Komets General Manager David Franke said today that forward Justin Hodgman has been invited to the Chicago Blackhawks' training camp starting Sept. 11. Hodgman has already signed a contract with the Blackhawks' AHL farm team in Rockford and could end up there or with Toledo of the ECHL.
"You can get to a higher level from Fort Wayne," Franke said. "Sometimes it's just tough convincing the players and the agents, but you can advance paying in the IHL and in Fort Wayne."
Franke also said the Komets are going to add forward Michael Uvodich to the training camp roster as part of their affiliation with Evansville of the AAHL.
In other notes:
* The Komets will not have a formal affiliation this year with Norfolk of the AHL.
* I asked Franke about what he's heard of Olivier Legault and Mathieu Curadeau and he said he hasn't heard anything recently. Legault will not be coming back to the Komets, and Curadeau's rights are owned by Dayton. Franke said no other IHL team has approached him about Legault's rights. I have calls in to both players.
