Komets Re-Sign Colin Chaulk, Brett Smith and Kaleigh Schrock
 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Fort Wayne Komets announced Tuesday that they have initiated the 2012-13 preseason roster with four players that have agreed to terms. Returning champions from 2011-12 are Colin Chaulk, Brett Smith and Fort Wayne native Kaleigh Schrock. All three will be in uniform when the Komets make their ECHL debut in October.

Chaulk, 35, will be back for his 10th season with the Komets and 15th as a pro. Last season Chaulk posted 22 goals and 61 points in 60 games with Fort Wayne. During his Fort Wayne career Chaulk has won five league championships (2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012). The veteran center is a five-time Komets team MVP. Chaulk has led Fort Wayne into the playoffs nine times out of 10 seasons with the Komets and holds the Fort Wayne franchise record of most playoff appearances by a player at 99. Chaulk's career regular season totals with the Komets are 560 games (8th), 182 goals, 480 assists (second to Len Thornson's 807 assists) and 662 points (3rd). Chaulk's record 99 Fort Wayne playoff games have yielded 33 goals, 69 assists (second to Thornson's 74 assists) and 102 points (second to Thornson's 127).

Smith, 30, will return for his second season with Fort Wayne and ninth as a pro. The veteran center's CHL title last year with the Komets was his second straight CHL Presidents' Cup after collecting the championship with Bossier-Shreveport in 2010-11. Smith ranked second last year in Komet scoring, tying Chaulk with 61 points while posting a career high 41 assists in 55 games. The Guelph, Ontario native scored three goals and 13 points appearing in 17 playoff games en route to the 2012 CHL championship. Smith was named to the 2012 CHL All-Star Team and received the Komets' NOB Brick Award for 2011-12 as the Stonewall Defensive Forward of the Year.

Schrock, 27, hails from Fort Wayne and will be starting his fourth consecutive season in the Komet lineup. The right wing has played his entire pro career with the Komets and capped last season with career highs of 22 assists, 34 points and +26. Schrock appeared in all 18 Fort Wayne post-season games scoring six goals and nine points while accumulating a team-high 29 penalty minutes. Last season was Schrock's second championship finish with the Komets after earning the 2010 IHL Turner Cup title in his rookie season.

The Komets also announced that rookie defenseman Kyle Atkins has been added to the pre-season roster. Atkins, 23, recently completed four seasons with the Holy Cross Athletics of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA). During 2011-12, the senior defenseman scored a Division I career best nine goals, 15 points and 22 penalty minutes and was awarded his second Glenn Crane Memorial Award, which Holy Cross gives to the player that leads his team the most by example. Prior to his stint with Holy Cross, Atkins skated three seasons with the Brockville Braves of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) scoring 26 goals 98 points in 172 games.