Today in history: July 24

Birthdays today

Roger Lafreniere: Defenseman who played for the short-lived Capitols team in the CPHL in 1963. In the team's eight games as an Indianapolis entry, he had one assist. He finished that year with three goals, 24 assists and 112 PIMs -- 10 of which were earned before the team moved to Cincinnati in early November. Lafreniere played three games for the Red Wings that season, and wouldn't play in the NHL again until 10 years later, when he played 10 games for the St. Louis Blues. He spent much of the interim time in the AHL and WHL, primarily with the Buffalo Bisons and Denver Spurs. In 1962, he won the Memorial Cup with the Hamilton Red Wings for coach (and ex-Capital) Eddie Bush. He retired in 1975. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1942. 

Rick Dorman: Right wing who played the 1984-85 season with the Checkers' first IHL entry. In 80 games, he tallied five goals, 20 assists and 263 PIMs. He had a reputation as an enforcer during an eight-year pro career that began in 1977 -- the Checkers were his last stop. In his rookie year, he racked up 475 penalty minutes for the Dayton/Grand Rapids Owls in the IHL. He also managed 16 goals and 30 assists that year. He captained the Owls' Turner Cup championship team the following season. He had at least 250 penalty minutes in seven of his eight pro seasons. Since retirement, he has been a coach and a junior hockey executive. A native of Winnipeg, he is 56. 

Sergei Kukushkin: Ice forward who was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Draft and played for the inaugural USHL Ice team in 2004-05. He had one goal and two assists in 19 games. After that season, he returned to Eastern Europe and has played there, matriculating to the KHL -- widely considered Europe's top pro league -- in 2008 with Dynamo Minsk in his hometown. A native of Minsk, Belarus, he is 26. 

Alex Handy: Forward who played 38 games for the Ice from 2007-09, totaling four goals and four assist. A Carmel native, Handy is one of several Hoosiers who have matriculated to the Ice during the team's seven-year USHL tenure. Handy then went on to play collegiately at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is 22.