Rick Varone is back in Fort Wayne from camp with Lake Erie and is getting checked out for what the Komets hope is a minor rib injury.
Evgeny Saidachev is also back in Fort Wayne after going to camp with Worcester and scoring a goal and an assist in two exhibition games.
Mathieu Curadeau also went to Worcester's camp and is going to sign with Kalamazoo.
Maxime Gravelle is going back to college.
Rick Whitehead is still in Norfolk's camp.
Former Komet Mike Butters has been reassigned from Norfolk's GM to a scout and had a year added to his contract.
Comments
Butters goes from GM to scout. Got it. Ouch.
Sorry to hear about Varone's injury. I hope it's minor, too.
Sounds like Saidachev did pretty well for himself. Good for him.
Curadeau to Kalamazoo, too. Okay, now you KNOW they are signing a bunch of Komets players on purpose. I am glad that he and the other have a place to play. I just wish it were somewhere better than K-zoo. :S
Kind of ironic, though, don't you think? They leave the IHL for the "real league" ECHL, only to turn around and sign a bunch of our players. Makes it kind of hard to believe that they weren't just upset about losing to us all the time, doesnt it?
I've heard that Woods is not coming now. Have you heard anything along those lines, Blake?
I have 2 Mitch Woods jerseys
I heard that, too, but haven't been able to track him down yet.
If he's not coming here, I just hope he got a tryout at a higher league, since Mr. Franke said he could do that for him. But I will be crushed if he does not show up here, since we (my son and I) have been prepping ourselves for his arrival for a month now. Well, at least we got Evgeny back....although I still need to get the Russian signs ready!! Being Sharks fans, we were so rooting for him to stick with Worcester, but happy that he came back here.
BTW, I went to a sports store in Lima, OH, and some ditz who worked there, in response to my request for SJ Sharks merchandise had this to say: "Well, they are not really a popular team..." I so had to school her! Maybe not on THIS coast, ya ignorant little....I was not impressed, and left the store. So they blew it in the playoffs (again) last season. At least they made it there! And I think they had a great record last season, yes? Plus, I'd have spent cash on Sharks merch had they had it. Oh well. They never have Komets stuff anywhere but KK either, is that a licensing deal or what?
Thanks for the info Blake. I have posted before that it is real interesting that kalamazoo wanted to leave the IHL and then signs a roster full of IHL players. Good luck to Curadeau. I can't believe he is very happy signing an ECHL contract and not a AHL contract. This only makes him available to the Komets next year though. I hope Varone is OK. We don't need to start the year with a bunch of injuries. As far as Woods. If he doesn't want to come here then let him go. I was afraid his attitude might get in the way and we can use the roster spot for players that have made up their minds and are committed. Sorry Wendy, I know he is your favorite player but he needs to grow up and I'm afraid he will just be a distraction.
Don't forget there are fewer minor league hockey jobs available this year. I think its possible to see some very talented late additions to clubs.
Wonder if Woods was bothered at all by the talk that Brad MacMillan was already here and was (to quote other people on other blogs I have read...) "the same kind of player"? I totally think they could have co-existed, and Woods has I am sure grown up and grown as a player. I liked him a lot, and his off-ice persona was totally different than what you saw on-ice, so it's really hard to know what's going on behind the scenes.
Alan, what are you talking about? From what I hear, he was offered a long term job in Canada that he thought was too good to turn down in contrast to what he thought was an unpredictable future here.
I may be wrong, but it looks to me like he weighed his options and decided what he thought was best for his professional future. That sounds fairly grown up to my ears.
I'm just as disappointed as anyone (if, in fact, this turns out to be true) but I don't take it as a personal attack on The Fort.
As for Curadeau, he would be available to play here next year no matter where he plays this year, so I don't understand your comment.
So the players in the IHL are not good enough for the ECHL? I guess I am confused?
Every team in the IHL had players that could/should be higher than they are....why is this so hard for u people?
Blueline, I can relate to your pain, being a former San Jose fan, myself. Owen Nolan was always my favorite player growing up. After his days, I ended up seeing a lot more of another team (who also broke my heart more times than not up until last year) and now I can be seen sporting my Pens gear. Coverage is much better up this way. I still root for the Sharks on the rare occasion I get to see them play :)
I think Alan just meant that if Curadeau signed in the AHL, he would be unlikely to play at the AA level so soon. And by signing with the ECHL instead of Dayton, his rights would be available to the Komets again next season if he doesn't make it back to the AHL for whatever reason.
As for San Jose, I know what you mean, BLB. Last Christmas I looked for NHL merchandise in the stores, but all I could ever find was Detroit stuff if they had anything at all. As for them not being very popular, they are always a bit of an enigma. With the moves they've made this summer, subtle as many of them were, they could be right there at the end yet again. That said, this is San Jose we're talking about. I think people have just gotten cynical about them. But it is entirely possible that they could -- gasp! -- live up their potential for once.
As for Wood's off-ice personality, I wouldn't know. Dude wouldn't say a word to me. But we did share that nice moment as he handed me back the picture I had him sign, looking deeply into my eyes as I mouthed "Thank you". :P
I agree with Wendy, that Alan was stating that Curadeau's rights would be available to the Komets next season. I do find it quite interesting, as others have pointed out, that Kalamazoo has signed so many IHL players. Things that make you go hmm.
As for Woods possibly not coming in, only time will tell. It seems to me that he (Woods) has had some hockey issues in the past. Didn't he leave his last team? I'm going to have to agree with Alan on this one. If he doesn't want to be here then let him go. There are too many good players, as of now, who will be fighting for a spot on the team. If Woods has a better opportunity for his professional future and takes that opportunity, great. I don't think Alan was taking it as a personal attack on the Fort, I think he was stating an opinion that makes sense. The last thing we as Komet fans want are players who aren't too sure if they want to be here and play according to that mentality. No matter what happens, I trust Sims in creating a fantastic, entertaining, energetic team.
Very well said, Andrea.
Wendy, the guy blows you off, and you're still obsessed with him/his biggest fan?? I don't get that one, but then again, I've never claimed to understand women.
I'm pretty lost on the whole Woods thing (as it sounds like most of us are). So he has an opportunity for a non-hockey job somewhere else, or did I read that wrong? I don't remember who it was, but very early when it was announced Woods was "coming back", someone called out the fact that he would be a big question mark. I'd look it up, but I'm back at work and those summer days with nothing better to do are long gone.
I don't think it is a matter of Woods not wanting to return to Fort Wayne to play at all. He has a job that is very rewarding and they (employer) earllier agreed to give him a leave so he could play. In this economy all employers just do not want to lose good employees even for a hockey season. I think he has to take a very serious look at life after hockey. Good jobs that you are trained and qualified to do have to be first and foremost in your life plans. Whatever Woods decides I am positive will be in his best interests. I am sure every Komet fan wishes him nothing but the very best. We all would love to see him play here again. But, that is life in the real world. Good Luck! Woodsie.
OK, so it is an outside-of-hockey job. That's what I was lost on. I had no idea what the Youth Work Release Program was. Sounds more like a Juvenile Detention program to me. In any event, I agree with Alan and Dschebig. Whatever gives Woods the best opportunity, I'll definitely support, as I would for any Komets player and pretty much any human being, Komet or not.
Hello everyone. I wanted to take a moment to respond to Rocky. At the time I posted about Woods I did not realize the reason why he might not be able to report. I was basing my opinion on the fact that he left the Cincinnati Cyclones and went home after about twelve games last year. I was assuming that a pattern of behavior was emerging and I was wrong to do that. I hope that he can report and play for the Komets. I did think that something strange was going on because I remembered how excited he was to come here to play alongside Syrocznski. However, I hope for whatever is best for him and if that is to stay in Canada with this job then good for him. I was wrong to assume anything..... if Curadeau would play for Dayton (who has his IHL rights) this year, he would remain the property of Dayton next year as well. If he stays out of the league the whole season most likely he would be able to sign with any IHL team next year. My thanks go out to Wendy, Andrea, and RunningKomet for taking the time to try to explain where I was coming from on the Mitch Woods issue.
Alan-- Your a big pussy cat! We all understood what you were trying to say. You didnt need to explain youself at all. In fact you explain yourself very well all the time. But, Woods is looking for you!!!
Hi Dschebig. How ya' doin'? Thanks for your comment but I really felt like I needed to respond to Rocky because I commented without having the latest information. I guess that is another way of saying I assumed something that I shouldn't have. It wasn't malicious, just an off the cuff response to a story in which I truly didn't know or understand all the facts. The nice thing about Woods looking for me is that for him to find me he will have to come to Fort Wayne. While he's here looking for me he might as well play hockey, right? Hope everyone understands where I was coming from and I appreciate the supportive comments. Like I said before, I assumed something I shouldn't have and that was wrong to do. Rocky, you sound like a real loyal Komet fan and Fort Wayne is strong because of the passion of its fans.
Alan-- Anyone who has ever written in a blog has been there and done that. In most cases more than once.
Lessens learned, lessens learned, so there really must be a reason Hawthorne calls games like he does! i might have to stop complaining about him, no suntan today, got the long johns on!
YES! Got my notification in the mail today that I can pick up my season tickets on October 5th! It's go time!
I hear he is scared of Robin Gomez & Robin BigSnake= HA-HA
Gee, I feel bad enough. Do I have to know about what kind of underwear Burgee is wearing? My punishment is more than I can bear. ( Or in Burgee's case-bare).
As Dschebig said, Alan, no need to explain, but it is very noble of you to do so anyway. I know how you feel about needing to set things straight when you've made a mistake, even an honest one.
RK, I never claimed to be Woods' biggest fan. I would never be so presumptuous as to make such a claim. Obsessed? C'mon. From what I know of him, I like the guy. So sue me. Blew me off? Please. I didn't talk to him either, so I don't feel like I can hold it against the guy. If I did, I'd have to hate everyone who hasn't been mesmerized by my very presence and immediately felt compelled to strike up a conversation with me. And that's a lot of people.
The really ironic thing is that I'm pretty sure you are referring to me when you mention someone raising questions about Woods' return after it was announced this summer. To my knowledge, I was the only one saying that I thought the fans were entitled to a few answers from him before welcoming him back with open arms. I wasn't trying to be hostile about it. There were questions that needed to be addressed in my opinion, that's all. I figured the Frankes were already privy to the answers, but privacy issues aside, I thought it was only right that the fans should know something about the situation as well..
Yep, pretty sure Wendy's is not Woods's biggest fan....she liked the guy alright, but my son and I could claim the same thing. The guy was fun to watch. And I think I've seen more than one Woods jersey around the jungle, for all that he played one season! Ya gotta just love how he became a fan fave after such a short time. It's a shame he won't be back, but then, I like that he's gonna do what he thinks he needs to do and keep a job that he thinks he needs to keep. Not all of us are that smart at such a young age. If I had been, I'd be making mega-bucks now, I gotta admit that. But I thought I could do better things, so I left, and am making far less. Hmmm. Not so smart. And I cannot even claim the whole concussion thing to blame it on.
RK: my East Coast NHL team is the Pens....Malkin is my fave player in the entire NHL. If the Sharks would put him in one of their sweaters, I'd be in hockey heaven!! And we became Shark fans because my then-6 year old son liked sharks, the ocean predator....and we had no preference at that time who we rooted for, so bingo. Been fans ever since. :)
Wendy: Wasn't referring to you at all. I said I couldn't recall who said it. If I thought it was you, I would've said "Wendy, didn't you say....?" Seriously, have I ever been one not to say what I was thinking?
The biggest fan thing was just because you talk about him all the time on here. Nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm well aware there is no way to measure who would be someone's biggest fan. It's just that you're the only one I've seen talking about sharing "moments" with the players where they are "looking deeply into (your) eyes". I can't say I've had any of these "moments" but I guess there is always the future.
In any event, he's gone and isn't a Komet anymore. While I'm not happy he's gone, we still have Mac. I'm just ready to get the season going. I think we'll have a great time at all of the games and I can't wait to have some games to talk about so I can get back to learning more about hockey as opposed to all the things we do to keep ourselves busy in the offseason hahahaha!
Geesh, who put a burr under your saddle, RK? Yes, I know you weren't referring to me. You said you couldn't recall who. I said that I'm pretty sure that it was me. And that's why it's ironic. Yada, yada, yada. Hmmmm... I guess you don't know me well enough yet to understand that I'm a person who is always looking for a reason to laugh. So yeah, sometimes I'll share dumb, quirky little stories from my life that I think might make someone smile (you apparently missed it, but the mock romantic overtones and my subsequent befuddlement are supposed to be HUMOROUS). So laugh at my jokes, ignore them, your choice. But I'm not going to stop, because that's who I am. Don't worry. You'll catch on eventually.
And I don't know what you mean about the off-season. I've learned a ton about hockey. Such as how not to perpetrate a hostile take-over of a team in the dessert and how to use long-term contracts to circumvent the salary cap. :D
Er... desert, not dessert. Because that would be ridiculous but sinfully delicious all at the same time.