Today in history: June 24 & 25

Birthday post today:

June 24
Jean-Yves Leroux: Left wing who was the Chicago Blackhawks' second-round pick in 1994 and broke into pro hockey with the Ice in 1996-97, playing 69 games and totaling a 14-17-31 line with 112 PIMs, helping lead the Ice to a division title that season. He also had a goal in the four-game postseason loss to Cleveland. He played his first NHL game with Chicago that season, and would go on to play parts of four more seasons with the Blackhawks, totaling 16 goals and 22 assists in 220 games through 2001. He played the 2001-02 season for AHL Norfolk, and then played several years of hockey in his native Quebec. His teams won the Quebec LNAH -- a low-level minor pro circuit -- in 2005 and 2009. A native of Montreal, he is 35.

June 25
Dick Proceviat: A defenseman who played 180 games for the Racers between 1974-77. He was part of the 1975-76 division championship team, playing in 73 games and scoring seven goals. He had 10 goals and 53 assists over his career in Indy -- including 28 helpers in 1974-75. He broke into pro hockey in 1967, but played six WHA seasons from 1971-77 with the Denver Spurs, Chicago Cougars and the Racers. He had 16 goals and 90 assists in 321 WHA games. A native of Whitemouth, Manitoba, he is 65.
Dino Grossi: Forward who played 58 games for the Ice in 1993-94, his first season of pro hockey. He was the Blackhawks' 12th-round pick in 1990, and played four years collegiately at Northeastern. He had six goals and one assist in his Ice tenure. A season later, he embarked on a long European career that took him to teams in France and Italy, and he played through 2010. A native of Toronto, he is 41.

Bill Armstrong: Left wing who played 12 games for the Ice in 1995-96, totaling four goals and five assists. He also played for AHL Albany and IHL Detroit that season, finishing the year with the Detroit Vipers and finishing with 41 goals and 35 assists overall on the year, his best pro season. Armstrong is notable for having played one NHL game, for Philadelphia in 1990-91. He retired after the 1997-98 season when he was diagnosed with a career-ending brain tumor. A native of London, Ontario, he is 45.