Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Each season might represent a new chapter for sports franchises, but for the Fort Wayne Komets, the 1996-97 season is more like a new era.
The newest edition of Fort Wayne hockey debuts tonight when the Komets host the Chicago Wolves. What fans will quickly notice is a team that is undoubtedly younger, quicker and more offensive than in the past two years.
After 45 years, the Komets have dumped their independent status and established an affiliation with the National Hockey League's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Instead of building rosters on their own, the Komets can count on a handful of top talent from the Ducks.
"We're going to get players from them that we normally wouldn't be able to get players of that caliber through free agency," Komet coach Dave Farrish said.
On the downside, those players are subject to recall at any time regardless of playoff circumstances. In recent years NHL affiliates such as Indianapolis and Peoria have seen much of their talent yanked out of town as the playoffs approached.
But Farrish said the positives outweigh the negatives.
The first potential star from Anaheim, right winger Igor Nikulin, is expected to continue the Komets' tradition of attracting top Russian talent.
The Komets look to Nikulin to fill the role held previously by Igor Chivirev, Vladimir Tsyplakov and Konstantin Shafranov. They were known for flashes of scoring brilliance and all wore jersey No. 29.
Nikulin will wear No. 29, but is different than the others, Farrish said.
"He's got real good size. Probably the biggest of the Russian players that have been here," Farrish said.
"He's got great skills offensively. He's a real shifty-type player. I think we're going to see a lot of tremendous plays. The type of plays that have you on the edge of your seat."
Farrish has also been able to mold a team more to his liking since being hired two years ago.
Some of the Komets' more memorable players from their Turner Cup championship five years ago (namely Steve Fletcher and Colin Chin) have gone by the wayside, replaced with younger, quicker players.
"It's been a few years since they won the championship here and a lot of faces have changed. The kind of 'Old Guard' has moved on, and a lot of fresh new faces are in here," Farrish said.
"With that and the Anaheim structure, it does have a new look."
Farrish is more confident with the crew he has assembled this year compared to his first year with the Komets.
"Last year, we felt we weren't going to score enough and weren't fast enough. I think we've turned that around. All three lines will have the ability to score."
The new players include center Lee Davidson, a former Komet who returns after a one-year absence; Robin Bouchard, a right winger who last year mounted 107 points with Flint of the Colonial league; and Todd Harkins, a 6-3 winger who was recently cut by the Hartford Whalers.
Last year, Farrish brought in Shawn Cronin as a new physical presence.
This year, Cronin will be joined by right winger Paul Broten, an NHL veteran who signed with the Komets after falling into disfavor with St. Louis general manager/coach Mike Keenan.
It just so happens Keenan and Farrish are summertime neighbors, and the acquisition came together after two months of negotiations, Farrish said.
The Komets were also able to retain the services of last year's leading scorer, Rob Murphy, and defenseman Andy Bezeau, who broke the franchise record last year for penalty minutes with 590.
Another Anaheim product, Mike Torchia, a goaltender who spent last year with Orlando and previous years in Kalamazoo, is expected to be the starter.
