Coach Al Sims and captain Colin Chaulk retired, and now so has the goaltender who backstopped them to four championships between 2008 and 2012.Here's what ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna had to say, when I asked him about what the Komets' schedule will be like next season:
"A ballpark estimate is … out of the 72 games, about 50 will be against the teams in the closest geographic distance. You will see a lot of Toledo, Kalamazoo, Cincinnati, and Wheeling perhaps.
"We try to make sure for the rivalry point of view, and the travel cost point of view, to make it rational. But we also have come to realize that although fans love the rivalries, they also like to see some variety with teams that come into the building.
"You're going to see more alignment geographically that you've seen in the past (in the ECHL). Certainly, the travel schedule for Fort Wayne will be less onerous that it was this year, but there will be some trips. … We don't mandate east-west travel, but if teams volunteer to do it, we make it happen."
