ECHL Fort Wayne Komets

Komets Welcome Everblades for Thanksgiving

November 27, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fort Wayne Komets News Release


Fort Wayne, IN --- The Komets are home for a pair of games this Thanksgiving weekend, both against the Florida Everblades. Florida visits for the traditional Fort Wayne Thanksgiving night game Thursday at 7:30pm. Friday the Komets will make their first of eight trips this season to Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo for a 7:30 faceoff before an encore match with Florida Saturday at the Coliseum at 7:30pm.

Thursday's battle will mark the 53rd Thanksgiving home game for the Komets. The Komets have won the last five straight Thanksgiving night games and are 33-15-4 after 52 home games on the holiday. The Komets' first ever home game on Thanksgiving night was Nov. 27, 1957 when they dropped a 7-3 decision to the visiting Toledo Mercurys. No game was played the following year. Then the Komets skated three straight road Thanksgiving games (1959, 1960 and 1961) before actually beginning the tradition of Thanksgiving home games in 1962 when the Sudbury Wolves of the Eastern Pro League visited Fort Wayne for an intra-league game with the International Hockey League's Komets. The Komets won that game 8-6 and the have not missed a Thanksgiving home game since.

The Everblades will be the first Florida team to visit for Thanksgiving. The Everblades (11-4-2, 24 points) are in a battle with South Carolina for first place in the South Division of the Eastern Conference, trailing the Stingrays by a point. Florida will skate at Kalamazoo tonight before traveling to Fort Wayne for Thanksgiving. The Everblades are led by forward Matthew Pistilli who leads the ECHL with 27 points (12g, 15a) after 17 games. Florida's Kristers Gudlevskis leads ECHL goaltenders with a 1.64 goals-against average after eight games while forward Kyle Bonis leads ECHL rookies with nine goals.

After Saturday night's tilt against Florida, the Komets will be on the road for two weeks before returning home to host the Evansville IceMen Sunday, Dec. 15 at 5pm.

Hat for Lang-- Mickey Lang (C) had points in each game last week, including the Komets' first hat trick of the season contributing to Sunday's 5-4 win at Evansville. Lang enters the weekk riding a six-game point streak (6 goals, 4 assists) and leads the Komets and the ECHL with 13 goals. Forward Mike Vaskivuo is also enjoying a point streak of five games (2 goals, 7 assists) heading into tomorrow night's holiday game in Fort Wayne.

New kid in town-- Defenseman Jordon Southorn will make his debut as a Komet Thursday night after being acquired in a trade with the Elmira Jackals for defenseman Nick Tuzzolino. It will be Southorn's second appearance at the Coliseum since his first visit to Fort Wayne last year on Dec. 29. In Elmira's only game scheduled during the season Southorn dished two assists against the Komets as the K's prevailed 6-5. Southorn, 23, is in his fourth pro year after beginning his career in the ECHL with Trenton in 2010.

Hottest Ticket In Town-- Komet Hockey single game tickets and season tickets for 2013-14 are on sale now. Single game tickets can be purchased at the Coliseum Ticket Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Season tickets are on sale at the Komet office, 1010 Memorial Way, Fort Wayne. For ticket information visit komets.com or call the Komet office at 260-483-0011.

WOWO Penny Pitch Saturday-- WOWO on-air personalities Charly Butcher, Pat Miller, Kayla Blakeslee, Krista Miller, Kylie Havens, Dean Jackson and more will be on hand Saturday night when the Komets host Florida to accept donations for the annual WOWO Penny Pitch. WOWO has helped many charities and families over the years since 1948 with the annual holiday fund drive. Donations this year will go towards WOWO's Penny Pitch recipient Turnstone.

Komet hockey on WOWO, and Xfinity KometCast-- The legendary Bob Chase is celebrating his 61st consecutive season behind the Komet microphone. Fans can follow the action radio rinkside on WOWO Radio AM 1190 and FM 92.3. All broadcasts, home and away, can also be heard worldwide at www.komets.com at Xfinity KometCast.

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ECHL Stories from November 27, 2013


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