Fort Wayne, IN — The Komets opened training camp Monday for their 58th consecutive season of professional hockey in Fort Wayne.  Camp began with player physicals in the morning followed by a press luncheon at noon at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum.

Komet head coach and director of player personnel Al Sims gets the 35th year of his professional hockey career underway with the help of newly appointed assistant coach Gary Graham and player-assistant coach Colin Chaulk.  Sims will be aiming for a third straight, and fourth overall, IHL Fort Wayne championship.

Graham, 30, is a Fort Wayne native and formerly coached Fort Wayne high school hockey teams Northside (2007-08) and Snider (2003-04, 2004-05).  Last year, while serving as associate coach with the Komets, Graham coached the Midget AAA Indiana Jr. Ice.

Chaulk begins his third year as player-assistant coach and also will be setting sights on his third consecutive IHL championship.

Other players returning to defend the league's title include defensemen Guy Dupuis, Kevin Bertram, Danko Mironovic, Brandon Warner and forwards Rick Varone, Brad MacMillan, David Hukalo, Konstantin Shafranov, Leo Thomas and P.C. Drouin.  In addition to Chaulk, Dupuis, Bertram, Hukalo, Shafranov, Drouin and Warner, the IHL's 2008-09 Goaltender of the Year Nick Boucher is returning for his third straight cup with the Komets, too.

The Komets have a working agreement with AAHL affiliate Evansville this season.  Attending the Komet camp from the IceMen organization are Mike Uvodich (LW), Tim Recio (D) and goalie Matt Wagner.

Coach Sims has also placed his son, Tyler, onto the camp roster.  Tyler Sims, 23, is entering his second complete pro season after appearing in 14 games last year with Mississippi in the CHL.

The Komets will have practices twice daily this week Monday thru Thursday with scrimmages planned on Tuesday and Thursday at 3pm each day. 

Three exhibition games are slated for the first week of camp, two in Fort Wayne.  The Komets will host Dayton in a preseason tilt Wednesday at 7:30pm.  The Komets and Muskegon will skate a preseason home-and-home series starting in Fort Wayne Friday at 8pm.  Saturday the two clubs meet at Walker Arena in Muskegon at 7pm for the final camp tuneup.

The Komets will begin their second straight defense of the Turner Cup Championship at Dayton Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30pm.  The home opener is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23 against the Bloomington PrairieThunder at 8pm.

The 76-game Komet schedule includes 38 home games and 38 road games for 2009-10.  Returning with Fort Wayne are Port Huron, Muskegon, Bloomington and Flint.  The IHL welcomes Dayton and Quad City to the league this year.  The Gems will call Hara Arena home just as they did when they were in the old IHL in the 60's and 70's.  The Mallards will skate their home games at the i wireless Center, formerly the Mark of Quad Cities in Molines, Illinois, where the old UHL Mallards played.

Komet home games will continue to start at 7:30pm for Monday thru Thursday and Saturday games.  Friday home games will faceoff at 8pm and Sunday games will start at 5pm, the same as last year.  The Komets will continue their tradition of playing at home on Thanksgiving night and New Year's Eve.

Bob Chase returns for his 57th season behind the Komet microphone.  Most Komet games will be broadcast on WOWO Radio AM 1190 with some airing on ESPN Radio AM 1380 when conflicts occur.  All games broadcast will also be webcast at www.komets.com Comcast KometCast.

Tickets for all 40 Komet home games, including the two home exhibition matches, are on sale at the Coliseum Ticket Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.  The Komets offer discounts on group tickets sold at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way.  Season tickets also continue to be on sale.  For more information visit the Komet office, call 260-483-0011 or visit the Komets' website at www.komets.com.

Single game ticket prices for 2009-10 will remain the same as last season, ranging from $8.00 to $20.00 for seniors and adults and starting at $6.00 for children.

Komets.com.....the official website for the Fort Wayne Komets is www.komets.com.  In addition to live gamecasts, the Komets' home on the web also features stats, news, interactive fan features and information as well as real-time scoring via the IHL and Pointstreak.

Komets 2009 Training Camp Schedule (all practices at the Coliseum)
Monday, Oct. 5............noon press luncheon at Coliseum, practices at 2pm and 3:30pm
Tuesday, Oct. 6...........practices at 9am and 10:30am;  Scrimmage at 3pm
Wednesday, Oct. 7......practices at 10am and 10:45am;  Exhibition home game vs Dayton at 7:30pm
Thursday, Oct. 8..........practices at 9am and 10:30am; Scrimmage at 3pm
Friday, Oct. 9..............practices at 10am and 11am; Exhibition home game vs Muskegon at 8pm
Saturday, Oct. 10........practice at 10am; Exhibition game at Muskegon at 7pm
(no radio broadcasts of exhibition games)
Sunday, Oct. 11..........day off
Monday, Oct. 12, thru Friday, Oct. 16.....practice at Coliseum each morning at 10:00