Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets announced Tuesday that left wing Mike Embach has re-signed and will join the team for his fourth consecutive season.
Embach, 28, started last season skating nine games in Sweden with Leksands before joining the Komets' training camp. The Orland Park, Illinois native ranked second on the Komets with 23 goals, 30 assists and 53 points in 54 regular season games and added five goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games. Embach earned the ECHL Player of the Week award for the week of Dec. 21 and won Fort Wayne's True Komet Award for the third straight year.
Embach's Fort Wayne career started when he was traded to the Komets from Gwinnett shortly after the start of the 2013-14 season. In 2014-15 Embach led the Komets with a career high of 46 assists and finished with a season-best 70 points. He was presented with four team awards at the end of the regular season before leading in the playoffs with eight assists and 13 points in 12 games.
2016-17 will be Embach's sixth pro year. The veteran skater has totaled 69 goals, 95 assists and 164 points in 175 Fort Wayne career games.
The Komets also announced that forward Taylor Crunk has agreed to terms and will return. Last year the San Jacinto, California native completed a five-year juniors career skating 16 games with Spruce Grove in the AJHL and 44 games with Vancouver of the WHL, amassing juniors career year highs of 13 goals and 23 points. Crunk was added to the Fort Wayne roster in March and scored a goal, four assists and five points in eight games before appearing in one playoff game.
The addition of Embach and Crunk bring the Komets' early roster for 2016-17 to a total of five players. Jamie Schaafsma (C), David Friedmann (F), and Cole Martin (D) were announced last week.
Opening night for the 65th season of Komet Hockey in Fort Wayne is Saturday, Oct. 15 against the Quad City Mallards.
Season tickets and group tickets for 2016-17 are on sale at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way in Fort Wayne. Call the Komet office at 260-483-0011 or visit komets.com for information.
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