When the puck drops at 7:35 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at Memorial Coliseum, it will mark 72 years to the day that the Fort Wayne Komets first took the ice.

A lot has happened since a 4-0 loss at Toledo on Oct. 25, 1952, including  12 regular-season championships, 12 division titles, and 10 championships (seven IHL Turner Cups, a UHL Colonial Cup, a CHL President’s Cup, and an ECHL Kelly Cup).

Along with winning, the Komets have become a staple in our area, where family and friends have been congregating since the Komets took the ice just a month after the Coliseum opened.

“It’s generational,” said Shane Albahrani, director of broadcasting and media relations as well as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster. “This is our 73rd season, and it’s something that’s passed down. I started going when I was 8 or 9 years old, and I ended up working for the team. I passed that down to my daughter. My niece was a season-ticket holder for many years. My dad went to almost every game until he passed away.

“It’s just a family thing that is passed down. That’s really what helps this team keep on going. It’s just such a part of Fort Wayne.”

Speaking of the team being generational, this year’s squad includes 23-year-old rookie Harrison Blaisdell, whose grandfather Wally Blaisdell played 55 games for the Komets during the 1954-55 season, tallying 10 goals and 17 assists.

Komets with a ‘K’

Yes, the Komets are a family affair. Heck, even the unique spelling of their name came about because founder Ernie Berg’s wife, Kathryn, went by Kay. Hence, the Komets also going by the K’s.

For anyone that’s been to a game, you’ve seen the die-hard fans who have been attending for years. There’s also local groups singing the National Anthem, children riding on the Zamboni between periods, on-ice contests, birthday announcements on the big screen, hometown heroes honored, and a Kid of the Game.

As far as special events, the team routinely wears special jerseys that are later auctioned off. Among these games this year will be Military Appreciation Night on Nov. 9, the annual Bob Chase Memorial Game on Nov. 28, Jungle Weekend on Dec. 14-15, MLK Night on Jan. 18, Komets Fight Cancer on Feb. 21, and Fort Wayne Sports History Night on March 9.

The Bob Chase Memorial Game on Thanksgiving night, which honors the team’s famed broadcaster who called games from 1954-2016, is a must-see for many fans, as it’s been played at the Coliseum every year (outside of 2020) since 1962. 

The New Year’s Eve game has also become a Fort Wayne tradition since 1962, taking place every year, outside of 1975 and 2020. 

Another annual favorite is the Teddy Bear Toss game Dec. 7, where stuffed animals are tossed onto the ice by fans and collected to be given to the less fortunate.

“We’re trying to do a little more things promotionally this year,” Albahrani said, noting five Mental Health Nights. “We’re always looking for new stuff, but there’s always the things people enjoy, like the Teddy Bear Toss and the Princess Parade (on March 29). We’ll also have the Halloween Parade (on Oct. 26). Those are all staples.”

Another staple are the family skates following Sunday games, as well as Kids Seat Free Nights, Report Card Nights, Scout Nights, and Kids Club Nights.

It’s these kind of promotions that helped the Komets set a single-season mark for attendance last season with 8,157 attendees per game. And that occurred in a season when the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

“That just shows you what kind of fan base we have,” Albahrani said. “Win or lose, people are going to show up. Of course we like to win a little bit more, but we appreciated the support. 

“8,157 fans per game set a single-season mark, and that’s saying something considering what our attendance has been over the years. It all goes out to the fans. The Komets are a global brand. We’re listened to in around 50 countries on the radio and on our podcast.”

Returning home

When it comes to getting back into the ECHL playoffs, second-year coach Jesse Kallechy likes what he has this year.

“We’re really excited,” Kallechy said during a press conference ahead of training camp. “We have a great group of guys, great group of players.”

Among those players is someone Kallechy knows well: Alex Aleardi.

Along with being a part of the 2022 Kelly Cup championship Florida Everblades squad, for which Kallechy was an assistant coach, Aleardi is also returning to his birthplace.

Although he left the Summit City at the tender age of 3, returning is something special for him.

“It’s pretty crazy,” the forward said. “In this line of work, you don’t really get a chance to do that. It’s sort of pick up and go, and whatever team wants you, you make things work. That’s how hockey is sometimes. Me going full circle like this is pretty awesome.”

And getting a call from Fort Wayne was welcomed by him.

“It’s a premier team in this league, and it has been for a long time,” he said. “There’s a big reputation around it. It’s a privilege to play here. It’s an honor to play here. Coming back home to play for the team where you were born is special.”

A member of the Rapid City Rush last season, Aleardi set a team record for points with 79, earning a spot on the ECHL all-star team.

“He brings skill along with veteran leadership, and since he is a Fort Wayne native, he is also going to be a fan-favorite,” Kallechy said in a press release following Aleardi’s signing in July.

At 31 years old, Aleardi will provide some veteran leadership along with 31-year-old forward Anthony Petruzzelli and 35-year-old forward Justin Taylor.

“I think they did a great job recruiting and picking up key pieces around the league,” Aleardi said of the moves made by President of Hockey Operations and co-owner David Franke. “We have got some older guys coming in, a little bit of veteran leadership, which helps things go a long way in this league. I think we’re on the right path. Now we have to put the work in.”

Influx of talent

Along with Aleardi, the Komets will be led by returning team MVP Jack Dugan, who was a fifth-round pick of the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. In his first year with the Komets, Dugan’s  80 points were fifth in league, while he led the ECHL in assists and was an all-star.

Adding some offensive punch will be a familiar name to K’s fans, as the Kalamazoo Wings’ all-time leading scorer, Taylor, now dons the Komets sweater.

“We’re happy he left the dark side and came over the Fort Wayne,” Kallechy said of the man who is 21st in all-time scoring in the ECHL and third in games played with 816. He is just 68 games away from the all-time mark of 884 set by Michael Pelech.

Petruzzelli will be playing his seventh season for the Komets while the team will also have plenty of youth with the likes of Hobey Baker Award nominee forward Austen Swankler, 2023 WHL all-star second team selection forward Chase Bertholet, and defenseman Kyle Mayhew, who was a member of the all-rookie team with Utah last year.

Change the dial

If you’re unable to make it to the Coliseum, you might be in for a surprise when you turn the dial to WOWO to hear the game.

Yes, for the first time since 1952, outside of the 1985-86 season, the game will not be broadcast on the AM station. Instead, you’ll want to turn your dial to 96.3-FM WXKE.

“It was something that we thought over all summer long,” Northrop graduate Albahrani said of the move. “It was something we didn’t take lightly, but it was a business decision. 

“We just felt moving radio stations after 71 years was the right move for us. We just think the WXKE, with their fanbase and the fact that all their personalities are live and local, and they are all from Fort Wayne (Northrop grads Jack Hammer and Jason Lee, and North Side grade J.J. Fabini). That was very attractive to us, to have guys that could talk about us all day long and the fact that they know Komets hockey.”

The first broadcast on WXKE will be Friday, Oct. 18, when the Komets open their regular season with back-to-back games in Coralville, Iowa, against the Heartlanders. After that, K’s fans will undoubtedly fill the Coliseum on Friday, Oct. 25, with glow wands being handed out to the first 6,000 fans when they face the Cincinnati Cyclones.

“It’s just going to be a great night,” Albahrani said.