October 31 in Indianapolis hockey history
1963: One of the saddest days in Indianapolis history, as a propane tank explodes under the bleachers at the Fairgrounds
Coliseum explodes, killing 63 people at an ice show at the rink. The Coliseum is unusable as a result of the explosion, so the Central Professional Hockey League Capitols -- who were on an extended road trip at the time -- would play the balance of the season as the Cincinnati Wings. Indirectly, the franchise would actually return to Indianapolis as the Checkers in 1979.
74 dead. I can still see the black and white photos on the front page of the Star. The bodies were laid out on the ice in rows.
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