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Ice Chips

  • Ah, the memories
    First off, I neglected the other day to post this story -- click here -- about the Komets' using the move to the ECHL as
  • Our K's-to-ECHL coverage today
    Here's our coverage from this morning's paper of the Komets' news conference announcing the team's move to the ECHL:
  • On return of Sims, players
    The Komets have yet to sign any players for the upcoming season, though coach Al Sims, who has five Cups with Fort Wayne dating back to 1993, has signed an undisclosed contract to return.
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Timeline of craziness

Here's how it all went down

The Komets lead the Muskegon Lumberjacks 1-0 after one period, thanks to a Blair Stayzer goal. Ironic, since the Komets' enforcer wasn't on the ice for one of the biggest melees I've ever seen.

I just looked at the video. Here's a timeline:

  • Brad MacMillan crashed the Muskegon net, looking for a goal. I didn't see anything wrong with it.
  • Muskegon's Tom Galvin comes in and slashes MacMillan's stick harshly, setting off an 11-player melee behind the net, which included goalie Sebastien Centomo for a second or two.
  • In the fracas, Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock of Fort Wayne fights a skill player, John DiPace.
  • MacMillan celebrates on his way to the penaly box and Centomo mocks him.
  • After the goals are sorted out, Muskegon's Robin Big Snake begins having words with Komets star Colin Chaulk. The puck is dropped and Big Snake cross-checks Chaulk from behind, inciting a fight.
  • As the players converge, Muskegon's Jason Lawmaster, an enforcer-type, tackles arguably the most gentlemanly player in the IHL, Konstantin Shafranov, and that sets off another melee.
  • After that fight ends, MacMillan leaves the penalty box to get at Lawmaster and fight him, throwing a linesman in the process.
  • Big Snake pushes another linesman as he doesn't want to go to the penalty box. Eventually, he leaves the box to taunt MacMillan.
  • All that came of this were 63 minutes in penalties, including game misconducts for Big Snake, MacMillan and Lawmaster.
  • What do I think? MacMillan deserves a 15-to-20 game suspension. Big Snake should get 8-to-11 games. Lawmaster will get targetted by Stayzer when these teams next meet.
  • Brad Jones, the IHL's disciplinarian just told me leaving the penalty box carries with it a minimum 10-game suspensions for MacMillan and Big Snake, pending further review, of course.

Justin A. Cohn, pro sports coordinator for The Journal Gazette, has been covering the Fort Wayne Komets since 1997. His reporting includes game stories from home and away, features about the players and personalities associated with the Komets, plus coverage of issues affecting hockey at all levels. A native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Cohn graduated from Emory University in Atlanta. He can be reached at 260-461-8429 or by email at jcohn@jg.net.