The Fort Wayne Komets Hockey in the 1980's
| The Seasons | ||||
 1980-81 |
 1981-82 |
 1982-83 |
 1983-84 |
 1984-85 |
 1985-86 |
 1986-87 |
 1987-88 |
 1988-89 |
 1989-90 |
| Komets History The 1980's | ||||
 The 1980's were a time for changes - both within the structure of the Komets as well as the league. During the decade, ownership of the franchise changed four times and financial difficulties forced one owner to file bankruptcy.Only four of the franchises which started the 1980's were around to greet the 1990's- Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo, Milwaukee and Muskegon. But the league expanded its boundaries as far west as Salt lake. The National Hockey League also became involved, adopting seven of the nine teams as primary farm clubs. While the recession which started in the early 1980's put the franchise on thin ice financially, from a competitive standpoint things were much better. The team won three regular season championships, setting team records for points with 112 twice. The decade was also marked by successful coaching tenures of two former players- Ron Ullyot and Robbie laird. Each coached the Komets to a league championship with laird giving the team back-to- back titles and a finalist in the 1986 Turner Cup playoffs. Popular players of the era included Barry Scully, who averaged over 60 goals for three straight seasons with a high of 69; Terry McDougall, Dale Baldwin, Wally Schreiber, John Hilworth, Steve Salvucci, Doug Rigler, Tony Camazzola, Craig Channel, Ron Leef, Jim Burton, Colin Chin, and goalies like Pokey Reddick, Alain Chevrier, Bob Essensa, Stephane Beauregard, Darren Jensen, Danny Sanscartier, Michel Dufour and Rick Knickle. Reddick, Chevrier, Essensa and Beauregard all played their way into the National Hockey League. MORE |
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