Schaafsma named player/assistant coach

Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets announced Tuesday that veteran center Jamie Schaafsma has been named player/assistant coach and will join head coach Gary Graham on the Fort Wayne coaching staff while skating his second season with the Komets. Schaafsma will be replacing Konstantin Shafranov. Shafranov has decided to return to Russia to pursue his coaching career.Schaafsma, 33, will be entering his 13th pro season after scoring 25 goals and 39 points in 70 games last season with Fort Wayne. The veteran forward began his career with a successful tour of Europe where he won two championships with the Netherlands in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before adding an Italian Championship with Bolzan and a World Championship with Netherlands in 2008-09. The Chatham, Ontario native made his American pro debut in 2009-10 leading Flint with career highs of 30 goals and 65 points in 75 IHL games. Schaafsma followed with three straight league championships with the Allen Americans before joining the Komets as captain last year.The Komets also announced Tuesday that two additional players have been added to the preseason roster. Forward Brent Tate and goaltender John McLean have each inked tryout agreements.Tate, 24, is looking to start his first full year as a pro after completing a four-year collegiate career with Bowling Green last year. The forward capped the year logging three ECHL regular season games with Toledo and two playoff games with Quad City.McLean, 26, attended the Komets' training camp last year appearing in one exhibition game before joining Pensacola in the SPHL. In 33 games McLean posted a 19-10-3 record and 2.39 goals-against average and was on board for the SPHL President's Cup championship. The Eagan, Minnesota native enjoyed a four-year college career with Gustavus in the MIAC and was a three-time member of the MIAC All-Conference Team.

The Fort Wayne roster grows to 28 players and includes 15 forwards, nine defensemen and four goaltenders. See preseason roster

Three preseason games slated-- The Komets will skate three exhibition games, two at home and one on the road. The preseason schedule is as follows:Friday, Oct. 7, Indy Fuel at Fort Wayne Komets, 8pm ET (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum)Saturday, Oct. 8, Fort Wayne Komets at Indy Fuel, 6pm ET (Indiana Farmers Coliseum)Monday, Oct. 10, Brampton Beast at Fort Wayne Komets, 7:30pm ET (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum)

Home opener Oct. 15-- The Komets will open the season with a home-and-home series against the Quad City Mallards starting Friday, Oct. 14 at Quad City. Both teams return to Fort Wayne for the Komets' home opener Saturday, Oct. 15.See 2016-17 Komet schedule

Single game tickets and Season Tickets on sale-- Single game tickets for the two Fort Wayne home exhibition games and all 36 regular season home games for the 2016-17 campaign are now on sale at the Coliseum Ticket Office and online at TicketMaster.com. Season tickets continue to be on sale at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way in Fort Wayne. For more information visit Komets.com or call 260-483-0011.