With a 4-2 victory over Minneapolis on April 23, 1963, the Komets brought the Turner Cup to Fort Wayne for the first time.
Playing in front of a crowd of 5,026 at Memorial Coliseum, the Komets scored two points in the first period and were never behind the Millers, who were the defending Turner champions. But there was no breathing room until their final point came with just 46 seconds left to play.
°®¶¹app's 1963 story recapping the title-clinching victory appears below. The Komets open the 2023-24 regular season Friday on the road and Saturday at home against the Indy Fuel. Read a preview package from Justin A. Cohn in print and online Friday, and subscribe to °®¶¹app's freeĀ Komets newsletter for headlines all season.
The 1963 team included captain Eddie Long, who died in July this year. "Mr. Komet," as he was known, played 801 games and scored more regular season goals than anyone else in franchise history. He was a player-coach for two seasons and became the first person to have his number (16) retired by the team.
The first championship win came at the end of Komets' 11th season. They opened in the International Hockey League on Oct. 25, 1952.
The Komets would win the IHL's Turner Cup again in 1965, 1973, 1993, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The team won the United Hockey League's Colonial Cup in 2003 and the Central Hockey League's President's Cup in 2012. The UHL took the IHL name in 2007.
The most recent championship win came in 2021 when the Komets lifted the East Coast Hockey League's Kelly Cup.
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"Komets Turn Back Minneapolis By 4-2 To Capture Turner Cup For First Time," by Carl Wiegman (April 24, 1963)
The Komets finally made it!
After waiting eleven years, loyal Fort Wayne hockey fans were rewarded last night as the Komets defeated Minneapolis by a 4-2 score to win the final playoff for the Turner Memorial Trophy, four games to one.
As 5,026 spectators watched at the Coliseum, Coach Ken Ullyot's skaters took an early lead, and repulsed every Minneapolis bid to pull the game out of the fire.
It was a hard-earned victory and the Komets weren't out of the woods until Gary Sharp, the only player to play on two championship clubs this season, hit an open net with 46 seconds left to play. That made the score 4-2 in favor of the Komets and the resulting roar just about shot the roof off the Coliseum.
Fort Wayne had eliminated Muskegon, the defending Turner Cup champion, by a 4-2 score in the first International Hockey League playoff. Minneapolis ousted Omaha in seven games, 4-3.
The Komets were never behind in last night's game. Goals by Roger Maisonneuve and Norm Waslowski put them ahead 2-0 at the conclusion of the first 20 minutes of action. Nellie LeClair, who has been sparkling in the Miller's attack in the final series, cut the Komet lead to a goal in the second round.
Chief Reggie Primeau got the winning goal at 12:05 of the third period and then Sharp, who had played wing on the Greensboro Generals of the Eastern League, finished off the Millers with his blast into the open net after goalie Ray Mikulan had been pulled with about a minute to go.
Sharp was acquired during the Muskegon series to replace Ted Wright, who was out with an injured leg. Greensboro had won the Eastern League crown.
The Komets went into the final period holding a 2-1 lead, as they had done last Wednesday night in St. Paul against these same Millers. Maisonneuve had driven in an angle shot high into the nets at 12:18 of the first period, and Waslowski had scored on a rebound at 14:32.
LeClair's goal came from close in.
The tension began to mount in the third period. Then Primeau skated in front of the cage and took a pass from Waslowski, who was behind it. Reggie poked the puck home to the delight of the crowd. The Komets had a 3-1 lead at the 12:05 mark of the third period.
With only 1:49 left to play, Bruce Lea smacked home a rebound and the Millers were very much in the game again. Mikulan left his post with a minute to go and Sharp got a free pucke, skated within driving range and let fly. The puck sailed into the nets and that was it.
The Komets played another fine game last night. Chuck Adamson again turned aside some difficult stops. The forecheckers were doing a splendid job and the defense was backchecking well. On offence the Komets threw the puck around well, hitting teammates with sure, crisp passes.
