Today in history: April 24

A couple of clinchers on our Today in History segment

1982:: The Checkers beat the Wichita Wind 5-3, posting a four-game semifinal sweep and winning their seventh straight playoff game. Garth MacGuigan scores the game-winner on an assist from Randy Johnston. For the fourth straight game, Checkers goaltender Kelly Hrudey outduels Wichita's Andy Moog. Both would have long NHL careers and lead teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.

1985: Jim Malwitz and Neal Coulter score two goals each to give the Checkers a 5-4 victory at Peoria, giving them a 3-2 lead in their IHL first-round series. However, the Rivermen would win the last two games to win the series 4-3. 

1999: The Ice win their first playoff series since 1990, as Todd Rohloff scores exactly halveway through the third period on a assists from Bob Lachance and Dave Hymovitz. Marc Lamothe makes it stand up by stopping 43 Cincinnati shots, and the Ice clinch the game 1-0 and the series 2 games to 1 over the favored Cincinnati Cyclones. 

Birthdays

Thain Simon: Played 55 games over parts of two seasons with the Caps from 1946-48. The defender scored three goals in that time period. He also played three NHL games with the Red Wings in 1946-47. A native of Brockville, Ontario, he was born in 1922. He passed away in 2007.

Jack Douglas: Defenseman who played 51 games for the Chiefs in 1956-57, their first year of reaching the postseason. He had a 3-16-19 line that year. He would go back to Ontario and play senior hockey in Chatham after that season. He was a member of Canada's silver medal team at the 1960 Olympics at Squaw Valley, Calif. A native of Trenton, Ontario, he was born in 1930. He passed away in 2003.

Joe West: Played 24 regular-season games and 6 playoff games for the Checkers' final team in 1986-87 at the end of the year after finishing his college career at Northern Michigan. He had 13 regular-season goals and another tally in the postseason. He would play through 2001 in Europe. A native of Winnipeg, he was born in 1963.

Doug Weiss: Played one game for the Ice in 1988-89 after spending most of the year in the AHL with Springfield. He would go to the ECHL for two more seasons. A native of Greenfield, Mass., he is 46 today.

Craig Channell: Played the final 16 games of his professional career with the Ice's Turner Cup championship team in 1990. He also played in all 14 playoff games that year, scoring one goal. He came over from Fort Wayne, where he had been a Komet for five and a half seasons. A native of Vancouver, he is 49 today.

Jeff Jackson: Played 18 games and scored three goals for the Ice in 1991-92, his final professional season. The left wing is a veteran of 263 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, Nordiques, Rangers and Blackhawks. A native of Chatham, Ontario, he is 46 today.

Frederic Barbeau: Defenseman who played four games for the Ice in 1995-96 in his first season out of junior. He would spend a long career playing senior hockey in Quebec after that. A native of Victoriaville, Quebec, he is 36.