When the Komets acquired David Hukalo in 2004, they were roundly criticized by some fans for giving up popular forward Kevin Kotyluk, especially when Hukalo quickly suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery.
Kotyluk retired after 2006, but Hukalo has been a major force in the Komets winning two championship rings, and Friday night he was named the Turner Cup playoffs Most Valuable Player. Hukalo, 30, led the Komets in scoring with eight goals and 14 points in 11 playoff games, and was a major force defensively in helping shut down Kalamazoo leading scorer Glenn Detulleo in the first round and the Muskegon duo of Todd Robinson and Robin Bouchard in the finals.
Hukalo joins Pokey Reddick (1993), Tom Lawson (2003) and Justin Hodgman (2008) as Komets who won playoff MVP trophies. The IHL didn't start awarding a playoff MVP trophy until 1984, and renamed it for former commissioner Bud Poile in 1988.
Party time
The Komets will host their annual postseason fan party and jersey auction for charity at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Memorial Coliseum Exposition Hall. The cost will be free for season-ticket holders and $5 for everyone else. Along with championship season souvenirs, light snacks and a cash bar will be available.
Komets Vice President Scott Sproat said there has been discussion between city and county officials about a possible proclamation ceremony on the steps of the City-County Building at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday followed by a caravan to the fan party at the coliseum. Final details will be released Monday.
Rookie roundup
The Komets' first-year players provided them with a major advantage throughout the playoffs, and especially in the finals. The line of Justin Hodgman, Sean O'Connor and Rick Varone scored six of the Komets' 21 goals against Muskegon, and rookie blueliners Keith Rodger and Danko Mironovic added one each.
Mironovic also skated head-to-head against Muskegon's Robin Bouchard throughout the series. After scoring 42 goals in 46 regular-season games, Bouchard was held without a goal in the finals.
“Coach made me stay on him the whole series,” Mironovic said. “I play best when I'm a little meaner, a little stickier. I just tried to be as mean as I could on him. I was kind of getting to him the last couple of games. When he's taking penalties on me or if we're taking offsetting penalties, I think that's a good trade. That's one of the most prolific goal scorers in minor-league hockey, and I'll take him to the box any day.”
Bob is coming back
After passing legendary Toronto Maple Leafs announcer Foster Hewitt's professional-hockey record with his 56th year broadcasting the Komets this season, WOWO broadcaster Bob Chase has announced he'll be back for at least one more starting in October.
“As long as we're winning, I'm not going to quit,” Chase said. “It's too much fun being a winner.”
Third time for a charm
Guy Dupuis, Colin Chaulk and Kevin Bertram are now the first Komets ever to win three playoff championship rings during their Fort Wayne careers. They all won the title last year, and Dupuis won in 1993 and Chaulk and Bertram in 2003. Sims and trainer Shawn Dundon also have three rings.
Moving up the list
This was the Komets' 14th appearance in the Turner Cup Finals, which ties the IHL record set by Toledo. Muskegon made its 12th Turner Cup Finals appearance. Toledo holds the record with nine titles, and the Komets have moved past Cincinnati for second with six.
Special section coming
The News-Sentinel will publish a six-page commemorative section on the Komets' back-to-back championships Wednesday.
Icing the puck
The Komets placed regular-season leading scorer P.C. Drouin on injured reserve before the game and activated Olivier Legault. Legault skated in warm-ups but was not in the lineup. … Game 5 will be shown on Comcast Ch. 55 and Verizon Ch. 25 at 8 p.m. Wednesday. … The Komets have drawn crowds of 10,593 (2003), 10,462 (2008) and 10,480 (2009) for their three title-clinching games since Memorial Coliseum was expanded in 2002. … Komets defenseman Rod Aldoff was plus-11 in the five games. … Since Dec. 31, the Komets went 38-11-9, including 28-5-1 since Feb. 27.
