Komets open 65th anniversary training camp

Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets opened training camp for the 2016-17 season Monday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.David Franke will serve his 27th season as General Manager while Gary Graham enters his fourth season as head coach. Center Jamie Schaafsma will serve as Graham's player/assistant coach. Camp was launched with 32 players on the preseason roster including 16 forwards, 12 defensemen and four goaltenders and will be held at the Coliseum with the first practice session scheduled for 3pm-5pm Monday.

Returning from last season are forwards Shawn Szydlowski, Mike Embach, Jamie Schaafsma, Kyle Thomas, Garrett Thompson, Trevor Cheek, Taylor Crunk, Mason Baptista and David Friedmann. Defensemen Cody Sol, Will Weber, Gabriel Beaupre and Curtis Leonard along with veteran goaltender Pat Nagle will also be returning to the Fort Wayne lineup. Late additions to the camp lineup include forward Jake Hauswirth and defensemen Frank Schumacher, Rob Simpson and Luke Eibler. Hauswirth appeared in one game with the Komets during 2013-14. Schumacher, Simpson and Eibler will be making their Fort Wayne debut.

Also making their first appearances with the Komets are defensemen Jason Binkley, Bobby Shea, Dan Milan, Cole Martin and Carl Tremblay. Also new to the Fort Wayne lineup are forwards Mike Cazzola, Matt Robertson, Chase Nieuwendyk, Brady Vail, Daniel Erlich and Brent Tate along with goaltender Eric Hartzell. Netminder John McLean appeared in one exhibition game with the Komets last year and Garrett Bartus played two games with the Komets during 2014-15.

Players attending AHL training camps on invitation are Szydlowski (Grand Rapids), Weber (Grand Rapids), Beaupre (Grand Rapids), Cheek (Tucson), Freidman (Tucson), Vail (Chicago), Shea (Chicago), Milan (Wilkes-Barrie) and Hartzell (Bridgeport).Three exhibition games will be part of this year's camp. The Komets will skate two home preseason tilts and one on the road. The Indy Fuel visit for the first exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 7 at 8pm at the Memorial Coliseum. The Komets will skate a preseason game at Indy Saturday, Oct. 8 at 6pm at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum and return home to host Brampton in exhibition Monday, Oct. 10 at 7:30pm on Sweetwater Ice at the Memorial Coliseum.

2016-17 marks the fifth season Fort Wayne has been a member of the ECHL. The Komets will be seated in the Central Division of the 27-team circuit along with Kalamazoo, Quad City, Toledo, Tulsa and Wichita. The ECHL will be divided into four divisions and two conferences with the Central and Mountain divisions in the Western Conference and the North and South divisions in the Eastern Conference.Home opener Saturday, Oct. 15-- The Komets will open 2016-17 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' 65th home opener Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30pm at the Memorial Coliseum. The Komets' schedule of 72 regular season games will include 36 at home and 36 on the road.

The Komet home schedule will run through April 8 and is filled with affordable ticket programs and discount plans throughout the season including Kids Seat Free Nights, Marathon Fill-Up Card Friday Nights, special Family 4-Pack Nights, two Report Card Nights, Sunday night Meijer Family Nights with post-game open skates with the Komets, and Deuces Wild Wednesdays. Also, Fort Wayne Newspapers return with the Upper Deck Extra Section discount coupons and much more. For more information pick up a Komet schedule at locations throughout the Fort Wayne area, call the Komet office at 260-483-0011 or visit Komets.com and join the Krowd.

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 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.

Game times-- Fort Wayne home games on Monday thru Thursday and Saturday will start at 7:30pm. Friday home games will begin at 8pm and Sundays will faceoff at 5pm.

Bob Chase returning for #64-- Legendary broadcaster Bob Chase will be returning for his 64th season broadcasting Komet Hockey radio rinkside. Again this year, Chase will work all Komet home games and select road games with Shane Albahrani also covering a select number of road games on WOWO Radio AM 1190 and FM 107.5. All broadcasts will be carried on the web at www.komets.com presented by OmniSource Radio Recycle.

2016 Komets Training Camp ScheduleMonday, Oct. 3.......... 12Noon Press Luncheon, Memorial Coliseum Red Room Practice at Coliseum, 3pm-5pmTuesday, Oct. 4......... Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-10:55am and 11:30am-12:30pmWednesday, Oct. 5.... Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-10:55am and 11:30am-12:30pmThursday, Oct. 6........ Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-10:55am and 11:30am-12:30pmFriday, Oct. 7............. Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-11am; Exhibition home game vs Indy, 8pmSaturday, Oct. 8........ Practice at Coliseum, 10:30am-11:30am; Exhibition game at Indy, 6pmMonday, Oct. 10........ Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-11am; Exhibition home game vs Brampton, 7:30pmTuesday, Oct. 11....... Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-11:30amWednesday, Oct. 12...Practice at Coliseum, 9:30am-11:30amThursday, Oct. 13...... Practice at Parkview Icehouse, 9:30am-11amFriday, Oct. 14........... Season opener at Quad City, 8:05pm ETSaturday, Oct. 15.......Practice at Coliseum, 10:30am-11:30am; Home opener vs Quad City, 7:30pm