Komets forward Jonathan Goodwin has decided it's time to start the rest of his life. Goodwin, 25, has announced his retirement from professional hockey.
"There comes a point and time when I realized I couldn't go any further and I wasn't going to get called up any more,'' Goodwin said from Waltham, Mass. "I didn't want to be a 30-year old guy trying to start out and enter the work force again. That five years makes a big difference.''
After coming to Fort Wayne as a rookie, the right wing played three seasons with the Komets, scoring 87 goals and 180 points. He had his best season in 2005-06, scoring 32 goals and 70 points in 74 games. Goodwin's numbers were down last season to 20 goals and 51 points, but the other parts of his game improved, especially his defensive play and leadership.
He ranks fourth on the Komets' all-time United Hockey League scoring list and third in goals. He's tied for fifth in career games. He was the team's Rookie of the Year in 2004-05 and twice won the Bud Gallmeier Award for community service.
"I had a great career and I really enjoyed my time with Fort Wayne,'' he said. "I can't thank the people enough. I did a lot of growing up there. A lot of teams you don't get the treatment you get in Fort Wayne. That's one of the reasons I kept coming back.''
Goodwin became engaged to Danielle Culgin shortly before leaving Fort Wayne at the end of the season. "It was a tough decision to not play any more,'' he said.
"I wake up a couple of mornings and go, 'What am I going today that going to be interesting today?', but at the same time I think I'm making the best decision for myself.''
