Hockey season has begun. NHL games are already in action, which means North American minor league seasons aren’t far behind.
Last season was a rare year in which the Fort Wayne Komets did not advance to the playoffs. They put up a respectable 77 points, which kept them in the playoff conversation late into the year, but ultimately wasn’t enough to get them into the postseason. This resulted in nearly six months between their last game on April 14 to the start of training camp Monday.
The Komets made a few changes during the offseason that head coach Jesse Kallechy hopes will carry them to the next level.
“We knew coming into last year that it was a little bit of a rebuilding season; we had 16 rookies, so this summer the goal was to try and add some experience, and we were fortunate to do that,” Kallechy said.
One of those pieces was 32-year-old Fort Wayne native Alex Aleardi. Aleardi got a cup of coffee in the ECHL about a decade ago, playing 39 games between the Evansville Icemen and Florida Everblades before heading to Europe, where he blossomed into an efficient scoring wing.
He returned to the Everblades in 2021, before spending the last two seasons in Rapid City. He was an all-star last year, and set the Rush franchise record for points in a season with 79.
“I’m close to home, and it’s a different feeling, but kind of the same feeling as well," Aleardi said. "You meet the new guys and the older guys and get a feel for what’s going on, and everything’s been great and smooth so far, and I’m excited to get on the ice today and see what everyone’s got.”
As part of his homecoming, Aleardi and his wife purchased a home in Fort Wayne following Alex’s signing with the Komets in July.
Aleardi teams up with returning wing Jack Dugan, who shined in his first season with the Komets posting 20 goals and 60 assists in 70 games last year.
Dugan says the failure to reach the playoffs last year left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he believes the team is headed in the right direction.
“I think it’s always good to have high expectations. Individually, I expect a lot from myself and a lot of my teammates as well, and I think the organization does of all of us as well, everywhere from management down to every guy on the team,” Dugan said.
Training camp officially began October 7, giving the Komets just 11 days before the start of the season to familiarize themselves with team strategies, as well as each other.
Kallechy says with two preseason games baked into the middle of camp, the window feels even shorter than that.
“We kind of have three days to get some type of resemblance of our team and how we’re going to play, and then the next week we’ll try to put it all together when we trim down – we have a lot of players right now – but that’s the challenge is making sure that when the puck drops in Iowa, we’re ready to go,” Kallechy said.
While players have workout routines during the offseason, six months away from game action is an awfully long time. And each player has their own checklist for what to sharpen up ahead of opening night.
“No matter what you do over the summer, you’re never going to be in game shape up to 100%, so over these next two weeks I’m just trying to push myself every day and get back into game shape completely," Dugan said. "I feel pretty good right now, I feel healthy and well-rested which was not the case at the end of the season last year.”
“Positioning. Systems is the biggest thing, and there’s gaps coming from college and guys in the AHL coming down, it’s a different hockey than those," Aleardi said. "So kind of finding that feeling of where everyone’s at and making sure everyone’s on point with where they need to be at the right time is I think the most important thing.”
Learning to successfully coalesce with a variety of prospects fresh out of college or junior league play will be important for this year’s Komets team.
Dugan is taking his responsibility as a veteran leader seriously. He says the team was able to coordinate a golf outing the weekend before camp began in an effort to build some early chemistry.
“We had about 12 of us out there, so it was good that some of the new guys weren’t afraid to show up because sometimes that happens; they get a little nervous," Dugan said. "So we tried to make it as open as possible, and honestly I think that’s as important as anything that goes on in the rink is outside of the rink.”
Of course, Kallechy reminds us that right now, this is only the beginning of a long season the Komets hope has them playing deep into the spring.
“On paper, we’re pretty happy with the team that we have, and now the hard work starts to build a foundation of how we want to play and get these guys in game shape so they’re ready to go in a couple weeks," Kallechy said. "That’s going to be the goal for camp here over the next couple days.”
The Fort Wayne Komets are set to get things started Friday, October 18 with back-to-back games against the Iowa Heartlanders in Coralville. Their first home game at the Coliseum will be a week later, hosting the Cincinnati Cyclones on October 25. All Komets games will now air on 96.3 XKE.
