Komets to host 54th Thanksgiving game

Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets will be home for the Thanksgiving holiday for the 54th time this Thursday when the Indy Fuel visit for the traditional holiday faceoff at 7:30pm. The very first Komet home game to be played on the Thanksgiving holiday was Nov. 27, 1957 when the Toledo Mercurys made the trip to Fort Wayne and spoiled the holiday for the Komets by taking a 7-3 win out of the Memorial Coliseum in an International Hockey league game. The following year the Komets didn't play a game on the Thanksgiving holiday. But in 1959, the Komets basted the Rebels in Louisville 6-1 for their first Thanksgiving day win and never looked back. Fast forward 55 years later and you have the 2014-15 version Komets playing their 58th game on a Thanksgiving night. After the 1959 holiday win at Louisville, the Komets skated two more Thanksgiving games on the road before actually starting the tradition at home. In 1962, Fort Wayne fans were treated to an 8-6 Thanksgiving home win over Sudbury and the Komets have been working the holiday on ice at the Memorial Coliseum the past 51 consecutive seasons since.Despite last season's 3-1 loss to the visiting Florida Everblades, the Komets have a winning record of 33-16-4 after 53 Thanksgiving home games. This year the Komets host an Indianapolis team on Thanksgiving for only the second time in the history of the team. The Indianapolis Ice made the trip north to the Summit City in 1995 and took delight in spoiling the holiday for Fort Wayne fans by clipping the Komets 6-5 in front of a sold-out Coliseum crowd of 8,103.

The Komets are 5-1-0 in the last six Thanksgiving games and are 12-4-0 over the last 16. This year the Komets (11-4-0, 22 points) will enter the game leading the North Division of the ECHL while Indy (3-8-3, nine points) resides in the division cellar trailing the Komets by 13 points. The Komets are an undefeated 3-0-0 after three meetings this year with the new Fuel. Thursday's match will be the fourth of 11 meetings this season and the second of six Indy visits. The Fuel are winless on the road so far this year (0-6-1). Indy is 1-5-1 after the last seven games and are on a three-game losing skid.

Friday the Komets travel to Kalamazoo (6-6-2, 14 points) for a Black Friday 5pm start at Wings Stadium. Fort Wayne leads the series 4-1-0 after a 3-1 win at the Coliseum last Friday night. Kalamazoo is winless in their last five outings (0-4-1). The Wings are tied with Cincinnati and Wheeling for third place in the North Division and trail the Komets by eight points after 14 games. Kalamazoo is idle this week until they host the Komets Friday. Saturday the Komets return home for Orlando's only visit of the season at 7:30pm. The Solar Bears (10-6-2, 22 points) are tied with the Komets for second place in the Eastern Conference and are on a roll of four straight wins and are 7-1-0 after their last eight games. Saturday's match is the first of three meetings this year. The Komets will visit the Bears for a pair of games in February. Orlando skates at Toledo Friday before visiting Fort Wayne Saturday.

KIDS SEAT FREE Saturday-- Saturday's Komet home game against Orlando is another Kids Seat Free Night, courtesy Aunt Millie's, Parkview Health and the Komets. Any child under the age of 12 can see the game for free with a full-priced adult ticket purchase.

Schrock, Embach, Szydlowski, Nagle at Tilted Kilt Tuesday-- Fans will have a chance to visit with Komet players Kaleigh Schrock, Mike Embach, Shawn Szydlowski and Pat Nagle Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Jefferson Pointe (4541 Illinois Road) in Fort Wayne from 6:30pm-8pm. All Komet fans are welcome to take advantage of many photo opportunities and autographs.

Komets Ticket information-- Komets tickets may be purchased at the Coliseum Ticket Office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Discounted Group Tickets are also on sale for all Komet home games at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way. For more information on Komet single game tickets and group tickets, call 260-483-0011 or visit www.komets.com or call 260-483-0011.

Komet Hockey on WOWO Radio and OmniSource Radio Recycle on the web-- Bob Chase is celebrating his 62nd season behind the Komet microphone this year. Follow the Komets on WOWO Radio AM 1190 and FM 92.3. All Komet radio broadcasts can also be heard worldwide on the web at Komets.com presented by OmniSource Radio Recycle.