Here are some of the things he had to say:
Guy Dupuis played the six-team West Coast Hockey League in 2002-03 and says he sees no reason why it can't work now.
It seems like everything is going to be better for the fans and that's why we're here,'' the all-star defenseman said. ``The six-team league I played was good for the fans because they got to know more of the other teams. They got to have a love-hate relationship with players on each team. If a team comes in and they don't know any players then it's less exciting for them. If they come in and start to get to know the nicknames of the guys, then it gets personal. That year the fans really got into it.''
Dupuis said he's waiting to talk more with Komets General Manager David Franke about a contract for next season and hopes to re-sign with the team.
``I would really hope so,'' Dupuis said. ``That's my plans and hopefully it will work out.''
Franke said on Monday he was waiting until returning from the league meetings in Las Vegas last week before trying to finalize negotiations with Dupuis and player/assistant coach Bruce Richardson. He hoped to get both players settled before the end of the week.
Some fans have wondered whether players will have reservations about playing only five teams during the season. He said many players were waiting to see what happened at the league meetings before making a decision, but Dupuis said he's fine with the smaller roster of opponents.
``That would only be a plus I think,'' he said. ``The more you know them the better you'll be able to counter them. I think there will be some really good rivalries. There are some teams like Muskegon and Kalamazoo we wanted to play more last year because whenever we played them it was a great game. I think these rivalries will promote games like that because I think there will be six really competitive teams.''
Dupuis said he believes the overall talent level of the league will go up, especially if the players selected in today's dispersal draft can be added back into the league.
Also, Dupuis said he's OK with the IHL dropping the instigation penalties until the final five minutes of the game. The owners said they are trying to encourage more physical play, which means more fighting.
``That will take care of itself,'' Dupuis said. ``I think the majority of the fans want to see more fights. I think guys will have some respect for each other and I doubt they abuse it. If they do, they'll have to answer to somebody else. It's never just a done deal if they do take advantage to somebody.''
