Fort Wayne Komets

The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This team was previously a member of the Central Hockey League (CHL), the original International Hockey League (IHL), and the second International Hockey League (UHL/IHL). Founded in the original IHL They have won four post-season championship titles in the original IHL in 1963, 1965, 1973, and 1993, four in the UHL/second IHL in 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2010, one in the CHL in 2012, and one in the ECHL in 2021. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Original Six teams of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL have played continuously in the same city with the same name longer than the Komets.
==History==
The original Komets franchise played in the previous iteration of the International Hockey League from 1952 until 1990. The original IHL franchise then moved to Albany, New York in 1990 as the Albany Choppers. Only two days later, the Franke family of Fort Wayne bought the Flint Spirits, moved them to Fort Wayne, and took the Komets name and history. The Albany Choppers would only play part of one season before folding on February 15, 1991.
In 1999, the second IHL Komets franchise joined the United Hockey League (which later took the IHL name in 2007). In 2010, the UHL/IHL ceased operations and the Komets joined the Central Hockey League along with the surviving members of their former league. They left the CHL for the ECHL in 2012.
For the 2014–15 season, the Komets entered into a one-year affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, providing a direct line to Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. After a successful season and partnership proving beneficial to all parties, on July 21, 2015, the Komets announced a continuance of the affiliation with the Avalanche and new AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage on a two-year deal through the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons. However, the Avalanche and Komets mutually agreed to end the affiliation one season early in 2016. After a season operating independently of an affiliation, the Komets agreed to a one-year affiliation deal with the Arizona Coyotes and their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, but did not extend the affiliation after the deal ended.
On August 21, 2018, the Komets announced a new one-year affiliation agreement with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves. The affiliation was later extended for the 2019–20 season. The affiliation with the Golden Knights ended on May 19, 2022.
On July 27, 2022, the Komets announced a new affiliation agreement with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
==Season-by-season results==
This is a partial list of the last ten seasons completed by the Fort Wayne Komets. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Fort Wayne Komets seasons
Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season 	Playoffs	Playoffs 	Playoffs 	Playoffs 	Playoffs
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OTL 	SOL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	Standing 	Year 	1st round 	2nd round 	3rd round 	Kelly Cup
2012–13 	72 	33 	35 	1 	3 	70 	205 	246 	1385 	4th, North 	2013 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify
2013–14 	72 	36 	24 	7 	5 	84 	215 	215 	954 	3rd, North 	2014 	W, 4–1, REA 	L, 2–4, CIN 	— 	—
2014–15 	72 	48 	18 	2 	4 	102 	251 	200 	1033 	2nd, North 	2015 	W, 4–1, KAL 	L, 3–4, TOL 	— 	—
2015–16 	72 	40 	23 	7 	2 	89 	240 	200 	1196 	1st, Midwest 	2016 	W, 4–3, CIN 	W, 4–0, UTA 	L, 1–4, ALN 	—
2016–17 	72 	45 	19 	6 	2 	98 	264 	210 	1292 	2nd, Central 	2017 	W, 4–1, QC 	L, 1–4, TOL 	— 	—
2017–18 	72 	46 	20 	5 	1 	98 	290 	216 	1078 	2nd, Central 	2018 	W, 4–1, CIN 	W, 4–2, TOL 	L, 3–4, COL 	—
2018–19 	76 	36 	26 	4 	6 	82 	233 	248 	1132 	3rd, Central 	2019 	L, 2–4, TOL 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	62 	31 	23 	6 	2 	70 	218 	220 	1044 	3rd, Central 	2020 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 	51 	29 	17 	3 	2 	63 	170 	136 	925 	3rd, West Conf.	2021 	— 	W, 3–2, WIC 	W, 3–1, ALN 	W, 3–1, SC
2021–22 	72 	40 	25 	6 	1 	87 	267 	225 	1271 	2nd, Central 	2022 	L, 3–4, WHL 	— 	— 	—
2022–23 	72 	34 	31 	4 	3 	75 	270 	275 	1450 	4th, Central 	2023 	L, 3–4, CIN 	— 	— 	—
2023–24 	72 	35 	30 	3 	4 	77 	224 	226 	996 	5th, Central 	2024 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify 	Did not qualify
Records as of the conclusion of the 2023–24 regular season.
==Players==
===Current roster===
Updated May 1, 2024.
===Retired numbers===
The Komets have honored over 40 personnel in three sections - Executive Builders, Team Personnel and Media - in the Komets Hall of Fame established in 1988. They have also retired numbers to honor 16 people over the course of their history.
Fort Wayne Komets retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Tenure 	Date of honor
1 	 	G 	1962–1967	October 26, 2013
2 	 	D 	1991–2011	October 29, 2011
5 	 	D 	1964–1978	1988
6 	 	D 	1958–1969	1988
11 	 	C 	1957–1969	1988
12 	 	C 	1960–1969	1988
16 	 	RW 	1952–1966	1988
18 	 	LW 	1974–1989	March 6, 2002
26 	 	C 	1986–1996	November 17, 2007
30 	 	G 	1967–1981	1988
33 	 	G 	2007–2012	October 26, 2013
40 	 	Media 	1953–2016	1993
58 	 	Owner 	1958–1982	1988
59 	 	Owner 	1959–1985	1988
77 	 	LW 	1990–2002	November 17, 2007
91 	 	C 	2002–2013	February 19, 2017
504	 	Coach 	 	March 25, 2017
===Notable NHL alumni===
List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 100 games in the IHL and 100 or more games in the National Hockey League/World Hockey Association.
*Eric Boguniecki
*Bruce Boudreau
*Vyacheslav Butsayev
*Bob Fitchner
*Bernie MacNeil
*Rob Murphy
*Pokey Reddick
*Duane Rupp
*Vladimir Tsyplakov
List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 25 games in the ECHL and 25 or more games in the National Hockey League.
*Alex Belzile
The first NHL player of Indian descent was Robin Bawa, who played for WSH, VAN, SJS, and ANA. Bawa played 313 games for the Komets. 
==Franchise records==
===Scoring leaders===
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; * = still active with the team
Player 	Pos	GP 	G 	A 	Pts
Len Thornson 	C 	763	412	807	1219
Eddie Long 	RW 	801	425	427	852
Colin Chaulk 	C 	581	187	497	684
Terry McDougall	C 	507	249	395	644
Colin Chin 	C 	660	246	390	636
John Goodwin 	LW 	480	200	387	587
Guy Dupuis 	D 	945	126	417	543
Reg Primeau 	C 	452	200	342	542
Merv Dubchak 	RW 	437	321	218	539
Robbie Laird 	LW 	520	223	276	499
===Regular season===
*Most goals in a season: Merv Dubchak, 72 (1965–66)
*Most assists in a season: Len Thornson, 93 (1966–67)
*Most points in a season: Len Thornson, 139 (1966–67) & Terry McDougall, 139 (1978–79)
*Most penalty minutes in a season: Andy Bezeau, 590 (1995–96)
*Most wins in a season: Kevin St. Pierre, 43 (2003–04)
*Most shutouts in a season: Kevin Reiter, 7 (2007–08) & Kevin St. Pierre, 7 (2003–04)
===Team records===
* On March 28, 2008, the Komets set a new professional hockey record of 23 straight home wins. They defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 4–3. The record ended at 25.
* On April 12, 2008, the Komets set a new Fort Wayne hockey record of 56 wins in a season. The previous record of 53 was set in 2003–04. 
* On May 15, 2010, the Komets defeated the Flint Generals in Game 5 of the IHL Turner Cup Finals to win the series, four games to one, earning the Komets a "three-peat" after winning the Turner Cup in 2008 and 2009 as well.
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:Defunct Central Hockey League teams
Category:ECHL teams
Category:Ice hockey teams in Indiana
Category:International Hockey League (2007–2010) teams
Category:International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1952
Category:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1990
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1990
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