Szydlowski inks 7th season with Komets

Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets announced Monday that Shawn Szydlowski has agreed to terms and will return for the 2019-20 campaign.

"Shawn Szydlowski re-signing with the Komets should make all Komet fans excited," Fort Wayne's general manager David Franke said."  He is two years removed from being named the ECHL MVP and has a lot of great hockey left in him.  We expect him to be an integral part of the 2019-20 Komets." Szydlowski (sidd-LOW-ski), 28, will be entering his ninth season as a pro, eighth in the ECHL and seventh with Fort Wayne. The St. Clair Shores, Michigan native is a three-time Fort Wayne MVP and was the team's regular season points leader on three occasions including 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2017-18 and was playoff leader in 2014 and 2016.  In 2017-18 the right wing was named ECHL MVP while winning the league scoring championship with a career high 79 points and ranking second in plus-minus with +39. Szydlowski is a two-time ECHL First Team honoree (2015, 2018) and was named the 2017 ECHL All-Star team captain and starterDuring his career, Szydlowski has skated AHL stints with Rochester, Binghamton, Lake Erie, Norfolk and Cleveland totaling nine assists and 10 points in 78 games.  The veteran has registered all-time Fort Wayne career marks of 174 goals, 266 assists, 440 points and 477 penalty minutes in 423 games. Szydlowski has netted four Fort Wayne hat tricks and reached the 25-goal plateau with the Komets four times. Last season Szydlowski started the year in Norway skating 11 games with Frisk Asker before returning to Fort Wayne to rank second in Komet scoring with 36 assists and 55 points in 59 games while co-leading in plus-minus with +7.

In addition to Szydlowski, the Komets also announced the signing of forward Matthew Boudens and defenseman Eric Israel.  "In Boudens and Israel, we have two rookie players who had very good college and junior careers," Franke stated.  "We are excited to welcome them to Komet Land!"

Boudens (BOW-dens), 25, completed his fifth season with the University of New Brunswick last year scoring six goals, 18 points and +23 in 28 games while leading with 101 penalty minutes. The Pembroke, Ontario native captured his third University Cup Championship with the Reds and finished with collegiate totals of 17 goals, 47 assists, 64 points, 309 penalty minutes and +62 in 135 AUS games.

In 2010-11 Boudens completed two years of juniors with Pembroke, winning Canadian championships each season before logging a three-year QMJHL career at Drummondville.  During his final year of juniors the forward ranked second with the Voltigeurs with 24 goals and third with 59 points while leading the team with 125 penalty minutes.Israel, 24, is coming off a four-year college career at Robert Morris University where he amassed AHA totals of 21 goals, 64 assists and 85 points in 146 games.  The Huntington Woods, Michigan native made his collegiate debut winning the AHA regular season championship and was named RMU Freshman of the Year for men's hockey.  He led Colonials defensemen each of his last three seasons in goals, assists and points.  Last season Israel led the league and tied for fifth in division I with 85 blocked shots and was named to the AHC All-Academic Team for the third straight year.

Prior to his college stint with Robert Morris University, Israel skated two seasons of juniors with Brockville and led team defensemen both years in goals and points and was named to the 2015 CCHL Second All-Star Team.

The addition of Szydlowsk, Boudens and Israel pushes the Komets preseason roster to seven players including four forwards and three defensemen.

Also returning for 2019-20, and announced earlier, are defensemen Jason Binkley and Chase Stewart and forwards Brady Shaw and Anthony Petruzzelli.

Home/Season Opener Oct. 12-- The Komets will open the 2019-20 campaign on Saturday, Oct. 12 when the Kalamazoo Wings visit for a 7:35pm faceoff on Sweetwater Ice at the Memorial Coliseum. It will mark the 68th season of Komet Hockey in Fort Wayne.

See Komets schedule

Season tickets for 2019-20 are on sale now at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way.  Single game tickets will go on sale in September.  For more information visit Komets.com or call 260-483-0011.