Fort Wayne, IN -- The Komets announced today that forward Shawn Szydlowski has agreed to terms for the upcoming season, returning for his 10th campaign in the orange and black.
Szydlowski, 33, started his pro career playing two games with the Portland Pirates of the AHL in 2011. After stints in the ECHL with Gwinnett, and 45 games with the Central Hockey League’s Fort Worth Brahmas, he was assigned to Fort Wayne by Rochester of the AHL on October 23, 2013. The 6’0 forward skated 476 regular season games with the Komets from 2013-2022. Szydlowski ranks 14th in all-time points scored (487), 12th in goals (179), and 11th in all-time assists (308). Including playoffs, the St. Clair Shores, Michigan, native has played 559 games as a Komet, scoring 208 goals and 359 assists for 565 points, ranking him 10th all-time. During the 2017-18 season, Sydlowski was the league’s leading scorer with a career-high of 79 points (31g, 48a) and was named the ECHL Most Valuable Player. He hoisted the Kelly Cup as a member of the Komets in 2021. Sydlowski played last season in Orlando, netting 14 goals and 15 assists in 46 games.
"It’s an exciting day for the Komets. Shawn is a historic player with the franchise, and we are looking forward to him wearing the Komet logo again,” said Head Coach Jesse Kallechy. “We will demand a lot from him and need him to be a player who can help lead the way for our group.”
The Komets open their 72nd training camp on Monday, October 9. During the first week of training camp, the team will have several practices open to the public at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Practices open to the public
Monday, October 9: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 10: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 11: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (3v3 scrimmage)
Thursday, October 12: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Komets will play two exhibition games against the Iowa Heartlanders at home on Saturday, October 14, starting at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 15 at 4:00 p.m., with the regular season home opener on October 21 against Indy at 7:30 p.m.