Everytime there's a rumor about a team changing leagues in recent memory, there's always talk that junior hockey is an option. Do you think that could ever work in Fort Wayne? If you had the choice of pro or junior, would you definitely rather see pro
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No offense to the places that have juniors, as I'm sure it is enjoyable, but I don't think it would be right for Fort Wayne. The Komets have a long, rich history as a PRO team. To go amateur would seem like an insult to the Komets name, at least to me. I don't care if the level of play is higher as some claim (though I don't really buy that). I would still rather see what we have now -- men not boys.
Would I support a junior hockey team? I can answer that question in one word. Absolutely not!!!
I think an IPFW team could be extremely successful if they worked with the Komets, but a junior team would not work. The OHL would be the only thing that would come close to working, but Fort Wayne is too far South.
I can not think of a faster way to have me cancel my season tickets of 10 years than by joining the juniors or the likes of the AAHA - on the fence currently with the Kazoo news.
I would no longer have season tickets.......simple enough.
Wow....its nice to know that when rough times come along...folks bail....Well that just means better parking. I hope this means that if you didnt renew your season tickets that you will not be at any of the games. Got to love Komet fans...true to form. I am a season ticket holder and will be until there is not hockey in Fort Wayne. Way to be a supporter.
I've never seen a junior hockey game, so I can't say one way or the other whether I'd support it or not. I don't know much about junior hockey, but I have watched some college hockey, how do the two compare? Is fighting allowed in the junior leagues? Yes, I admit it, I'm one of those who goes to the games for the fights.
They have fighting. But they do have stricter rules about physical play, head shots, and such. The NHL has mulled over changing some rules to be more like juniors, but most people seem to be very much against it. because depending on how it is interpreted, it could be taken too far.
If it were a case of juniors or nothing, I'd say "okay". Just don't call them the Komets. And don't expect me to go. At least not right away. For me, I'll admit that it's more about seeing my favorite players than watching just anyone hitting a puck around.
if it were like everything is today, where the komets have total control-players etc, then probably, 5 out of 6 people in my house would go for sure because they go for the entertainment side of it and not necessarily the on ice product.
My biggest issue is I don't want to lose control of player movement, who we get, who we don't get etc.
Don't we have junior hockey already sometimes during intermissions when the junior komets play on the ice?? Those kids are great, but I wouldn't pay to watch them play.
Is Indy a junior league right now? A friend of mine who lives down there says their team is all young kids and, at least the games he's gone to, have had pretty sparse crowds.
I guess I'd have to know more about junior leagues and what all is involved with them before I could really make a call on whether I'd keep the season tickets for them or not. However, since Fort Wayne does all but suck in the winter and there's nothing else to do, I'd probably still need some form of entertainment so I may just continue to buy the tickets.
It would depend on what level of juniors. I've seen junior hockey (all I had access to for a few years), but not on the level of the OHL or other Major Junior leagues. I've seen high school hockey close to the same level.
Would I keep my season tickets? Depends on price and quality of the play which means if the price dropped to a level I thought fair I would probably keep them for one season and decide from there.
I love hockey and it would have to get pretty bad for me not to go to at least some/most of the games but that is a possibility. It just depends on the product on the ice and the price I have to pay for it.
To be honest, when the Komets left the original IHL, a move I completely understood and would have done myself, I struggled with the UHL. Price of tickets was part of that, we were paying AHL prices for UHL hockey. At that time I was a big supporter of moving to the A.
I like the concept of the new IHL and I think the skill is above the UHL. Part of that may be only six teams. I understand the arguments for not moving to the AHL and can go along with it as long as the quality of hockey we have here doesn't drop too low, especially for the price.
Junior hockey? Maybe.
juniors? id go to a few games but pro even at the ihl level is much better. i played hockey in college and jrs is however you findit, better than college, the same and sometimes a step down. wouldnt have a season tickey unless the price was around 5 bucks a game. love hockey but minor league is all i care to see on a regular basis.
Would you rather watch A then watch AAA hockey?
I can't agree with the attack on everyone who wouldn't still go to watch a junior hockey team. Haven't the Komets always been a pro team, or am I wrong on that? I don't know that the argument can really be made that it'd still be the Komets to the point that you can rip on people who wouldn't still get their season tickets. Maybe they would be called the Meteorites instead since they are at a lower level. Are you hinting at something Blake, or just throwing out a topic for conversation?
Strictly starting a conversation. This is about the reaction I expected, but I wasn't sure.
No... why would intelligent hockey fans have any interest in seeing the likes of Sidney Crosby, John Tavaras, Steve Stamkos? I am sure they sucked as 18 year olds right? Oh... some guy named Hodgeman spent most of his time in the OHL last year and he wasn't even in the top 25 in that league.
I am a "Hockey Fan" after you say that it real don't make much difference to me who or at what level they are playing. I have been known to go watch a HS game. Those guys work hard. Yes, some games are better than others. What league doesn't have that problem? Including the NHL!
In all fairness, in the past minor pro hockey has barely worked if Fort Wayne wasn't winning a lot... I'm thinking of the 80's Komets here, that weren't playoff teams.
I think Fort Wayne would support a winner, regardless of league.
If they weren't a winner though, it'd be a much rougher go regardless of the league or level.
I think you have to judge Fort Wayne from the time the Franke's bought the team, because prior to that it was a hockey team, David Franke said in the press conference when they bought the team "let's face it, sports is entertainment", since that time it has been an entertainment option.
Ch 15 used to have all that video on their website and now i can't find it anymore.
I think that statement more than anything defines minor hockeys role today. You have to run it as an entertainment option where the on ice product is just part of the puzzle.
To respond to Janice...
Junior hockey IS NOT Komet hockey.
The Komets have been a professional team since 1952. This is not an issue of the fans bailing, the issue is the Komets possibly bailing if as you suggest becomes true. For your information, due to the economic climate, I no longer live in Fort Wayne, but still keep my season tics - of which my buds are very appreciative of!
Even with this fact tossed into the mix, I still attend more games that 99 percent of the fort wayne population.
I am a die hard. A 250 mile drive to see a Komets game is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Fact remains that juniors is NOT komet hockey and the presence of such in fort wayne is an injustice to the fort wayne following.
Fort Wayne draws the second highest attendance in *all* minor league hockey, they can have their pick of where they go. Any league would be honored to have them.
Anything below "AA" is a compromise that the fort Wayne following should rightfully select not to accept.
My statement remains, drop down to low minors or junior, Im out.
- lower32
Nothing wrong w/ that lower32......
Gotta love the fans that can call people out when they are on the fence on season tix.....What's a grand now a days anyways?? I mean, heaven forbid we'd like to be entertained, right? I got K's stuff plastered all over my garage, own around 6 different K's sweaters, have been to every game since 97'ish and 10-15 a season before that. My wife and I have been season tix holders together since we've been together and we both decided not to renew....I think about it everyday, it sux, but it's not worth our money anymore.
I've seen a USHL game last season at Conseco, good hockey. I couldn't get over the fact that they were 17-20 years old though, difficult to yell at 'em, but it was entertaining. I watched the CHL finals and Windsor's run to the championship game, decent hockey, underdeveloped as far as skill of the game, but the talent was brightly shown.
I'd love to see some sort of junior/single A team at the new ice on Northrop St., be awesome to go to games over there.
Sorry; but "A" or juniors hockey probably wouldnt cut it for me either.... May go to a few games; but that form of hockey would not be my primary source for my entertainment dollar come fall/winter. I would probably find myself tucking away to go to a couple extra Blackhawks games per year...
NOPE
Did everyone see PC on the news saying he wanted to play at least one more year, maybe even up to 3 if he can stay competetive? That's pretty exciting news. He's always seemed to be a nice guy when we bump into him at the Komets office and he played well last year.
P.C. keeps himself in great shape all year long. He could play at least 3 more years if he can stay out of the way of slap shots. Yes, he is a great guy!
Janice,
You should respect other people's opinions. We respect yours :) Some of us just believe that if we spend upwards of 1,000 on two tickets to see hockey it better be good because we work hard for our money. If I wanted to see junior hockey, I would go somewhere else and see it. It has nothing what so ever to do with being a Komet fan. That was really insulting...
I don't think players should have time tables in mind for retirement. When the time is right, they'll know. Anything before that, and they'll wind up regretting it every time.
Brett Favre can't figure it out. A lot of athletes play past their times because they have too much pride to hang it up. That's understandable though because you need that to even get to that level and I can definitely see why it'd be tough to hang up something you've devoted your entire life to ever since you can remember.
R.I.P74: Very well said. You put it much more nicely than what I was thinking.
Actually, I see the Brett Favre thing (or Matts Sundin for that matter) as a case of an athlete getting mixed up because he thinks he SHOULD retire, but in his heart, he isn't ready. When the time comes, reality will hit you upside the head and you really won't have a choice. That's the way I see it. In life the only way to go out is to have someone drag you off stage kicking and screaming.
ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME?!?!?! Your most popular player the last two years was a JUNIOR player from the OHL who was NOT even in the Top 25 in that league. Komet fans are dumber than I thought. You guys are so butt blind when it comes to hockey you dont notice it when you have the youth kids come on the ice during intermission. You guys still think its Pro level hockey.
Here is an opinion from someone who knows real hockey when they see it.
Junior hockey is MORE exciting to watch vs pro. PERIOD
The CHL is much more exciting than AA minor pro hockey in the states. The USHL is almost on that level too.
If you guys want to talk about attendance I am sure attendance in the CHL is MUCH higher than if u avg out ALL of minor pro hockey in the US. And if the USHL would be Avg over a 1000 more fans per game if you took out Fort Wayne from the IHL avg.
Players in Junior Hockey become part of your community. They go to your high school or colleges. They get part time jobs in your cities. They take part in community events. They do lots of charity work in the city.
The only downturn is the Bar industry in fort wayne would take a hit cause you wont see them out getting drunk every other night in the bars smoking a pack of ciggs every night.
Maybe its time Fort Wayne started a new tradition of Junior Hockey. A tradition of watching the new stars of tomorrow transform in the future of hockey. A tradition where players look back and say Fort Wayne helped me become the man and great player i am today!
I know I would much rather support a player who is on the ice for a dream of making it the NHL or D1 hockey! Not a player who is there cuz he wants to get a paycheck.
To pro players its just a job.
To junior players its a dream.