UHL trainer turns show stopper

Through 51 seasons of existence, perhaps no member of the Fort Wayne Komets franchise has enjoyed the star treatment bestowed upon Joe Franke. Hundreds of fans surrounded the locker room Dec. 15, repeatedly chanting Franke’s name, in an hour-long vigil honoring the man who guided the United League team to a 4-3 victory that night. That man was the Komets’ 42-year-old equipment manager, called into late-game action as an emergency goaltender against the visiting Elmira Jackals. “Everybody has that dream or that thought, ‘Boy, what if I was able to be put in that position?’” said team president Michael Franke. “Joe had his 15 minutes of fame that all of us as sports fans can dream about.” Joe Franke, no relation to the Franke family that owns the Komets, was pressed into action under…

ELSTON

Double-digit loss streak not an issue for Patrick

All indications were that coach Rick Kehoe’s job was safe despite a 10-game losing streak (including an overtime loss) that was one short of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ franchise record, set in 1982-83. Then again, whose job is truly safe when a team goes an eighth of a season without a victory and gets outscored 41-16 in that span? “I don’t know if my job’s safe,” said GM Craig Patrick when he was asked about Kehoe’s job security. “I can’t answer that one.” But Patrick did say he was satisfied with the coaching staff-“they’re doing a great job,” he said-and he hadn’t so much as thought of making a change during the losing streak. Lemieux laughed when he was asked if he still had faith in Patrick and Kehoe. “Of course,” he said. The Penguins won…

Barney begins again after three-year respite

Scott Barney, who spent the previous three years visiting specialists and surgeons, is now pain-free and playing. The 23-year-old Oshawa, Ont. native is a grinding rookie center for the Manchester Monarchs this season, scoring six goals and nine points in 21 games. Barney, who played junior with Peterborough in the Ontario League, was selected 29th overall in 1997 by Los Angeles. But shortly after turning pro in 1999, Barney encountered back pain so debilitating he could barely walk. Barney did extensive therapy and was on all kinds of medication. He took cortisone, then had surgery, but nothing helped. The frustration grew past the two-year mark, when Barney was referred to a Montreal trainer who helped him with a stretching program. Then another referral, this time to a Montreal osteopath at Concordia University, Dave Campbell,…