WHITESBORO — A small group of Utica Comets players gathered in celebration, punctuated with animated cheers.

It was an occurrence that would likely be heard during a usual practice for one of the top teams in the American Hockey League.

Wednesday’s celebration happened in a setting that could be considered out of the norm during the season. Instead of taking place on the ice, the players — many of them clad in T-shirts and shorts — were on a hardwood court. And, they were celebrating a close win over their teammates in a game of dodgeball at Accelerate Sports Complex. 

“It is a nice breath of fresh air here. You don’t mind getting away from the rink for the day, especially with the demanding schedule. I think that was the goal,” Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer said. “It is not a full day off, but we enjoy some time together and still have some competitive edge to it.” 

The event indoors at the multi-purpose facility allowed the players an alternative to a usual practice during a stretch in the schedule in which the Comets are scheduled to play seven games over 12 days to close January. The opportunity was created through the team’s assistant athletic trainer, Ryan Monaco. His physical therapy facility is located in the Accelerate complex. 

The players got to play dodgeball, soccer, basketball and tennis and use a golf simulator. Players were divided into two teams – selected by talented forwards Alexander Holtz and Fabian Zetterlund, who were honorary captains for the day – for the dodgeball and soccer games that provided the most spirited competition. The final game of dodgeball elicited the animated celebration from Zetterlund’s team after defenseman Robbie Russo helped them rally after being outnumbered by a few players by eliminating fellow defender Reilly Walsh.

“It is fun to do something off the ice,” said Holtz, the skilled New Jersey Devils forward prospect who was wearing a yellow Swedish national team soccer jersey with his name on the back. “Everyone has the winning mentality here. It is fun to play these kind of sports. Maybe it is not our best sports. But, it is fun to see the guys competing.” 

Despite roster fluctuations recently, the Comets – led by coach Kevin Dineen – are 23-5-4-0 overall and have won three consecutive games following Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Providence. The team’s .781 points percentage was the best in the AHL entering Wednesday. 

The team is scheduled to play three games in as many days beginning with Friday’s contest against visiting Charlotte. The team is scheduled to play Saturday night at Rochester and Sunday evening at Cleveland. 

Dineen said he wanted to assist in trying to conserve some of the energy of the players with the off-ice activities during the “dog days” of the season. It is also an example of a team-building event similar to the Comets’ trip to the Adirondacks before the regular-season began, he noted.

“These are the guys that make the engine run. When they get together away from the rink, that’s a positive,” Dineen said. “Anything to get a little bit of a change in your schedule and daily routine, I think you get some mileage out of it. By the looks on their faces, they’re pretty happy guys.”

Chase De Leo, who played the previous two seasons under Dineen in San Diego, said the off-ice activities can help a team on the ice. He noted the team in San Diego participated in activities with Navy SEALs.

“When you’re able to come and kind of loosen up and have some fun, you can see a side of some guys that you don’t see at the rink as much,” said De Leo, who leads the team with 33 points. “It is a special way to get together as a group.”