Fort Wayne, IN — The Komets announced Thursday that four players have inked agreements for 2009-10 with the Fort Wayne IHL club.  Returning from their second consecutive championship season with the Komets are forward P.C. Drouin and defenseman Kevin Bertram.  Also agreeing to terms for the upcoming campaign are defenseman Matt Woodard and forward Vince Laise.

Drouin, 35, will be returning for his fifth season with the Komets.  The left winger led the Komets last season during the regular season with 66 assists and 98 points in 75 games before missing the last game of the season and the entire playoffs due to injury.  The playmaker also led the Komets with 51 assists in 2007-08.  Drouin, a 2008-09 IHL First Team All-Star, will be entering his 14th pro year since signing as an NHL free agent with the Boston Bruins in 1996 and appearing in three games with the Bruins during the 1996-97 season.

Bertram, 32, will be on the Komet blue line for his seventh season.  Bertram posted two goals, 10 assists for 12 points last year while accumulating 131 penalty minutes enroute to his third Fort Wayne championship.  During his career in Fort Wayne Bertram was named the Komets' Defenseman of the Year for 2001-02 and has been named the Komets' Unsung Hero the past two seasons.  In addition to being a Komet veteran Bertram is also serves as a member of the Fort Wayne Fire Department.

Woodard, 24, has skated the past four seasons with American International College in the NCAA.  The defenseman registered a goal and seven assists for eight points and posted 28 penalty minutes in 34 games last season.

Laise, 26, completed his third season at the University of Main in 2007-08.  The Brampton, Ontario native also skated three seasons of juniors (OPJHL) from 2001-2004.

Including previously announced signings of Fort Wayne native Kaleigh Schrock (F) and defensemen Brandon Warner and Danko Mironovic, the Komets' roster expands to seven players.  "P.C. Drouin and Kevin Bertram represent part of our core group of veterans that we expect to return this season," Komet general manager David Franke said.  "Matt Woodard and Vince Laise are two rookies who we hope will make an impact on the team and be important contributors."

The Komets will open their defense of the IHL Turner Cup championship when the 58th season of Komet Hockey in Fort Wayne gets underway in October.  Season tickets, at a savings over walk-up prices, are on sale at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way in Fort Wayne.  Season ticket packages include all 38 regular season home games and two pre-season games.  For information fans can visit www.Komets.com or call the Komet office at 260-483-0011.