One reason the Komets said they could trade Jeff Worlton was because fighting is down all over the league. I did some research, and was a little shocked to see the results:
Last year through 33 games, the Komets had been called for 39 fighting majors including 17 by Worlton on his way to a league-leading 34. This year through 33 games the Komets have been called for 31 fighting majors including nine by Jeff.
Throughout the UHL, the numbers are also down. According to UHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Brad Jones, through the first 12 weeks of last season there were 2.34 fighting majors per game compared to 1.98 this season. Major penalties are also way, way down. Last year UHL games averaged 2.17 majors, and this year it's all the way down to 1.09 per game. That's an extremely good number when it comes to safety of the players in regards to boarding, high sticking and slashing majors.
Comments
Re check your info. Worlton has 9 majors.
Team fighting majors:
1 Missouri River Otters 52
2 Adirondack Frostbite 45
3 Richmond RiverDogs 42
4 Danbury Trashers 40
5 Flint Generals 38
6 Muskegon Fury 36
7 Rockford IceHogs 36
8 Elmira Jackals 34
9 Fort Wayne Komets 31
10 Kalamazoo Wings 27
11 Quad City Mallards 23
12 Roanoke Valley Vipers 22
13 Port Huron Flags 18
14 Motor City Mechanics
Your INFO was a bit off. To be expected however
You're right. Missed a game. I'll get it corrected.
Where'd you find the fighting majors? I've been looking all over for it, called the league, everything. I just went by major penalties. Do you know of a secret statistics stash that I don't know of? LOL.
Hey Blake, Pulhalski mentioned wanting to "look in another direction" pertaining to the Worlton trade. Did he give you any indication in what that direction may be? Any further info on the Koehler situation? And finally, do you think that the K's can survive the rest of the season without an enforcers presence in the line up? Someone the other team knows is gonna jump down your throat if you take too many liberties with the K's scorers.
Blake look at Hockeyfights.com for info on majors...under the minor league section
Thanks David, that will help. Would have saved me about an hour today. Don't tell Justin! LOL.
No, JR, no indication. I really don't have any gut feeling either. I would have thought they would have toughened up considerably after watching Chaulk and St. Pierre get beat up in the Muskegon series last year.
Maybe at the trade deadline Roanoke will be in firesale mode and the Komets can actually get somebody decent. It's happened before.
OK, I'll admit I'm ignorant and also tired, with one more story to write, so where's the minor league section?
Nevermind, I found it.
Yeah, that makes it a little easier than going through each team's box score and counting them that way. Sheesh.
Though going through all the box scores, I still have Worley with eight and Galley with six. How reliable do you think this site is?
UHL fighting leaders
Blue Bennefield (Adirondack) 15
Mat Goody (Richmond) 12
Brett Angel (Muskegon) 11
Robin Big Snake (Rockford) 11
Brad MacMillan (Missouri) 10
Richard Paul (Missouri) 10
Tyler Willis (Kalamazoo) 10
Ken Fels (Muskegon) 9
Chris Mann (Elmira) 9
Dave Stewart (Missouri) 9
Brad Wingfield (Danbury) 9
Jeff Worlton (Fort Wayne) 9
UHL fighting leaders
Blue Bennefield (Adirondack) 15
Mat Goody (Richmond) 12
Brett Angel (Muskegon) 11
Robin Big Snake (Rockford) 11
Brad MacMillan (Missouri) 10
Richard Paul (Missouri) 10
Tyler Willis (Kalamazoo) 10
Ken Fels (Muskegon) 9
Chris Mann (Elmira) 9
Dave Stewart (Missouri) 9
Brad Wingfield (Danbury) 9
Jeff Worlton (Fort Wayne) 9
Galbrith 5
Thanks Jen.
I just talked with Brad Jones and he said through the first 12 weeks of the season, the UHL stats show that last year there were 2.34 fighting majors per game, and this year through 12 weeks there have been 1.98. It's 563 fights last year as compared to 475 so far this year.
Blake it is time to call Franke on his comments about making our squad more tougher to protect the likes of Chaulk and St.Pierre. Franke numerous times has put out there how the K's are going to bring in more toughness and grit and each time we have small skill guys who are afraid of contact. What gives? I think JC and yourself have been to nice in your columns about the K's and the time has come to question more about this club. Go back and look who we have lost or traded over the last few years. Now if this is a coaching philosophy then the question has to be addressed by Coach P. Why can't the K's get guys like Littlejohn, BigSnake, Chaz Johnson, etc...these guys can play any role and can drop the gloves when needed. I am frustrated with this team and management..You know I see less of Franke walking around the halls this year maybe he is afraid someone will tell him to get a clue
we are the dumb ones. we keep buying our season tickets, and they keep cashing the checks. it cost them to much $ to keep jeff. with jeff gone may be 5'9" summerfield will finly step up and be our tough guy.
could david franke get a job as a g.m.with any other hockey team if steve would sell this team?????????????
also the big reason coach (P.U.)HAS SUCH A GOOD WINNING RECORD IS THE LAST 3-4 YEARS ALL THE OTHER TEAMS STUNK.THIS YEAR THERE ARE ABOUT 4 OR 5 GOOD TEAMS
CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO GET A REFUND ON MY 6 SEASON TICKETS? AND THIS IS MY LAST F------ YEAR. I'AM SO SICK OF THE FRANKES
Maybe Brent Rumble will be the tough guy...We could have let him go but we decide to trade Worlton...Why? this guy has been hurt all year and in 7 games was a minus 5...Yup he is the answear..Rumor has it Galbraith is the one that demanded the trade of Worlton...because everyone like Worlton better than him..Okay Mr. Galbraith here is your chance to show Fort Wayne how tough you are...Mad Mel is coming to town this week if you have the balls let's see you challenge him....And Jorde it is also your time to step to the plate also.....
see "david" that couldnt be further from the truth. this is how rumors get started. "i heard this and that" kinda stuff snoowballs into 10 different rumors. next thing you know everyone is mad about somthing that isnt true. so where did you hear this at? the game, a bar, from your grandpa.....................
We'll see what he does now. Who knows. But lets play a game first and see what happens before further jumping on the saddle again and beating the horse to death.
Good god, Hustle, be a little more sexist why don't you??! I don't mean to sound overly feminist but can you be a little more respectful and lay off the sexist remarks? It's really starting to piss me off. I'm sorry, Blake, I really don't want to start anything around here, especially since these blogs are meant to be fun. So please, Hustle... your remarks are offensive and rude, and I'm asking you civilly to watch what you say.
MOVING ON...
I agree with "scoops." Lay off the Galbraith bashing/rumormill until we see what happens this weekend. Who knows if anything will actually improve but at least after this weekend, we'll get a better idea of who [if anyone] is going to step up to the plate and take on the enforcer roll..
First of all "BOB" the Galbraith comment was a shot at him always whinning about everything. I do not need to wait an see a game I have seen all the home games and know how Galbriath is. He is to me a big disappointment. How can anyone be happy with this team?
Galbraith is just a mouth and nothing more. He wants to be like Danny Stewart and fails miserably. The Coach needs to go!!! Until he leaves the official name of the Coliseum will be known as "The Library!"
I love that name "the library". It really isn't the jungle anymore. I mean it will always be referred to as that, but I think a lot of that has to do with days past.
Again....riding the saddle on crap that is weeks old. I don't even think Galbraith talks much anymore either. And he had every right in the world to be upset for getting a penalty called on him for simply tying someone up during the scrum behind the net. He didn't do anything wrong.
I don't think anyone is happy with this cast of players we have. Outside of a few burps on the radar screen, the games here are boring as hell. Even when we pull out a "W" its more often than not, boring as hell. I'm sorry but they are. Oh, I will applaud, cheer, and boo just as loud as before and we'll continue to stay afloat in the standings by beating up the "little sisters of the poor" teams. But rest assured it'll be a quick death against the creme of the crop. Still love the game and the team but I am a realist.
It's too late in the season to totally retool. Its far too late to whine and bitch about who we have and what they don't do. It might make us feel better to vent some anger but really, after awhile what is the point? I see now most of the fire is being directed now at the Franke's and Pulhalski and maybe some of that is justified. I know I for one have questioned some of the moves we have made.
I am also curious as to what "direction" we are turning to. Koehler would be a nice addition in the place of Smith but he is yet another center and who in the heck is he supposed to be passing to? We are flooded with 8-10 goals per year guys. That is not big boy hockey.
If you really want to make a statement, don't do it here. Do it by staying home. Money has influence and carries a much better cut than people venting mindless statements in which 5 seconds of actual thought was put into them. Some of you make good points but the point gets lost and you lose credibility when you start just shooting from the hip.
So fighting majors are down in the UHL by 15%. Isn't that about what attendance is off, too?
I know I have been hard on Jorde and people let me know about, but I do believe people are being a bit harsh on Galbraith also. He still isn't afraid to put a body on someone and is always in someones grill. I could not believe he was given a penalty for breaking up a fight, that was ridiculous. He does tend to take to many stupid minors though and that is frustrating. I cannot remember for sure if it was right after he came out of the box on that breaking up the fight penalty or another stupid penalty this last weekend, but he drew a penalty on the opposing team within seconds after coming out of the box. He still does his job, and hopefully whatever he left the team for is almost behind him and he can again be himself on the ice.
Hey scoop, why don't you ever throw me one of your bean bags man?
If I get what you just said, we should have no opinion on this blog about what the K's are doing? What would be the point of this thing then? You just wrote all of that and you want us to have no opinion? Are you fronting for the Frankes? You are paid by them aren't you! You guys give Hustle a hard time for saying goofy things and he may just be right. Mr. Franke said just today that Jorde and Galbraith would be the guys to step up and drop the gloves. He promised that when he brought them here. He also said Lance would put up huge numbers here too.
Blake, time to turn off the Blog because scoops said so.
Scoops, watch the "little sisters of the poor comment." Feminist Nicole gonna get cha, if your kidding or not. Keep it clean and keep giving us your opinions Hustle and Scoops. That is why this thing is fun to read.
I apologize to Nicole for the earlier blog. Someone else wrote that and it wasn't me. There is no way to stop others from using your screen name and e-mail on here.
Hope the Komets can win this weekend. It would make things more fun to watch that is for sure. Go Komets.
The name Hustle will be retired. You can all clap silently now.
That isn't scoops...someone tryin to be funny