Fort Wayne, IN – The Komets opened the 2025-2026 season with two road wins last weekend. After a 4-0 blanking of Indy at the Fishers Event Center, the Komets followed the victory with a thrilling 6-5 win at Kalamazoo on Saturday. The club’s 11-game road trip continues this Friday when the Komets travel to Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones at 7:35 p.m. Tickets for the November 21 home opening game versus Bloomington are on sale now at the Allen County War Memorial ticket office and komets.com. 

ECHL STANDINGS

Last week’s results 

Fri. 10/17 @ Indy 4-0 W

Sat. 10/18 @ KAL 6-5 W

About last week – 

The Komets kicked off their 74th season at the Fishers Event Center against rivals the Indy Fuel and left with a 4-0 win.

Both teams wasted no time with a physical first period, with Indy’s Michael Marchesan going to the box for slashing at 2:02 and Jadon Joseph following at 2:44 for an accompanying slashing call. Joseph’s penalty granted the Komets their first goal of the season at 4:29 off a power-play from Blake Murray with Dillon Hamaliuk and Matt Murphy on the assist. 

The start of the second period featured more restraint in physicality, but was quickly shaken loose after Jayden Grubbe’s goal at 12:31 with assists from Brady Stonehouse and Ian Pierce. A battle at 14:38 between Nick Deakin-Poot and Michael Marchesan left the former with a minor for boarding and a major for fighting. At the same time, the latter was handed down a minor for instigation, a major for fighting, and a game misconduct penalty. James Stefan tacked on a last-minute goal with less than a second on the clock to finish off the period with help from Dillion Hamaliuk and Jayden Grubbe. 

The Komets held the lead down in the third, killing off their penalties at 4:42 to Matthew Brown for holding and to James Stefan for interference at 4:42. Indy’s Jadon Joseph returned to the box at 13:54, giving the Komets a 4-on-4. This gave the Komets the extra edge they needed to cap off their final tally at four with a goal at 19:58 from Kirill Tyutyayev. Nathaniel Day polished off the Komets’ first victory of the season with a shutout, halting all 27 shots.

GAME SHEET

On Saturday, the Komets strolled into Wings Events Center in Kalamazoo and left with a thrilling 6-5 win.

In the first period, the Komets started the scoring when Matt Brown went top shelf off the backhand to beat Kalamazoo's goaltender Hunter Vorva at 5:29. Defenseman Jalen Smereck quickly followed that up with a strike at 6:23, with the lone assist going to Brown. Late in the period with the Komets on the power play, Kalamazoo's Colin Bilek grabbed a loose puck on the left wing and walked into the Komets' zone uncontested to beat goaltender Samuel Jonsson to make the game 2-1 after the first twenty minutes.

Kirill Tyutyayev opened the scoring in the second period with his second goal of the season at 2:52 with assists from Alex Alerardi and Blake Murray, with a follow-up goal by Brown at 9:28 to give the Komets a 4-1 lead after two periods.

In a crazy third period, Kalamazoo's Ryan Cox cut the Komet lead down to two with a strike at 2:38, and the Wings added another at 8:21 to make it a one-goal game. While skating short-handed, Trevor Janicke scored to push the Komet lead back up to two. Still, the Wings rallied with two more goals from Bilek at 16:58 and with the goaltender pulled for the extra skater to complete a hat trick at 18:56. With the prospect of overtime on the horizon, the Komets crashed the net in the final seconds as Austin Magera scored the game-winning goal at 19:53.

GAME SHEET

Komet streaks— 

Points: 2 games, Murray (1g, 2a), Tyutyayev (2g, 1a), Grubbe (1g, 2a), Brown (2g, 1a)

Goals: 2 games, Tyutyayev (2g)

Assists: 2 games, Grubbe, (2a)

Komet leaders—

Points: 3 - Murray (1g, 2a), Tyutyayev (2g, 1a), Grubbe (1g, 2a), Brown (2g, 1a), Smereck (1g, 2a)

Goals: 2 – Tyutyayev, Brown 

Assists: 2 – Murray, Grubbe, Smereck, Hamaliuk, Aleardi

Power Play Goals: 1 -- Murray (1g, 2a), Tyutyayev 

Game Winning Goals: 1 -- Murray, Magera 

Shots: 10 – Stefan 

PIM: 7 -- Deakin-Poot

Plus/Minus: +4 -- Krebs

Goaltenders

Appearances: 1 -- Day, Jonsson

Wins: 1 – Day, Jonsson

Saves: 27 - Day

Goals against Avg: 0.00 - Day

Save percentage: 1.000% - Day

Shutouts: 1, Day

Special K’s—The Komets scored two power-play goals last week on 11 total chances, while killing off five of six opposing power-plays. 

Icing the puck –    Friday’s win at Indy was just the fourth time in 74 seasons that the Komets started the season by shutting out their opponent and just the second time on the road. The last time the club opened with a road shutout was October 20, 1978, a 2-0 win at Muskegon. In four regular-season appearances, rookie goaltender Nathan Day has only given up one goal with a save percentage of .987, with two shutouts in 200 minutes played. Day has not surrendered a goal in the last 112:23, dating back to last season. 13 different Komets registered points in the first two games of the regular season. The Komets are 5-2-0 all-time at the Fisher’s Event Center. Saturday night was the 486 meeting between Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo. The Komets hold the lead in the series 256-176-38-16.  

Upcoming Promotions

Friday, November 21 – Opening Night! Be the first through the doors and score your magnet schedule for the 2025-26 season as the Komets take on Bloomington at 7:35 p.m. 

Saturday, November 22 -- Neon Night - Presented by the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana: Komets will be wearing their new neon jerseys for the first time this season! The first 6,000 fan through the doors will receive Orange Light-Up Neon Wands to create an atmosphere you will not want to miss, courtesy of Fan Cave Tickets.

Kids Seat FREE Night:  Receive a FREE Kids ticket courtesy of Lutheran Health Network and Aunt Millie's with the purchase of any regular-priced adult ticket!  Visit the Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office to take advantage of this offer.

Chuck-A-Puck Night: Play Chuck-A-Puck presented by All-American Stores in the 2nd Intermission for a chance to win FREE Gas for a Year, plus other great prizes from Komets Partners!

Sunday, November 23 -- Blackout Night:  The Komets will be wearing their blackout jerseys! Get yours at the game or at the Komets Shop.

Meijer Family Nights + Post Game Skate:  Visit the Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office and get four Upper Arena Tickets for just $60! Also, bring your skates to go out on the ice after the game!

See Komets Schedule  See Komets Roster

Komet Hockey on WXKE — Fans can follow the action with Shane Albahrani broadcasting play-by-play on 96.3 WKXE. Game broadcasts are also streamed live at Komets.com. 

Get Komet Tickets — Tickets are available for all Komet home games at the Memorial Coliseum ticket office and Ticketmaster.com.