Fort Wayne, IN-- The Komets announced today that Cory Melkert will join the team as an assistant coach. The team has inked deals with defenseman Joe Gatenby, and rookie forwards Tristan Ashbrook and Darian Pilon.
Melkert, 32, spent the last two seasons as the head coach of Fayetteville in the SPHL. The Kenmore, Ontario native racked up 66 wins at the helm with the Marksmen, including a 40-14-0 mark in the 2021-22 season. Melkert worked as an assistant under Komet head coach Jesse Kallechy during the 2019-20 season with the Marksmen.
“I would first like to thank the Frankes and Jesse (Kellechy) for the opportunity to be an assistant coach for one of the best organizations in the ECHL. It is something I will not take for granted,” said Melkert. “My wife and I are very excited to get to Fort Wayne and become part of the community. I know Fort Wayne has the best fans in the league, and I can’t wait to get started and help build this team that will compete for another championship.”
Before coaching, Melkert played three seasons of pro hockey in the ECHL and SPHL.
Gatenby, 26 (gat-in-bee), played last season with Greenville registering 26 points (7g, 19a) for the Swamp Rabbits. The 6’0 defenseman is a product of the University of New Brunswick, where he won three USports championships with the Reds. The Kelowna, British Columbia native, played junior hockey in the WHL with Kelowna and Kamloops, where he scored 25 goals and 110 assists for 138 total points and 199 penalty minutes in 274 games.
Pilon (pea-lawn), 24, skated 66 games at the University of Prince Edward Island, amassing 223 penalty minutes. Before his university career, Pilon played three seasons in the OHL, collecting 40 goals, 48 assists with 317 penalty minutes in 194 games.
Ashbrook, 24, turned pro last season, skating five games with the Savannah Ghost Pirates notching one assist. The Manistique, Michigan native, played one season at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) before transferring to Michigan Tech. The 5’11 winger scored 37 goals with 21 assists in 128 collegiate games.
The Komets will open the season on October 20, at Indy, with the home opener on October 21 against the Fuel.
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