Komets President Michael Franke said Thursday that General Manager David Franke has met with players Kevin St. Pierre and Colin Chaulk, but nothing has been decided about next season.
``Anybody that we're talking to right now we tell them to just be patient and we'll get back to them after the league meetings,'' Franke said. ``Let's figure out the lay of the land first in the league.''
Comments
I honestly don't know why people were getting so upset for. We never hear anything on player movements until after the finals are over.
I was intrigued by the Frankes statement that there would be changes but I was not in a hurry to find out what they were.
The good thing about the Komets is that the fans are kept pretty well up to date on player sigings and who isn't coming back.
Some teams don't say squat until the season is ready to begin.
The lay of the land? What the heck is that? Do you want 2 of the best 10 players in the league at any posistion or do you not? If not, you're a moron.
The cat was let out of the bag on this situation and the fans have responded in a very unpopular way to the Frankes and now they will spin this until they are blue in the face. It is a joke. They have stated they want a change...but what real change will there be if the team direction is the same with a coach and his so-called "system?" It will be the same old crap. A bunch of guys like this past season being shuffled around to fit his mold and not actually bringing in players who are first and foremost talented, and secondly entertaining. Great idea to pass on Chaulk and send him packing...he is only one of the top 5 players in this league and in this level of hockey. He is the heart and soul of this team. What I would like to see is someone investigate a little bit as to what the deal was at the end of the season that caused a problem between the captain of the team and the coach. It is still very curious that Chaulker was banished by the coach at the end of the season and now we sit here watching this whole thing unfold. If we get some character-assasination story on Chaulk after the official word comes out about him not coming back next season...I for one will be disgusted with this organization. This guy has been a true Komet through and through and a great person in the community. We shouldn't stand for Puhulski sending another great player packing because he is an idiot. Make the change behind the bench, please.
Hit, what I dont understand is that Chaulk is everyones type of player....He puts butts in the seats for management, he's been the UHL's best defensive forward for 3 of the last 4 years which should make Pulhalski jump for joy, and he is a TRUE Komet which is all the fans ask for... For this team not to recognize this is mind boggling. Now if we were all going crazy over a one dimensional player, that would be one thing; but this is a very special player at this level. A guy that can score, hit, play defense, fight(when needed), and be so good in the community is a rare commodity. I believe that alot of wind will go out of K's fans sails if Chaulk is not brought back for next season, because no matter what you could always look forward to chaulk's next shift no matter how the game was going...
Right on, Hit!
Charachter assaination? That would never happen.... Oh wait, thats the same crap they pulled on Danny.
It just makes no sense to me. If you want to go in a "different direction" there are several other vets that could be cut loose that are not producing their share of points.
Do they really think that they will find another vet to captian this team that will put up with playing for Puhalski? If they do he will be nowhere near the caliber player that Colin Chaulk is.
The funny thing I see in these so called players meetings is the Drouin's name has not once come up has having a meeting. Am I wrong, doesn't he have a contract for next year?
What's this about Chaulker? What about French?! All you hear is Chaulker this and Chaulker that. I love that guy too but no ones been talking about how its going to suck if they don't resign the Big Man. Since he's been here he has been the first or second top goalie in the league. The Frankes are stupid if they don't resign both these key players. And for one if they don't I wouldn't be surprised to see the season ticket holders go down in sales. I know I'll be one that probably won't get season tickets again next season if they don't keep Frenchy and Chaulker.
Save the "season tickets will go down" if these guys are not back. They won't. Hear these kinds of statements every off season don't we? Just relax and enjoy your summer.
You guys are looking at these player meetings a little too hard, I think. There are two things I think are being done. One, perhaps getting some player input for next year and two, finding out if the players want to come back and play for this coach and in this town. Personally, I cannot fathom seeing the Frankes allowing either player to leave for another UHL team. I think the only way either player is not playing in a K's jersey next year is if they go west OR go to Europe.
As for the coach, I'll leave that dog alone right now. You need the players to fit the system your trying to run. If your system relies on speed, you need guys who can blaze. If its a physical style, you need some size and players willing to execute. You can't make them something they are not, esepcially the older guys.
I want to see more speed, more physical play, alot more offensive prowness, and better defense. I don't care what their name is on the back of the jersey as long as they work hard for the one on the front.
Anybody remember what was said last year about this time, how they'd be bringing back only five or six players? It's a long summer and it's just getting started.
The other thing is that every year there are new favorites who come in that no one has heard of before. No one had heard of Jonathan Goodwin, or Ryan Jorde or Sean Venedam and only a handful had heard of Lance Galbraith before coming to Fort Wayne.
Even though there are existing contracts, a lot may depend on what players are willing to play for if there is a hard cap next year. There are a million factors that are simply up in the air right now.
1. I have already bought my tickets for next year so no "they'll lose me speeches"
2. When summer gets here I will start to enjoy it
3. Lack of encouraging news from players or management tends to make some of us fans a lil edgy especially when it involves arguably your 2 best players... In MY OPINION one of or both players should have no doubt where they will play next year, and management should tell us dumb fans that these are the 2 guys we are gonna build our team around for next year...
I agree JR. Keep Chaulker and Frenchy, build around them. They should already have them signed and stop this jacking around every season. It gets boring. You know how vauluable these guys are in every way. There should be no question.
Did I miss something? Did the Komets finish near the top and make a deep run into the playoffs this year?
Folks I like Chaulk (and love having a guy from Toronto as the Komets captain) and St Pierre as much as anyone but this team needs to get YOUNGER!
If they come back, great. If Komets management comes out and tells me they are going in a fresh direction to bring some new energy to the team, I am not jumping off a bridge. This was a 6th place team that got run out of the playoffs. I am ready to see the next generation of "fan favorites" come to town. Relax everyone. Komet hockey was great before Colin and Kevin and whether it be next year or in a couple of years, it will be great after they leave.
Just out of question....has anyone heard anything on how Colin and his injury are doing?
Tony E. Just the question I was going to ask. THe one flaw in the younger argument with Colin and getting run out of the playoffs, we were a pretty young team and Colin wasn't there. I haven't been on Chaulk's bandwagon a lot in the last year and a half but I have to wonder if he did play win the playoffs would the outcome be different, would we have gone farther?
Greg, I don't fault Colin or Kevin for the failures of the team this year and I certainly can't make a good argument as of today that the Komets would be better without them. I am saying that I am willing to keep an open mind, if the two aren't back wait and see who is brought in to replace them and then make the judgement. Players staying on the same team for 3-4 years in this league is rare. I am not in the camp of bringing in a new coach. I am excited to see new faces in uniform next year and have faith in management to get the ship back on course.
Tony E. I'm with you. If neither are on the team next year I won't shed any tears. It just seemed that the tone of the post said it may have been Kevin and Colin's fault. My point with Colin was that it would be unfair to blame him for the playoff early outing when he didn't even get the chance to play. As for Kevin, I don't know. At times he seems to slow in net, not that he isn't a great goaltender, but something to me is missing in his style. I would agree a new batch of fan favorites is the way to go. You also right in saying that the team was great before they got here. 50 years would seem to prove that.
The Komets' problem is that they recruit average hockey players because they fit a predetermined style and are molded into "his system" by the coach.
Why don't we try something NEW next year and recuit talented, physical, aggressive players and have the coach make the adjustments to fit the TALENT he has.
There. I've said it.
That's not typical of how recruting is done. You have a system, then you find players who can play in that system. I think it would take longer to just pick players then try and determine their strenghts and try and divise a system for all of them to play in.
Let's face it. most of us don't like Puhalski's system, but for the most part it works. Or at least the Frankes think so because they are sticking with Puhalski.
Blake, from your earlier post about the "hard cap" am I to assume that the Komets were over the cap this past year? I would find that hard to believe.
Tony E, I must have missed in my entry where I said that I wanted to start with Chaulk and St Pierre and then build a team of geriatrics around them... You can sign 1 or both and still bring in a young hungry team. Those young guys you want are still gonna need some vet leadership. I also agree with Skate, bring in the right talent then make puhalski adjust his system to the players...
If you can't take 20 hard working, talented, agressive players and turn them into a competitive, entertaining team the problem is BEHIND the bench, not on it.
Too many of our guys are one dimensional. If you think Puhalski is a cardboard cutout, look up an down our roster.
There isn't a nickle's worth of difference between most of our players. That's why, when the "System" doesn't work, we have no plan "B." No one is capable of playing any other way (not that they'd have permission to.)
Also, what is the logic in the UHL going to a 20 man roster and then dressing only 19 guys for the game?
Lack of room on the bench?
A guys works hard all week and come game night he's a healthy scratch?
Why have a healthy guy sit in the stands?
I am kind of curious on how the players are selected. Does someone scout younger players for the Frankes or do they do this themselves? Rely on word of mouth? Talk with other coaches? I would guess they are scouting players within the league each time the Komets are playing.
To me, its not the system that is necessarily bad but the players chosen for it (as a whole). I mean you heard throughout the season about coach preaching physical play and stuff like that but I'll be damned if it was executed night in and night out by the group of players we had. Granted, in a long season your not going get the "A" game all the time but you can put money down that we didn't see a physical team more often than not.
Players at this level are looking for work, much like any one of us would be if we didnt have a job. You go into an interview process and say all the things your hiring group wants to hear. Is that kind of what goes on here?
It's a combination of everything. Right now coach Puhalski is out watching playoff games in the ECHL. David Franke goes to games in different leagues throughout the season as well. The Komets do not have a scout on payroll, but they do get input from scouts, college coaches, etc. Coach Puhalski also watches a lot of tape.
The other thing is, and I'm sick of pointing this out NOBODY PLAYS PHYSICAL LIKE THE OLD DAYS ANY MORE. Rockford did in the playoffs, but not even close during the regular season. I'd love for it to happen again, but it just doesn't. Players have changed. For one thing, you can't intimidate a team any more.
Fans want it, coaches want it, but players don't want to do it. And no, you can't just get rid of players to find players who do. They simply aren't out there anymore. You're lucky if you can find three or four on a team.
The most physical team the Komets have had in the UHL was 99-00 and they didn't hit, either. If they didn't hit for Dave Allison, do you think they are going to hit for any other coach? There's a reason the Komets and every other minor league team hasn't had hitting teams since the early 90s. Nobody hits in the NHL until the playoffs anymore either.
Really think about it and try to come up with a consistently physical team. Now name more than one. Or better yet, try to name a team that has consistently done it. Whether we like it, and we all hate it, hockey has simply changed that way.
To further Blake's point, look at the rule changes. They've taken out the red line and speard the offenses and the defenses. You have to play smart positional defense which usually means not going out of your way to make a hit. It's not to say hitting isn't happening but the hockey leaders are trying to get scoring up, to get the scoring up defense will have to come down and I don't think any coach is thinking how to outscore an opponent, I believe they're thinking how to keep the opponent from scoring on us.
I understand that everybody wants that. I do, too. I just don't think it's ever going to happen again. Part of it is the speed of the players which has increased dramatically. The game has changed so the players have changed to match it.
JR I wasn't direct my comments at your post directly (ok did that make sense lol) Just at the general attitude that the Komets can't survive without Colin and Kevin.
"wasn't directing" my comments.
Grrr can't type.
for the teams that fold will they have a disbursement draft? or will everyone become free agents.
Players from teams that folded become free agents. As far as the K's are concerned, they are not going to openly comment on any player movement until later this summer. Not only are they negotiating with players, the guys from last year's team are negotiating with other teams through out hockey. I am sure we will get the same song and dance from management about bringing in a more physical and tougher hockey club. That has been there rally cry the last few years. If you want tougher more physical players sign Junior hockey players and stay away from college players. The college game is all about speed and skating little hitting.