The Edmonton Oilers and the Fort Wayne Komets have had strong ties since the late 80’s. They were first affiliated with one another in the 1988-1989 and 1989-1990 seasons when the original Komets franchise was a member of the International Hockey League (IHL). After the affiliation ended, the original Komets franchise moved to Albany, New York, later becoming the Albany Choppers, but the team soon ceased to exist after only one season. In 1991, hockey came back to Fort Wayne after the Franke family purchased the Flint Spirits, which were later renamed the Komets, retaining the old name. So, technically, there have been two different Komets franchises in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with the Komets name dating all the way back to 1952.
The second franchise played in the IHL until 1999, then joined the United Hockey League (UHL), later rebranded to the IHL in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, the Komets won three consecutive Turner Cups in the IHL before joining the CHL from 2010 to 2012, and later joined the ECHL before the 2012-2013 season. From 2012 to 2022, the franchise was affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights in different seasons, before partnering with the Oilers organization in 2022, after they won their first-ever Kelly Cup Championship in 2021. As of this season, they have renewed their affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers, along with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL.
The Komets are off to a solid start this season, sitting at a 15-8-3 (31 pts) record as of December 22nd, sitting in third place in the ECHL Central Division. Through 24 games played, they have scored 80 goals total, while allowing 73 goals against, which is quite high for only 24 games in. Special teams-wise, the penalty kill has been great so far, killing off 70/85 (82.5%), while the power play has been okay, converting 15/82 attempts (18.3%).
Goaltending has been a strong point for the Komets this season, with the successful tandem of the two 22-year-olds Brett Brochu and Connor Ungar at the helm. Brett Brochu has stood out as the top goaltender, boasting a 9-3-1 record and a 0.924 save percentage, while allowing an average of 2.27 goals per game. If he continues to perform at this level, Condors fans should potentially expect to see him out west sometime soon, so the entire organization should keep a close watch on him as the 22-year-old progresses.
Last season marked Brochu’s first full professional season, during which he played one game in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose and 20 with the Fort Wayne Komets. However, this was not his first appearance in the AHL. In the 2020-2021 season, while with the London Knights of the OHL, he was called up for one game to fill in for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before returning to the OHL. The following season, he played a pivotal role in helping the Knights reach the OHL Championship, finishing with a remarkable 9-1 record over 11 playoff games, while allowing only 1.48 goals per game and achieving an impressive 0.943 save percentage.
Related Post: ECHL: Brett Brochu Named Goaltender of the Week (Dec 9th-15th) | Inside The Rink
Connor Ungar has not seen the same amount of success as Brochu but has still been solid till this point. He has a 6-5-0 record and a 0.872 save %, allowing 3.57 goals per game. This season marks Ungar’s first full professional season, after playing last season at Brock University of the USports league in Canada, where he posted a 23-9-0 record including six playoff games in that record.
Leading all forwards in points is Jack Dugan, who has 23, followed closely by Odeen Tufto with 21. The team’s top six forwards are among the best in the ECHL, with contributions from Alex Aleardi and Ethan Keppen as well. On the defensive end, Kyle Mayhew stands out as the best defenseman in my eyes, with his impressive speed with the puck on his stick and passing ability. He has posted 20 assists this season, along with three goals, and holds a +2 rating through 24 games played. He is a guy that may potentially see time on the back end with Bakersfield this season.
Defenseman Tyler Inamoto just returned from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL on Sunday. This season, he has struggled to contribute offensively with the Komets, recording only one assist in nine games, though he currently has a +4 rating. Another player who has spent time with the Condors is forward Alex Swetlikoff. He has played 11 games in the AHL and scored just one goal, but he is now back in Fort Wayne. In his seven games with the Komets this season, he’s scored three goals and provided five assists, adding more to this already powerful top six forward group in Fort Wayne.
Earlier this month, I covered the game between the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Fort Wayne Komets on December 4th at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Komets narrowly escaped Cincinnati with a 2-1 victory, led by backup goaltender Connor Ungar, who stopped 32 of 33 shots, making many of his best saves in the waning minutes of the third period. Jack Dugan and Ethan Keppen were the scorers in this game, with Keppen netting the game-winning goal in the second period. This was the only game between these two Central Division rivals to be played in Cincinnati this season, with seven of the eight matchups hosted at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the Komets play once again, this time on the road against their in-state rival, the Indy Fuel. This was the first-ever game in this historical series held at the Fishers Event Centers, following a 3-0 Komets’ victory the night before in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The old-time rivalry certainly did not disappoint the fans in attendance at the Fishers Event Center, as the game kicked off with a fight between Christopher Cameron and Yanick Turcotte. Clearly, tempers from the previous night carried over, setting the stage for an intense rivalry all season. The rivals will meet again soon on Friday, December 27th, in Fishers, Indiana.
However, the scoring opened up in the second period, particularly for Cam Hausinger of the Fuel. He dominated the game, scoring a hat trick and adding one assist, leading the Fuel to a 5-2 victory. The Komets had no answer for the former Komet Hausinger, who consistently found himself in scoring positions, pointing out Fort Wayne’s defensive struggles on Saturday. Fort Wayne also had difficulties generating offense against Indy’s 1-2-2 defensive structure, who controlled the blue line and slowed the Komets’ potent offense, especially players like Tufto and Dugan. Also, goaltender Connor Ungar had a tough night, allowing five goals on 30 shots, which can be largely attributed to the multiple grade-A chances his team let up for the Fuel Saturday night.
Related Post: ECHL Game Recap: Fort Wayne Komets vs Indy Fuel l 12/21/24 | Inside The Rink
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