport. That I was a former, born and raised Ft. Wayne resident, now living in the East Texas area since 1994.Thanks to Bob Chase for his graciousness when we met him before the game and also spoke to him after the win, with the three other Komet fans from Dallas. He was thrilled to see some K's fans there. We asked him for an autograph and the Dallas couple got his picture.
His broadcasting facilities at Century-Tel arena were primitive at best. One table on the upper deck walkway which is blocked off by a black curtain and him literally peaking out to do the play by play, looking down on the rink.
It certainly is not the standard he is used to at the Coliseum. His vantage point at Cen-Tel is not high above the red line but towards one end of the arena, between the lower arena and closed off upper deck.
Blake, It would be the equivalent of Bob, sitting at a table, on the walkway between the Lower and Upper arenas and the entrance stairs from and to the arena and concourse, near Section 4 of the Memorial Coliseum!!! Century-Tel
arena has their complete Upper arena blocked off by long black curtains for the hockey games, because I guess they don't sell that many seats. Bob, was literally doing play by play in line with the Mudbugs goal line!!
Anyway......Before the start of the third period. We decided to move and sit toward the other end of the K's bench in section 118, several rows higher than our original seats. No one had been sitting there the whole game. The three other Komet fans were three rows behind us.
I was right on top of the action, when the Mudbugs no goal, was called by the Ref, due to the delayed offside call. Al Sims was really focused on the team, yelling instructions, but never looked back when I made my voice be heard. Somehow, I think they knew we were there.
As the horn sounded to end the game, I dashed down to behind the bench and right where the team exits the ice, to go under their little covered walkway to the locker rooms.
Coach Al & Gary never looked up when I was yelling at them, Great game! Straight to the locker room they went.
But! As the team made it's way in, I was yelling......Go get Texas Sunday night guys and Great game tonight!!!! Some of the Players I knew by number and because they have been Komet players for several years....I would say their name and they gave me a fist bump. Chaulk, Dupuis, Drouin, Shrock, Reiter and Boucher. The others, names and numbers did not click.
I am not sure who did this, but one of the players gave me the game puck as they skated off the ice!!!!!!
When I turned around to my wife and the three other fans.....I mouthed the words. "This is the game puck", while holding it out for them to see. They couldn't believe their eyes.
I would like to say, Thank you so very much!!! It will always be cherished by this Komets fan! We showed Bob Chase the puck when we went back up to talk to him after the game. Sorry I did not catch who gave it to me, they were walking by me pretty fast and I didn't catch the number or player.
Blake, maybe you can find out...Who the player was, who gave the gray haired guy,(me) wearing a Komets jacket, the game puck at Shreveport on Saturday night? Blake, I sure would like to know if you get a chance to ask!
Sorry for the long email.......We had a great time! Something this 52 year old guy will remember for a very long time!
Sincerely,
David & Waynette Ray
Athens, Texas
Awesome!
It never fails to amaze me how the Komets have been a part of people's lives. Most has to do with the fact that the K's have been around so long. Still, a large part can also be credited to WOWO and the 50,000 watt signal used to broadcast the games years ago.
It was a great story and was neat the way he used "section 4" as a description to compare where Bob Chase was broadcasting. Part of me wishes he could see the Coliseum now and part of me appreciates the fact that he has the memory of the "old" Coliseum so clear in his mind.
Great tribute to the entire Komet organization.
Outstanding........
A great story. I would love to make a road trip next year to one of the faraway games. There are probably Komet fans all over the US.
i for one am willing/wanting to maybe get a pot together and see if we can get enough to fly this man and his wife to a game here in the fort. its great to support your komets on the road, but i can still remember my father who passed in 94 taking me to maybe one or 2 games a year when i was a child. I attend regularly now, but still remember the old coliseum and how intense/great it was as a child. My first child(boy) is due in april and will definitely be passing on the tradition.
good idea chris ;)
Chris..I'll donate. Set a fund up at a bank and let Blake know about it. Probably need a couple grand. Great idea!
That would be awesome, Chris! We'd love to help out too. Don't have a lot, but we could also entertain during that week by taking them to a kid's practice....we tend to see lots of Komets there at Canlan anyway, even when not being coached by them. I'm sure these two would love that!