Toledo Walleye goaltender Pat Nagle and forward Mike Embach consider themselves fortunate to have experienced both sides of the building ECHL rivalry between Toledo and Fort Wayne.
Nagle and Embach both played for the Komets last season before joining the Walleye this season. Neither claim to harbor any ill-will toward their former organization.
But that's not to say there's not added incentive for the ex-Komets as the teams collide in the Central Division finals beginning this weekend.
“Anytime you are playing someone that you've played for in the past, you want to have a good showing,” said Nagle, who played in 109 games for Fort Wayne over three seasons.
Nagle, who is 4-0 in the Kelly Cup playoffs with a 1.79 goals-against average, will be between the pipes against his former teammates in Game 1 of the best-of-7 series on Saturday at the Huntington Center.
Embach, who played with Nagle in Fort Wayne the last three seasons, said he is looking forward to squaring off against so many familiar faces.
“You always want to beat your buddies in everything, right? You want to have the bragging rights,” Embach said. “So I will do anything and everything I can to make sure I'm the one smiling when we go through that handshake line at the end of the series.”
The Central Division rivals are meeting for the third time in the last four postseasons, and the teams have been on a crash course to another playoff meeting throughout the year.
Division champion Toledo (105 points) and the second-place Komets (98) pulled away from third-place Cincinnati (81) and fourth-place Indy (78), then in the first round of the playoffs the Walleye swept the Fuel and the Komets needed only five games to get by the Cyclones.
In 2015 and 2017, the Walleye eliminated Fort Wayne at the same point in the playoffs, winning the division finals and advancing to the conference finals. Nagle and Embach were both on the losing end in each of those series.
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“We're really looking forward to it,” Embach said. “It's a great division rival. It's two of the better teams in the league. It's two of the best rinks to play in. They both have great fan bases. It's going to be a great test for us.”
“I've been fortunate enough to play for both sides,” Nagle added. “It's the top two teams in the league by a landslide.”
Geographically speaking, Toledo and Fort Wayne are the closest teams in the ECHL. A total of 106 miles separates the Huntington Center from the Komets' Memorial Coliseum.
“It's a fun rivalry,” Nagle said. “It's neat that it is so close.”
The two were former college roommates at Ferris State University, though they took different paths to Toledo this past offseason.
Nagle signed with the Detroit Red Wings' American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids, but the veteran netminder spent the entire season in Toledo, establishing a franchise record for most wins in a season (37).
Embach signed with a team in Scotland and had played in 35 games for the Braehead Clan in the United Kingdom. But he decided to come back to North American in January and ultimately decided to re-join his former teammate and best friend.
Embach, who was the Komets' fifth-leading scorer last season with 51 points (18 goals and 33 assists), had five goals and 14 points in 23 regular-season games with Toledo but does not yet have a point in the postseason.
“For me, it was getting into a situation that gave me the best chance to win a championship,” Embach said.
Both Nagle and Embach are 30 years old. Embach, who served as the best man at Nagle's wedding, also was teammates with Walleye forward Kyle Bonis at Ferris State.
“I've been fortunate to play for both teams now,” Embach said. “I've been in this rink as an opponent and you see how this arena comes alive and the positive effect it can have on a team. And to now be on the other side of it is really nice.”
Walleye coach Dan Watson said Nagle and Embach both left Fort Wayne on good terms with that organization.
“They didn't leave there with distaste in their mouths. [Embach] wanted to come play with his best friend,” Watson said. “But I'm sure there is still that little extra bonus in beating your buddies and shaking their hands at the end of a series.”
Nagle said he has no animosity for his former team, only respect.
“Both treated me great and I've enjoyed both of them,” Nagle said. “I've met a lot of great people in both. Top to bottom they are two of the best-run organizations in pro hockey.”
Nagle said the Huntington Center and Memorial Coliseum are “equally tough” venues.
“Both teams are very good on home ice,” he said. “That's the toughest thing. It's tough to win in an opponents' building. So for us, it's huge to have that extra game at home.”
Embach said the Walleye must play disciplined and stay out of the penalty box. Game 2 is set for Sunday at the Huntington Center before the series shifts to Fort Wayne for games on May 2 and May 4.
“We have to use these first two games in this building to our advantage and get off to a good start,” he said.
Embach, a native of Orland Park, Ill., has played in 390 ECHL games.
“For me, it's the later years of my career and I definitely want to win it all,” Embach said. “So if it takes going through Fort Wayne, I'm going to approach it the same way. But in the back of my mind, there is added incentive.”
Contact Mark Monroe at mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.
First Published April 24, 2018, 10:23 p.m.
