Photo Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets have added three more players to bolster their defense.
The club announced that three defensemen, Tyler Inamoto, Dustyn McFaul, and Harrison Rees, have re-signed for the upcoming season.
The trio joins returners Matt Murphy and Owen Gallatin, along with newcomer Grant Gabriele at the blueline.
The 26-year-old Inamoto split time with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and the Komets last season. In the black and orange, the Barrington, Illinois, native had three assists in 32 games.
The 6-foot-2 left-handed shot has played in 23 career American Hockey League games, scoring five assists. Before turning pro, Inamoto was a teammate with current Komet, Jack Gorniak, at the University of Wisconsin.
With the Badgers, Inamoto scored five goals and 24 assists for 29 points in 158 games.
“It is terrific to be able to bring back three solid defenseman to Fort Wayne,” Komets Head Coach Jesse Kallechy noted. “We are very proud and fortunate to have the roster we have at this time of the offseason. These three solidify our blueline with their skill and work ethic. They are also great teammates and tremendous people off the ice, and that’s very important to us as a franchise.”
McFaul, 24, scored two goals and five assists for seven points in 58 games last season with the Komets.
Previously, he appeared in three games for the Florida Everblades in 2023-24 after he finished his NCAA career at Clarkson University.
Rees, 25, has played 61 games with the Komets over the past two seasons, scoring four goals and 20 assists. The 6-foot-2 righty has also made two appearances in the AHL with Hartford and Cleveland.
Before playing pro, the Mississauga, Ontario, native served as captain at the University of Connecticut, racking up 11 goals and 32 assists in 162 contests.