GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Fort Wayne Komets have won the Turner Trophy as the Central Hockey League’s Turner Conference champions for 2011-12, claiming the title with a 6-4 victory over the Missouri Mavericks on Thursday night in the 30th Game 7 in Central Hockey League playoff history. 
Fort Wayne will be making their first trip to the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals in their second season in the CHL and will be taking on the Wichita Thunder in the battle for the Cup. The path this year for the Komets included an Opening Round six-game series win over the Rapid City Rush (four games to two) and their 4-3 series win over the Mavericks in the conference finals.
The Komets%27 Frankie DeAngelis celebrates after his score on the Mavericks%27 Charlie Effinger.
The Komets earn the series win despite becoming the first CHL team to drop the first two games of a conference final on home ice. Fort Wayne battled back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the series to advance to the Finals. The Komets finished atop the Turner Conference after the regular season with a 40-19-7 record (87 points) and were the top seed in the conference playoffs. During the regular season, Fort Wayne was 19-8-6 on home ice and a league-best 21-11-1 on the road. Fort Wayne is celebrating their 60th Anniversary season and are battling for their ninth league title. Prior to joining the CHL, the Komets won eight league titles including seven International Hockey League (IHL) crowns and one United Hockey League (UHL) title.
The Komets celebrate with the 2012 CHL Turner Cup.
Fort Wayne is coached by Al Sims who is in his ninth season behind the bench for the Komets. Sims has guided the Komets to four IHL championships including an incredible stretch of three straight (1993, 2008, 2009 and 2010). The Turner Conference and Turner Trophy is named for Joseph Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario who played professionally with the Detroit Red Wings before serving in World War II with the United States Army. Turner was killed on December 13, 1944 in Belgium during battle. Turner drew distinction as an amateur goaltender in the Michigan-Ontario amateur league playing on teams in Detroit and Windsor. The Komets and Thunder will get the Finals underway on Saturday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena and Game 2 has been set for Sunday in Wichita. The remainder of the Finals schedule will be announced shortly. Contact
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