Now that the Komets' schedule is out, plans have been completed for Guy Dupuis' jersey retirement ceremony. It will be Oct. 29, team president Michael Franke confirmed Tuesday, before the Komets take on the Evansville IceMen at Memorial Coliseum.
However, those wishing to attend the festivities may have to pay a little bit more than usual.
"Guy Dupuis' retirement celebration will be the second game of the regular season," Franke said. "There will be a major ceremony prior to the game to reflect on and commemorate his career with the Komets, and we hope many, if not all, of the players and personnel that have retired numbers, at least the ones still living, will be at the game."
Dupuis hold several franchise records, including most games played (945), most playoff games played (95), and most goals (140), assists (454) and points (594) by a defenseman in the regular season and playoffs combined.
He will be the 13th person to have a number retired, joining players Terry Pembroke (5), Lionel Repka (6), Len Thornson (11), Reggie Primeau (12), Eddie Long (16), Robbie Laird (18), Colin Chin (26), Robbie Irons (30) and Steve Fletcher (77), radio broadcaster Bob Chase (40), coach/general manager Ken Ullyot (58) and former owner Colin Lister (59).
But the Komets have opted to hike single-game ticket prices this season – they go on sale in late September – by $2 to $3 in certain sections.
The prices for lower arena will be $23 for adults, $18 for seniors (60-plus) and students (12 to 18 years old), and $13 for children (12 and younger). Those prices were $21, $16 and $10 last season.
Tickets in the upper arena will cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students and $10 for children, up from $18, $13 and $9.
Upper-deck prices remain the same – $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $6 for children – and season-ticket prices were unchanged.
Franke said it had been about six years since the Komets had increased prices, and it's a result of several factors, including the economy, increased travel costs in the CHL, playing in a unionized league and having only 33 home games this season.
His team left the seven-team IHL after the 2009-10 season, and the Komets considered upping prices then but decided to wait it out.
"It's a combination of a lot of things," Franke said. "In a capsule form, you loook at it, the expenses of operating in what was an 18-team league last season and will be a 14-team league this year, (costs) have gone up greatly for us.
"To be honest with you, it was a lot more economical playing in the IHL, but that's no longer available to us. We expected increases (in ticket prices), but we didn't want to do it last year. We wanted to go through a year and see where things stood."
Franke said travel costs tripled last season from the 2009-10 campaign in the IHL. But the Komets had 36 home games last season because some of the Evansville home games were played at the Coliseum.
"There are (now) five less home games than we had in the IHL, from 38 to 33," Franke said. "It's all across the board -- travel, insurance and medical – just like every other business right now, it's all going up drastically."
There are many CHL cities with much more expensive tickets. For adults, tickets in Tulsa, Okla., range from $15 to $45; in Allen, Texas, from $13 to $43; in Independence, Mo., from $14 to $35; and in Rapid City, S.D., from $16 to $33.
However, the Komets led the CHL in attendance last season with 7,460 per game. Missouri was second with 5,406 per game.
