Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Today in history: September 28

One birthday today
Gene Peacosh: Member of the Racers in 1976-77, scoring 22 goals and 26 assists in 64 games. He added the punctuation mark that year with one of the most famous goals in Indianapolis hockey history -- his triple-OT goal that ended the longest game in WHA history. The rebound shot beat the Cincinnati Stingers 4-3. He ended up with three goals and three assists in nine playoff games that year, as the Racers swept Cincinnati and then fell to eventual champion Quebec in five games. He played 367 WHA games, with 165 goals and 165 assists. His best season was a 43-36-79 year in 1974-75 with San Diego. He also had 30-goal seasons with the New York Raiders in 1972-73 and with the Mariners in 1975-76. He retired following the 1977 season. A native of Sherridon, Man., he is 63.

Check out a YouTube retrospective of Peacosh's career.

Today in history: Sept. 22-27

Another week to catch up on in TIH. Look for a Tale of the Tape -- it's hockey time!

September 22
Birthdays
Brian Coates: Racers winger in their heyday, playing 75 games from 1975-77, both of their playoff years. Brian had 12 goals and 21 assists as a Racer. He also played four of the seven games in the 1976 playoff series loss to the Whalers. He also played 202 WHA games, suiting up for the Chicago Cougars before his Indianapolis stint, and the Cincinnati Stingers afterward. He retired after scoring 50 goals in 1978-79 in the old Northeastern Hockey League, and 26 goals for Saginaw in the IHL the following year. A native of Carman, Man., he is 59.
Leif Holmquist: Racers goaltender in the 1975-76 season. He had a 6-9-0 record in 15 games, posting a 3.00 GAA. The Swedish goaltender never played in the WHA after that. A native of Gavle, Sweden, he is 69.
Milan Tichy: Ice member from 1991-93, playing 98 games. A strong playmaker, he had 13 goals and 55 assists in those two years. He also had five assists in four playoff games in a five-game loss to the Atlanta Knights in the 1993 IHL Playoffs. He played 23 NHL games from 1994-96 with Chicago and the Islanders, totaling five assists. He also won the Turner Cup in 1995 with the Denver Grizzlies, for which he posted a 54-point season. Tichy has been a scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets since 1999, and is a full-time amateur scout, based in Europe. A native of Plzen, Czechoslovakia, he is 42.

Ethan Moreau: The last Indianapolis Ice player to be active in the NHL, Moreau is currently a member of the Los Angeles Kings. A solid defensive forward, he showed scoring touch during 71 games for the Ice in 1995-96, totaling 21 goals and 20 assists. He also had four goals in five playoff games that season. He has been an NHL regualar ever since. The Blackhawks' first-round pick in 1994, Moreau scored 15 goals for Chicago in 1996-97, then was dealt to Edmonton midway through the 1998-99 season. Moreau played 11 seasons for the Oilers -- the only break was when he spent the lockout year in Sweden -- and suited up for the Columbus Blue Jackets this past season. He had 20 goals and 32 points in 2003-04, his highest-scoring NHL season. Moreau has played 900 NHL games, with 146 goals and 137 assists. He played in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals with the Oilers and was named the team's captain the following year. A native of Huntsville, Ont., he is 36.

September 23
Birthday
Kelly Davis: A rugged defensemen for the Checkers in their heyday, playing 285 games for the blue and orange. He had 13 goals and 62 assists in that time, as well as 333 penalty minutes. He was key player on the blueline for a team that won the Adams Cup in 1982 and 1983. He had seven goals and eight assists in 37 playoff games. He also played 18 games for the WHA Cincinnati Stingers in 1978-79. A native of Grand Prairie, Alberta, he is 53.

September 24
Birthday
Paul Carey: A high-scoring forward for the Ice in 2007-08, where he totaled a team-high 34 goals to go along with 32 assists. Since his year with the Ice, he has played for the Boston College Eagles, recently posting a 13-13-26 line in 38 games as a junior. He is entering his senior season with BC. A native of Weymouth, Mass., he is 23.

September 25
Birthday
Dale Henry: A winger who broke into the pros with the Checkers in 1983-84, playing two playoff games. The following year, he was in the NHL with the Islanders -- splitting time that season and the next five between Long Island and the team's AHL affiliate in Springfield that replaced Indianapolis upon the CHL's folding in 1984. Henry had 13 goals and 26 assists in 132 NHL games. He also had 263 PIMs. He played in the minors before retiring in 2002 -- after 1994, doing so in the CHL and WPHL with Memphis, San Antonio and Bossier-Shreveport. A native of Prince Albert, Sask., he is 47.

September 26
Birthdays
Cliff "Fido" Purpur: "Fido" -- given his nickname by a Minneapolis sportswriter -- played for the Capitals in 1944-45, scoring eight goals and 14 assists in 22 games. He played in the NHL in 1934-35 with the St. Louis Eagles. He stayed in town to play six years with the AHA's St. Louis Flyers from 1935-41 -- and was a popular big scorer despite being just 5-foot-6. He played the WWII years in the NHL with Chicago and Detroit. He had 25 goals and 35 assists in 144 NHL games, playing in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals with Chicago and the following year with Detroit, although his teams lost the series both times. He is the first North Dakota native to play in the NHL, and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. Upon retirement, he coached high school hockey in North Dakota and also was the head coach of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. A native of Grand Forks, ND, he was born in 1912 and passed away in 2001.
Don Chiz: The leading scorer for the short-lived Capitols team in 1963, with five goals and an assist in eight games. He finished with 21 goals and 26 assists in the full season -- the team was forced to move to Cincinnati after eight games due to the Coliseum explosion. Chiz played nine pro seasons, primarily in the Western Hockey League, before retiring in 1970. A native of Edmonton, he is 71.
Wes George: Left wing who played nine games for the Racers in their short-lived 1978 season. He had four goals and two assists in those games. He also played three games for Edmonton that season. A high-scoring junior player, George played three pro seasons before retiring in 1981. A native of Young, Sask., he is 53.

September 27
Birthdays
Jim Malwitz: Checkers center in 1984-85, with 17 goals and 26 assists in 68 games. He also had five goals and three assists in a seven-game postseason loss to Peoria that year. That would be the lone pro season for the high-scoring Minnesota Golden Gopher. He was also the North Stars' fourth-round pick in 1981. A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., he is 49.
Greg Spenrath: Defenseman who played nine games for the Ice in 1992-93, totaling one assist and 68 PIMs. Spenrath played 14 pro seasons, including one with 407 PIMs with ECHL Erie in 1990-91, his rookie pro season. A notorious tough guy, he eclipsed 200 PIMs 11 times. He retired in 2002-03 and began coaching the ECHL Fresno Falcons -- a team he played six seasons for. A native of Edmonton, he is 42.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Ice perfect in Fall Classic

The Indiana Ice finished the USHL Fall Classic with a 5-2 victory over Sioux Falls today, meaning they finish the four-day event with a perfect 3-0 record.

The Ice went 4-2 in the six preseason games over the last three weeks. In the Fall Classic, they outscored teams 13-7 over three days.

Today, the Ice never trailed, as Daniil Tarasov and Sean Kuraly both had huge days. Both had a goal and three assists in the victory.

Dalton Izyk made 26 saves in the victory, going the distance in goal. 

The Ice also killed off a five-minute major in the third period while nursing a 2-0 lead.

It became 2-0 on the strength of two second-period goals. Woody Hudson opened the scoring on assists from Tarasov and Kuraly at 7:01 of the period. Four minutes and a second later, Tarasov fed Robbie Baillargeon to make it 2-0.

Sioux Falls cut the lead to one twice in the third, but each time, the Ice answered. Kuraly scored on assists from Barron and Tarasov just 61 seconds after the Stampede's first goal to make it 3-1 with 12:42 left. Sioux Falls scored less than a minute and a half later, but Tarasov and Robert Polosello scored goals in the final minutes -- both assisted by Kuraly.

Kuraly was a +5, Tarasov and Barron were both +4. Baillargeon was +3, as was defenseman Matthew Krug.

The Ice were 0-for-4 with the man advantage, but a perfect 7-for-7 on the PK.

The season opens Saturday in Cedar Rapids.

Preseason leaders for the Ice (only 4 games -- the first preseason game at Chicago was not entered into Pointstreak):
Scoring: Sean Kuraly 3-3-6, Robert Polosello 3-2-5, Daniil Tarasov 2-3-5, Obuchowski/Baillargeon/Fallon 3 points each.
+/-: Tarasov +7, Kuraly/Barron/Obuchowski +6, Polosello/Krug +4.
GAA: Gillies 2.31, Izyk 2.52\

Friday, September 23, 2011

Big start gives Ice 6-4 win

The Ice won their second straight Fall Classic game today, beating Waterloo 6-4 in a wild finish Sioux City, Iowa.

The Ice jumped ahead 3-0 after two periods, but had to hold on in the third after Waterloo scored four goals in the stanza to tie the game.

The Black Hawks' Jamie Hill tied the game at 4-4 on a power play goal with 1:43 left, but the Ice's Robert Polosello scored with 58 seconds left on a feed from Cody Bradley to put the Ice on top. Ryan Obuchowski added an empty-netter to set the final margin.

Jacob Fallon, Cody Bradley, Obuchowski and Polosello each had a goal and an assist for the Ice.

Fallon scored on Joe Fiala's assist at the 7:05 mark in the first period, and then assisted on Dan Sherer's goal later in the frame. Obuchowski fed Sean Kuraly for a second-period goal that made it 3-0. It was Kuraly's second goal of the Fall Classic.

Waterloo cut it to 3-2 with two goals in the first 5:26 of the third, but just 1:16 later, Bradley cashed in an assist from Polosello to give the Ice a two-goal cushion -- one that evaporated on power play goals by Taylor Cammarata with 11:47 left, and then Hill's game-tying goal in the final two minutes.

The Ice were 0-5 on the power play. Waterloo was 2-7.

Jon Gillies went the distance for the Ice, making 40 saves in net. Obuchowski was a +4.

The Ice close out the preseason at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ice win Fall Classic opener

Sean Kuraly scored 29 seconds into overtime today to give the Ice a 2-1 victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers in the Ice's USHL Fall Classic opener.

The annual four-day preseason tournament showcases all 16 USHL teams. The Ice continue play at 11 a.m. Friday against Waterloo, and at 11 a.m. Saturday against Sioux Falls.

Today, Robbie Baillargeon assisted on Kuraly's overtime tally that gave the Ice a victory on the opening shift of the sudden-death extra session.

In the first period, Emil Romig got the ice on the board with a power play goal on Anthony Spencer's assist with 1:07 left in the stanza.. Des Moines answered halfway through the second on a goal by Cameron Yarwood -- which came 55 seconds after Dalton Izyk came into the game in relief of Jon Gillies. As it worked out, that would be the only goal given up. Izyk stopped 13 shots and got the victory. Gillies stopped all 16 he faced.

Kuraly skated with Baillargeon and Daniil Tarasov in the OT period.

The Ice outshot Des Moines 36-30, including 3-0 in OT.

The special teams got a lot of work. The PP was 1-for-7. The PK was 9-for-9.

USHL boxscore

After the Fall Classic, the Ice open the season Oct. 1 at Cedar Rapids. They will open the home portion of their schedule Oct. 15 against the U17 USNDTP squad. The Ice will also play two games against the U17s in Ann Arbor the previous weekend.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Today in history: Sept. 21


After yesterday's mega-update, we have another batch of birthdays today

Barry Sullivan: Right wing for the Capitals from 1946-48. In 83 games, he had 22 goals and 27 assists. He played one game for the Red Wings in 1947-48. Throughout his eight-year pro career -- which was spent in the old USHL and AHL from 1945-53 -- he was a consistent scorer, tallying 20+ goals five times, including the 22 he had for the Caps in 1947-48. He was an AHL second-team All-Star in 1951-52 after a 70-point season with the Providence Reds. A native of Preston, Ont., he was born in 1926, and passed away in 1989. 
Jim Uniac: Center who played 55 games for the Capitals in their 1949-50 Calder Cup championship season. Uniac tallied five goals and 12 assists for the Caps, and also suited up in two playoff games. He played 10 years of pro and senior hockey from 1947-57, including two straight 20-goal seasons for WHL Edmonton -- which replaced Indy as the Red Wings' top farm team -- from 1952-54. A native of Logan Twp., Ont., he was born in 1928, and passed away in 1985. 
Jacques Gagne: Left wing who played for the Chiefs briefly in 1958-59. He split the year between Indy and Louisville, with 14 goals in 35 games. The bulk of his six-year career (1955-61) was spent in the IHL with Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Louisville. He retired in 1961 after suffering a serious eye injury during the preseason. He did return that year to play for the Jersey Larks in the EHL. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1935. 
Sid Garant: Left wing for the Chiefs in 1961-62, where he had 19 goals and 41 assists in 60 games. Garant played 12 seasons, all in the IHL, before retiring in 1972. He played his last seven and a half years with the Dayton Gems, where he had seven 20-goal seasons and two 30-goal years. A native of Vita, Manitoba, he was born in 1939. 
Gary MacGregor: Racers center in 1976-77 and again in the aborted 1978-79 season. He had eight goals and nine assists in 33 games. In-between, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and had 11 goals. His WHA career started with a bang -- he had a 100-goal season in his final year of junior, and came into the WHA with the Chicago Cougars in 1974-75 and totaled 42 goals and 34 assists. He followed that up with a 21-goal season with the Toronto Toros, but never topped 20 again in his WHA career. A native of Kingston, Ont., he was born in 1954, and passed away suddenly in 1995. 
Gord Dineen: Rugged defenseman for the Checkers from 1982-84. Dineen played 99 games in the Circle City before getting the callup to the New York Islanders partway through the 1983-84 season. He was a part of the 1983 Adams Cup championship team, with 12 points in 13 playoff games. Dineen had 14 goals and 60 assists in the blue and orange, and then embarked on a long NHL career. Dineen comes from a hockey pedigree -- he is the son of former player and coach Bill Dineen, and his brothers Kevin and Peter both also enjoyed NHL careers. He was the Islanders' second-round pick in 1981. He played in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals with the Islanders, then was part of the Penguins organization when it won back-to-back Cups in 1991-92 -- although he spent each playoff year with the team's IHL affiliate in Muskegon. He continued to play in the NHL through 1995, suiting up for the Senators and back with the Isles. He also had a stint with Minnesota in the 1980s. He played from 1994-2000 in the IHL, nearly all with the Denver/Utah Grizzlies. The Grizzlies -- now an ECHL team -- have named their top defenseman trophy after Dineen. He played in 528 NHL games and had 16 goals, 90 assists and 695 PIMs. As a Checker, he was the CHL's Most Valuable Defenseman and Most Improved Defenseman in 1982-83. He also was an IHL All-Star in 1992 and 1998. Since his playing days, Dineen has coached -- including three years as a head coach in the ECHL (Macon) and AHL (Iowa). He is currently a Toronto Marlies assistant in the AHL. A native of Toronto, he is 49. 
Stepan Novotny: Ice forward in 2007-08, where he tallied four goals and seven assists in 44 games. He left the Ice to play four years of Canadian Major Junior in the Western Hockey League -- breaking the 40-point barrier twice -- and now plays for Poprad Lev of the KHL in Russia. He scored his first career goal on Sept. 19 in a 4-1 loss to SKA. A native of Prague, Czech Republic, he is 21. 

Today in history: Sept. 14-20


Lots to catch up on here

Sept. 14
1973: Indianapolis is given an expansion franchise by the WHA to a group headed by John Weissert, to begin play in the 1974-75 season. 
Birthdays
Roy "Gus" Giesebrecht: Center who played 21 games for the Capitals in 1939-40, and then played 15 more in 1941-42. Gus had 16 goals and 16 assists in the blue and white, and was a key part of the 1942 championship team, with a goal and three assists in the playoffs. In-between, Gus played 135 games over four seasons with the Red Wings from 1938-42, often centering fellow ex-Caps Mud Bruneteau and Syd Howe. He put his hockey career on hold to serve in World War II, which he did in Europe. He ran the family business in his post-hockey career. He played in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1939 and 1942. A native of Pembroke, Ont., he was born in 1917 and passed away in 2006. 
Christian Soucy: Ice goaltender from 1994-96, playing in 64 games. Soucy was 27-26-5 with a 3.69 GAA. Soucy's best year came in 1995-96, where he was 12-9-0 with a 3.11 GAA. He continued to play professionally in the ECHL, CHL, UHL, WPHL, WCHL and AHL before retiring in 2003. A native of Gatineau, Quebec, he is 41. 
Toby Heaslip: Ice defenseman in 2006-07, where he played seven games, totaling a goal and four assists. He also played for Green Bay and Ohio in the USHL that season. A native of Naples, Fla., he is 23. 
Mikael Owilli: Ice defenseman in 2008-09. He was a key part of the Clark Cup champs with five goals and 15 assists in the regular season in 57 games. He suited up for all 13 postseason games, tallying two assists. Since, he has returned to Sweden to play professionally for Mora IK. A native of Stockholm, he is 23. 

Sept. 15
1974: The Racers open their first training camp in Flint, Mich. 
Birthdays
Joe Lund: Defenseman for the Ice from 1948-50, where he was a key part of the Calder Cup champs in 1950. A rugged defenseman, he tallied 31 points and 107 PIMs in 1950. It was the start of a long pro career that was spent primarily in the AHL, but continued through 1962 in the IHL. A native of Karijoki, Finland, he was born in 1927. 
Frank Melong: Capitals defenseman in 1948-49, where he had four goals and eight assists. He played six pro seasons before retiring in 1951, all in the minors. A native of Edmonton, he was born in 1921. 
Richard Brodeur: Checkers goaltender in 1979-80. "King Richard" spent his pre-Chex days in the WHA with the Quebec Nordiques, where he backstopped the team to the 1977 Avco Cup title. After his stint with the Checkers (and two games with the Islanders), he played eight more years with the Canucks and a half-season in Hartford. He backstopped the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982 and was an NHL All-Star the following year. He is a veteran of 690 NHL/WHA games with a 296-289-74 record. He led the WHA in wins in 1975-76. In his year with the Chex, he was 22-19-5 with a 2.88 GAA and four shutouts. A native of Longeuil, Quebec, he is 59. 


Sept. 16
Larry Sacharuk: Member of the Racers in the aborted 1978-79 season. He played 15 games and had two goals and nine assists. He also played 151 NHL games with the Rangers and Blues from 1972-77. A native of Saskatoon, he is 59. 
Rick Lanz: The seventh overall pick in 1980, Lanz played eight games for the Ice in 1990-91, totaling five assists. Prior to then, he played 568 NHL games -- and played one game the following year -- with 221 goals and 286 assists. He primarily played with the Canucks. After retiring in 1993, he began coaching in Europe. A native of Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia, he is 50. 
Chris MacKenzie: Ice center from 1999-2002, he set many records in those years. He and teammate Yvan Corbin shared the CHL's Ken McKenzie trophy in 2000 as the league's leading scorers. They led the Ice to a league championship that year. He had a 47-80-127 mark that year and followed up with 30-93-123 the next. In total, he had 88 goals, 209 assists and 297 points in 160 games with the Ice. A prolific scorer, he was drafted in the 10th round by the Blues in 1991. He is the CHL Ice's career scoring leader and is fourth all-time among Indy hockey players in assists (and eighth in points). A native of Toronto, he is 40. 
Jason Baird: Ice winger from 2002-04. He played 128 games and had 53 goals and 96 assists. In addition, he had a 7-8-15 line in 13 playoff games those two seasons. A player who turned pro in 2001, Baird played through 2008. His best year was a 30-goal season with CHL Corpus Christi in 2004-05. A native of Cayuga, Ont., he is 31. 

Sept. 17
Pete Wywrot: Chiefs right wing in 1956-57, where he tallied 14 goals and 38 assists in 55 games, helping lead the Chiefs to the Turner Cup Finals. It was the last year of an 11-year pro career. A native of Fort William, Ont., he was born in 1922. 
Bob Leek: Defenseman who played 10 games for the Chiefs in 1957-58, tallying one assist. A native of Calgary, he was born in 1930. 

Sept. 18: 
Carl "Winky" Smith: Caps winger in 1943-44, and again in 1945-46. He had a 20-28-48 line in 50 games. He also had five points in the 1944 Calder Cup Playoffs. Winky played seven NHL games for the Red Wings in 1943-44. He played professionally from 1940-49. His brother was his teammate with the Caps and Red Wings. A native of Cache Bay, Ont., he was born in 1917 and passed away in 1967. 
Syd Howe: Capitals left wing in 1945-46, playing 14 games and scoring six goals/11 assists. He played in Indy at the end of a long NHL career that began in 1929 with the original Ottawa Senators. He holds the modern NHL record for goals in a game (6) and for many years, the fastest playoff overtime goal in NHL history (25 seconds). He won the Stanley Cup in 1936, 1937 and 1943. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965. A native of Ottawa, he was born in 1911 and passed away in 1976. 
Dan Malone: Member of the Chiefs from 1961-62. He split the year between Indy and Toledo, scoring one goal in 27 games between the two stops. A native of Trois Rivieres, Quebec, he was born in 1939. 
John Sheridan: Racers center from 1974-76. He was their seventh-round pick in the 1974 draft, and played 69 games, with 18 goals and 13 assists. He played in the minors from 1976-82. A native of Minneapolis, he is 57. He currently coaches high school hockey in Cleveland. 
Angie Moretto: Racers center in the aborted 1978 season. He holds the distinction of scoring the final goal in team history that year. He had three goals and one assist in 18 games that year. The University of Michigan graduate also played five NHL games with the Cleveland Barons in 1976-77. His stint with the Racers was the end of his pro career. A native of Toronto, he is 58. 
Dan Hodge: Ice defenseman from 1997-99, with five goals and six assists in 23 games. The son of former Boston Bruins star Ken Hodge, Dan played professionally through 2006, primarily in the ECHL. He then began coaching the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL. A native of Melrose, Mass., he is 40. 
Jarrod Rabey: Ice defenseman from 2009-11, where he totaled five goals and 13 assists in 60 games. A strong player -- 6-0, 238 pounds -- Rabey is now a freshman at St. Cloud State University. A native of Rockton, Ill., he is 19. 

Sept. 19
Frank Spring: Right wing who played 13 games for the Racers in 1977-78, with two goals and four assists. They came at the end of a nine-year pro career that also included 61 games with the Bruins, Blues, Seals and Barons. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1969 NHL Draft. A native of Rossland, B.C., he is 62. 
Chris Nugent: Ice forward from 2004-06, scoring four goals and three assists in 44 games. He went on from there to play two years at Merrimack College. A native of Dallas, he is 25. 

Sept. 20
Steven Kirkpatrick: Goaltender who played one game for the Ice in 2000-01 as part of a planned event. He had muscular dystrophy, and played hockey from a wheelchair. He played in the game to raise awareness for the disease, and was accompanied by Gordie Howe. He played nine seconds, making a save on Huntsville's Chris George -- who would soon join the Ice -- and left to an ovation. A native of Sandusky, Mich., he was born in 1978. 
Michael Findorff: Ice defenseman in 2004-05, where he had two goals, eight assists and 137 PIMs in 54 games. He also played in three postseason games that year. Findorff went on from the Ice to play four years at Miami (Ohio), scoring one goal in 31 games. A native of Colorado Springs, he is 27. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Today in history: Sept. 8-13

We have a LOT of Today in History catching up to do. Apologies -- as we hit preseason mode, other life commitments sometimes stand in the way of hockey (yes, hockey is life, but sometimes, a few other things jump out).

That said, we'll be hitting regular season mode before you know it.

First, let's look back
Sept. 8
Birthdays
Jack McIntyre: Defenseman who briefly played for the 1963 Capitols as he neared the end of a long pro career that carried him through 499 NHL games with the Bruins, Blackhawks and Red Wings from 1949-60. He continued to play professional/senior hockey through 1969. Thought of as an offensive defenseman, he scored 109 goals and tallied 102 assists in his NHL career, and played in the 1952 and 1953 Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins. He also spent several years as a coach in minor pro, senior and junior hockey. A native of Brussels, Ontario, he was born in 1930 and passed away in 1998.

Sept. 9
Ed Nicholson: Defenseman who played for the Caps from 1947-49, with eight goals, 40 assists and 109 PIMs in 130 games. He was a strong defenseman who was both a puck-mover and a checker. He appeared in one NHL game for Detroit in 1948-49, and was traded to the St. Louis Flyers in August 1949 for Steve Black and Bill Brennan. He played three years in St. Louis and scored 22 goals. A native of Kingston, Ont., he was born in 1923 and passed away in 1987.
Don Ashbee: Winger who played for the Capitals in their final 1951-52 season, splitting the year between Indianapolis and the Buffalo Bisons. He had eight goals and 17 assists overall in that campaign. He played from 1949-57, spending all of that time in the minors, primarily in the AHL and WHL. A native of Weston, Ont., he was born in 1930.
Tim Ferguson: Left wing who played three games for the Ice in 1997-98, totaling a goal and an assist. Ferguson turned pro in 1986 and scored 28 goals for IHL Salt Lake in 1986-87, but primarily played in Europe before returning to North America in 1997 and playing for the Ice and in the CHL/ECHL/UHL through 2001. As a junior, he holds the United States Hockey League scoring record with 135 points in 1985-86 with Des Moines. He is the younger brother of former Ice coach Bob Ferguson, who was his coach with the Ice. A native of Kingston, Ont. he is 45.
Kevin Miller: A solid two-way forward who played 26 games for the Ice in 1997-98, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists. He and brothers Kelly and Kip played in the NHL. Kip was also a popular Ice player. A United States Olympian in 1988, Kevin was drafted by the Rangers and played 620 NHL games for the Rangers, Red Wings, Blues, Capitals, Sharks, Blackhawks, Penguins, Islanders and Senators. He had consecutive 20-goal seasons from 1991-94, and again tallied 28 goals in 1995-96 with San Jose and Pittsburgh. All told, he scored 150 NHL goals. He also was part of the Grand Rapids Griffins' Turner Cup titlists in 2000. Kevin is a cousin of Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller and Red Wing Drew Miller. A native of Lansing, Mich., he is 46.
Dan Back: Ice defenseman in 2000-01, totaling two assists in 32 games. Back played for five ECHL teams from 1997-2000 before joining the Ice. He played 152 total professional games and retired after his stint with the Ice. A native of Hamilton, Ont., he is 35.

Sept. 10

Yvon Vautour: The Isles' sixth-round pick in 1976, Vautour played 59 games for the Checkers in 1979-80, scoring 27 goals and 28 assists. It was a renaissance year for the right winger, who had his second straight 20-goal season and earned a 17-game callup to the Stanley Cup champion Islanders. He would be dealt to Colorado for the 1980-81 season and play three years for the Rockies/Devils franchise and five games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1984-85. He scored 26 goals in 204 NHL games. A native of Saint John, NB, he is 55. 
Rob Holland: Checkers goaltender during their CHL heyday from 1980-84, and played with the team through 1986 in the IHL. He split time in the pipes for a couple of those years with Kelly Hrudey. Holland himself is a veteran of 44 NHL games with the Penguins from 1979-81 before joining the Chex. He was loaned to the Checkers at the end of the 1980-81 campaign and then was dealt outright to the Islanders -- who assigned him to Indianapolis -- later that year. Holland was part of the 1982 and 1983 Adams Cup championship teams, and his play backstopped an upstart team into the 1984 finals, where an injury sidelined him and hindered the team's chances at a three-peat. He had nine shutouts as a Checker and during the two championship years, backstopped the team to a 39-22-2 record. His best year was 1982-83, where he went 24-11-1 with a 2.87 GAA and four shutouts -- a feat he duplicated in 1984-85, the first IHL season. Holland and Hrudey shared the CHL's Terry Sawchuk Trophy for fewest goals allowed in 1982 and 1983. After his stint with the Ice, he played his final pro year with Milwaukee in 1986-87, appearing in 66 games. A native of Montreal, he is 54. 

Rob Palmer: Defenseman who played 27 games for the Checkers in 1980-81, with one goal and nine assists. The Kings' fifth-round pick in 1976, he played four seasons in Los Angeles before joining the Checkers, then played two more for the Devils through 1984. He had a 9-101-110 mark in 320 NHL games. A native of Sarnia, Ont., he is 55.
Jim File: Checkers player in 1984-85, his rookie year after graduating from Ferris State University. He had two goals and six assists in nine games, his only professional games in North America. He is a member of Ferris State's Hall of Fame. A native of Toronto, he is 50.

Mike Pomichter: Winger for the Ice from 1994-96, where he played 80 games, tallying 13 goals and nine assists. All of his scoring came in 1994-95. The Blackhawks' second-round pick in 1990, he only played four games for the Ice in 1995-96 before going to the AHL to play for Conrwall, Saint John and Portland that season. He continued to play in the AHL, UHL and ECHL through 2002. Today, he is a firefighter in Connecticut and still plays a bit of hockey. A native of New Haven, Conn., he is 38. 

Sept. 12
Shawn Byram: Left wing who played 188 games for the Ice, primarily from 1991-94. He also played a game for the team in 1988-89. The Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1986, Byram came to the Ice after scoring 28 goals for the Capital District Islanders in the AHL in 1990-91 and earning a callup to New York. He was dealt to Chicago the following year, where he rejoined the Ice and had a big season, with 18 goals and 21 assists. In 1993-94, he had 23 goals and 24 assists before going to Europe to play much of the balance of his career. He retired in 2003 after tallying 65 points for WCHL Bakersfield. A native of Neepawa, Man., he is 43. 

Sept. 13
Phil Dalgleish: Defenseman for the Chiefs in 1955-56, where he played five games. He had two goals and an assist. He also played 63 games for IHL Louisville two years prior. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1923. 

Fall Classic this week

The Ice begin the first of three games in the USHL Fall Classic this week in Sioux City, Iowa.

The schedule:
Thursday, 3 p.m.: Ice vs. Des Moines
Friday, 11 a.m.: Ice vs. Waterloo
Saturday, 11 a.m.: Ice vs. Sioux Falls

These will be the last of six preseason games the Ice will play prior to the Oct. 7 opener at Cedar Rapids. The Ice open the home schedule Oct. 15.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Ice fall to Jacks 4-2

Muskegon scored twice in the first period and twice more in the third to beat the Ice 4-2 tonight at Kalamazoo.

Robert Polosello scored on assists from Cody Gyllying and Dan Sherer at 7:42 of the second period to get the Ice on the board. Daniil Tarasov tied the game with 11:00 left on a feed from Alexander Kuqali, but Muskegon's Ryan Bullock scored the game-winner 3:17 later and Tyler Heinonen added an empty-netter at game's end.

Jon Gillies and Dalton Izyk shared goaltending duties. Gillies made six saves in the first half of the game, Izyk made 15 stops after coming in halfway through the second.

The Ice are now 2-1 in the preseason heading into the USHL Fall Classic next week.

Boxscore

Ice face Lumberjacks tonight

The Indiana Ice continue the preseason tonight against the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Faceoff is 7:05 p.m. at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The Ice are 2-0 in the preseason after dispatching Chicago 5-4 and 3-1 in a home-and-home last weekend. Robert Polosello was the Ice's top scorer. Leading returning scorer Daniil Tarasov is likely to be in action after spending the last week at the Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie camp.

After tonight, the Ice will head to Sioux City for the USHL Fall Classic, where they will play three games in three days and wrap up the preseason before opening Oct. 1.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Obuchowski to Yale

Ice defenseman Ryan Obuchowski has committed to play his college hockey at Yale.

Obuchowski is beginning his second year with the Ice. He came on at the end of last year in a scoring role,  totaling five goals and eight assists. Obuchowski was also a +9. He also scored in Sunday's 3-1 preseason victory over the Chicago Steel at Carmel Ice Skadium.

"I'm extremely happy for Ryan," Ice coach Kyle Wallack said in a release. "He exemplifies everything you look for in a student, a person and a hockey player. His hockey ability will fit right into Yale's style of play."

Wallack was Yale's top assistant and recruiting coordinator prior to joining the Ice this year.

Obuchowski joins R.J. Boyd (Michigan State) and Woody Hudson (Rochester Institute of Technology) as recent Ice commits.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Players to watch in the USHL

Ryan Clark in his Slightly Chilled blog notes 5 players to watch in the USHL this year. Not surprisingly, Daniil Tarasov was one of them.

Tarasov is currently participating in the Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie camp. He has been skating on several different lines during their rookie tournament in Oshawa. Therefore, he was not with the team during this past weekend's exhibition games against Chicago.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

First look at the Ice

We got our first look at the Ice with their home preseason game vs. Chicago at the Carmel Ice Skadium this afternoon.

The two teams got a lot of chances to work on their special teams, as all four goals in the Ice's 3-1 victory were power play tallies.

The Ice were 3-for-8, while Chicago was 1-for-7 on the PP. Jon Gillies made 20 saves for the Ice in his first preseason start. He had to make a handful of tough saves -- the one goal he allowed was on a 5-on-3 -- but so did Chicago's Matthias Dahlstrom, who was peppered with 35 Ice shots and had to stop several odd-man rushes.

After a scoreless first period, the Ice drew first blood when Emil Romig converted a cross-ice feed from Robert Gawron from the left point to the right circle, and Romig buried it at 9:27 of the second period. Chicago answered when the Ice's Dan Sherer and R.J. Boyd took back-to-back hooking penalties 36 seconds apart. It took just 10 seconds for Zach Saar to tie the game.

The Ice put it away in the final 10 minutes of the third. With 9:28 left, Cody Gyllyng scored from in front on the PP setup. Then, with 2:36 left, Ryan Obuchowski ripped a shot from the high slot into the top-shelf right under the crossbar. Gillies had to make a couple of tough stops after Chicago pulled its netminder in the final minute for the extra attacker and maintained pressure, but the Ice won.

As new coach Kyle Wallack and his staff are getting a look at a lot of players, Daniil Tarasov and first-round pick Tyler Pham were among the scratches tonight (along with Woody Hudson, Ian Spencer and Miha Stebih).

The good: 
Nine different players in on the scoring, coming from three different forward lines playing as PP units -- Romig, Jacob Fallon and Drew Mayer for the first goal (d-man Robert Gawron had the first assist, joining R.J. Boyd on the blueline. Fallon had the second assist). In fact, Gawron was the only player on the ice for more than one goal.

Gyllying was the right wing with Cody Bradley and Robert Polosello for the second goal. Polosello and Joseph Fiala had the assists (Fiala was teamed with Gawron).

The line of Christian Hilbrich-Robbie Baillargeon-Sean Kuraly produced Obuchowski's goal, with Hilbrich and Baillargeon getting the assists. Defenseman Alex Barron was also on the point.

Drew Smolcynski-Dan Sherer-Dan Cesarz also skated together, and produced chances. Cesarz had a point-blank look late in the game.

Of course, Gillies was solid. The Ice controlled the play much of the night -- Gillies had hardly any work in the first period.

Game boxscore (Pointstreak)

Also, the uniforms
The Ice also debuted new jerseys today, with a very classic look. The solid white jerseys have two thin sets of blue stripes at the bottom and on the sleeves, with the two-tone blue Ice logo in the middle, block numbers on the back with serifed nameplates, and Maple Leafs-style socks. Very, very simple and sharp. The 2004-05 white uniforms were my favorites, but these might eclipse those.

Next up
The Ice's next preseason game is Sept. 17 -- Saturday night -- against Muskegon. It will be played at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
 

Ice win 5-4

The Ice opened the preseason by beating the Chicago Steel 5-4.

Dalton Izyk played the full night in goal. Robert Polosello scored two goals, one from in front of the net and the other with a backhander. 

Score by periods
IND 0-2-3
CHI 1-1-2

The Ice's first (and only) preseason home game is 2 p.m. Sunday at Carmel Ice Skadium against the Steel. 

Preseason start(ed) tonight

The Ice opened the preseason tonight in Chicago against the Steel. Still awaiting results from that matchup, but we get our first look at the Ice Sunday afternoon. Faceoff is at 2 p.m. and admission is free for the Ice-Steel matchup at Carmel Ice Skadium.

It will be the Ice's lone home preseason game. They'll head to Michigan next weekend to face Muskegon, then go to Sioux Falls for the USHL Fall Classic. The regular season begins Oct. 7.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Roster update

Quick roster update for the Ice: Miha Stebih, a 6-3, 200-pound defenseman from Slovenia, has been added to the preseason roster. He played for Wichita Falls in the NAHL last year. That rounds out a 26-man roster. The team will eventually have to cut down to 23.

Here's the updated roster with 26 players invited to camp: 
Forwards (16)
7 Sean Kuraly. 6-1, 193, Left shot, 1/20/1993. Indiana Ice. 8-21-29 in 51 games. Sharks draft pick.
8 Alex Barron. 6-0, 184, Right shot, 5/9/1991. Indiana Ice. 0-14-14 in 51 games.
9 Christian Hilbrich. 6-6, 204, Left shot, 7/9/1992. Indiana Ice. 10-5-15 in 50 games.
11 Cody Gyllyng. 5-11, 172, Left shot, 12/2/1993. Phoenix Junior Coyotes. 26-32-52 in 51 games
15 Dan Sherer. 5-10, 178, Left shot, 1/12/1992. Amarillo NAHL. 18-20-38 in 48 games
16 Dan Cesarz. 5-8, 183, Right shot, 6/15/1992. Indiana Ice. 5-3-8 in 40 games.
17 Tyler Pham. 5-8, 173. Left shot, 5/12/1994. Colorado Thunderbirds U18. 11-19-30 in 35 games
18 Drew Smolcynski. 5-8, 167. Right shot, 4/24/1994. The Gunnery (CT). 17-31-48 in 31 games
19 Woody Hudson. 6-3, 215. Right shot, 8/10/1992. Milton Acad. (MA). 16-18-34 in 29 games
21 Jacob Fallon. 5-11, 183, Left shot, 2/27/1992. University of Michigan. 1-2-3 in 13 games
23 Emil Romig*. 5-9, 168, Left shot, 9/19/1992. HCPCG (Czech) 12-15-27 in 44 games
28 Andrew Mayer. 5-11, 217, Right shot, 7/29/1993. Honeybaked U18. 12-24-36, 99 PIM in 37 games
79 Daniil Tarasov*. 5-11, 185, Left shot, 6/20/1991. Indiana Ice. 37-38-75 in 57 games.
88 Cody Bradley. 5-10, 163, Left shot. 5/26/1994. Indiana Ice. 11-9-20 in 51 games.
89 Robert Polosello*. 5-7, 160. Left shot, 4/27/1994. Vaughn OJHL. 17-30-47 in 37 games.
93 Robbie Baillargeon. 5-11, 161, Right shot, 11/26/1993. Cushing Acad. (MA). 30-34-64 in 30 games.

Defensemen (8)
2 Alexander Kuqali. 6-1, 217, Left shot, 6/13/1991. Indiana Ice. 0-10-10 in 37 games.
4 Ian Spencer. 5-9, 195, Right shot, 2/19/1994. Indiana Ice . 1-3-4 in 17 games.
6 Matthew Krug. 6-2, 201, Left shot, 7/9/1992. Buffalo OJHL. 10-34-44 in 50 games.
12 Robert Gawron. 5-9, 177, Left shot, 4/8/1994. Chicago Fury U18. 18-26-44 in 38 games
24 R.J. Boyd. 6-0, 201, Left shot, 2/7/1991. Chicago Steel, 2-0-2 in 33 games. Panthers draft pick.
25 Miha Stebih*, 6-3, 200, Left shot, 4/7/1992. Wichita Falls NAHL. 2-9-11, 75 PIM in 44 games.
26 Ryan Obuchowski. 6-0, 181. Left shot, 6/7/1992. Indiana Ice, 5-8-13 in 54 games.
33 Joseph Fiala. 6-1, 194. Left shot, 2/11/1993. USNDTP U18. 0-5-5 in 28 games

Goaltenders (2)
29 Dalton Izyk. 5-11, 191. Left glove, 1/23/1994. Green Mountain EJHL. 3.67 GAA in 27 games.
32 Jon Gillies. 6-5, 215. Left glove, 1/22/1994. Indiana Ice. 2.82 GAA in 25 games.
*-Non-U.S. citizen player

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Some major USHL/CHL rumblings

One story we've followed all summer is this discussion between the Canadian Hockey League(s) and the USHL with regards to the feeling that the Major Junior circuits are raiding the league's players.

The Ice are no stranger to that. Adam Erne, a promising 16-year-old, left the team to play in the QMJHL with Quebec this summer, bypassing his college eligibility.

But there's some rumblings in the junior hockey world.

All of a sudden, independent of each other, the CHL's chief David Branch talks about adding a fourth team to the Memorial Cup tournament to spice it up -- either the USHL champ or a Euro team (or possibly  a fourth Major Junior league in the States?).

In this story, Branch is quoted telling a Toronto sports station: "The concept of a junior league in the United States, USA marketplace, that's something that we should look at." 


Of course, there are already a handful of CHL teams in the States. 


But independent of that, USHL commissioner Skip Prince had his own things to say, and said he'd be happy to play the Memorial Cup winner. 


And, on the same radio show, he speaks of his league in an open letter, almost getting defensive in defending the USHL (he spoke of "the little house league south of the border") -- but then goes on to say having the USHL champ play in the Memorial Cup tournament wouldn't really decide anything. 


Says Prince: "We really do try to stand for something. We play fast, clean and tough hockey, and we'll take anyone on. We send players to the NHL ... by way of college. And to board rooms and careers ... by way of college. And to the best years of their lives. Our players go to class, and they work in the community, and they have a blast doing so, and they come out of our league ready for the next step -- on the ice and off it. That's something to believe in." 


I'm not sure there's much wisdom in the USHL champ playing the CHL champ. While the USHL is the top-tier league in the USA, it has a different focus than the CHL (which Prince rightly points out ... read the entire letter. It's good stuff). The CHL leagues seem focused on developing professional players, and most teams have several NHL draft picks on them. Those who don't matriculate to the pros do retain their Canadian college eligibility, although no one would argue that Canadian college hockey is anywhere close to on par with the NCAA. 


Meanwhile, the NCAA is the USHL's focus. Prince noted that every player from the league last year that went the college route will be with a Div. I team this year save one player who chose to go to a Div. III school. The league has its NHL alumni and NCAA commitments taking equal billing on the homepage. The USHL's focus is on developing amateur players for the NCAA, and yet the league still has a ton of players get drafted (and undershoots that number, because several players get drafted before playing in the USHL, which deflates the number). The Indiana Ice alone often have multiple current players or alumni who are drafted each year, and the list grows. This year, Brian Ferlin, Blake Coleman and Sean Kuraly were all picked within two rounds of each other. R.J. Boyd will suit up for the team next year with a Florida Panthers draft pick already in his pocket. John Carlson -- who went the CHL route after a year with the Ice -- is one of the best young blueliners in the game. The USHL is a great league, both for those who want to go to the NCAA and for those who want to keep their options open about either NCAA or CHL. 


It doesn't have to be on par with the Canadian Major Junior ranks. It has a different focus -- which is essentially what Prince was saying. 


Personally, I like that focus. It's hard, clean, fast, exciting hockey. It's a league full of guys you'll see in NHL and AHL jerseys in a few years. It's nearly impossible to watch an NHL game without seeing at least one (and usually a few) ex-USHL player on the ice. The 2010 Olympic team that came within one unfortunate bounce off a referee's skate away from winning gold had several USHL graduates on it. It's a league full of guys who, as Gino Gasparini excitedly told me seven years ago, "are going somewhere." It's a stepping stone for both players and coaches -- just witness Jeff Blashill's rise from the Ice to the Red Wings in two years. It's also a great league to be the top of the American hockey pyramid -- developing *American* players. It is awesome to see guys like Coleman (from Texas) as well as Boyd and Ferlin (from Florida) -- guys from non-traditional hockey markets -- use the USHL to improve their game and eventually get an NHL call. The USHL has had a big, big hand in that. I'm enjoying the fact that our local community has a hand in that. 


Does it matter if it's on par with the Memorial Cup champ? Not in the least. What matters is that it fulfills its mission -- to develop the top American-born players for the next level and to provide an exciting product for the fans in the cities that follow the league. It does that and more, and continues to improve the ability to do that every year. 

Today in history: Last week

Big-time catch-up post here. Life intervenes sometimes, but we're transitioning out of offseason mode into regular-season mode this week. Look for the first Tale of the Tape on Saturday!

Birthdays
Aug. 30
Tony Bukovich: Member of the Capitals for four seasons from 1943-47, after a stay working in a factory during World War II. He played 146 games for the Caps, totaling 68 goals and 70 assists. He had 20-goal seasons three straight years from 1944-47, including 20 in 32 games with the Caps in 1944-45 -- a year in which he also played 14 games with the Red Wings. He played 17 NHL games overall, totaling 10 points. He broke into pro hockey late, signing with the AHA's Fort Worth Rangers at age 26 in 1941 -- after two years as a righthanded pitcher in the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization. He retired early in the 1947-48 season to his hometown of Houghton, Mich., where he was a prominent local businessman and lived most of his post-hockey life before passing away in 2009. In his final years, he was the oldest living Red Wings alumni. He was born in Painesdale, Mich. in 1915. 
Alan Perry: Goaltender for the Ice in 1988-89. He had been the top-rated goalie in the NHL Draft in 1984 and was chosen in the third round by the Blues. He had a 14-22-1 record and a 5.16 GAA for the inaugural Ice team. He played several years in the IHL and AHL prior to 1992 -- mostly with Peoria before the Ice and AHL Halifax afterwards. He also was the Oklahoma City Blazers' top netminder in the new Central Hockey League's first three seasons, going 61-37-10 in that stint. A native of Providence, RI, he is 45. 
Randy Holmes: One of several ex-Ohio State Buckeyes to suit up for the CHL Ice, Randy played 64 games for the purple & black in 2002-03. He had 13 goals and 31 assists from his center position. Prior to his stint with the Ice, he was a high-scoring forward in the UHL (and one year in the WPHL) with Madison, Waco and Kalamazoo, where he had six consecutive 25-plus goal seasons. Holmes also had eight playoff points in eight games during his stint with the Ice. He would play in Europe after Indianapolis. A native of Kingston, Ontario, he is 39.  

Aug. 31
Fern Gauthier: Right wing who played parts of four seasons with the Capitals from 1945-49 -- splitting each year with the Red Wings. In total, he played 73 games with the Caps, with 28 goals and 45 assists. He had 17 goals and 16 assists in the 1947-48 season, in which he played 32 games in Indy.  He would play one more season in the AHL and then a handful in the Quebec senior leagues. Gauthier is a veteran of 229 NHL games, including scoring 32 goals with the Rangers and Canadiens from 1943-45, the years before he joined the Red Wings' organization. He had 46 goals and 50 assists total in his NHL career. He played in the 1948 Stanley Cup Finals with the Wings. A native of Chicoutimi, Quebec, he was born in 1919 and passed away in 1992. 
Todd Lumbard: Goaltender for the Checkers in 1983-84, primarily backing up Rob Holland. He again played for the team in the 1984-85 season, when it joined the IHL. He was the Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1981. All told, he played 40 regular-season games with the Checkers. He was also pressed into service in the 1984 Adams Cup Playoffs, starting three games in the Adams Cup Finals. Lumbard played professionally from 1982-88. Today, he is a funeral home director in Regina, Sask. A native of Brandon, Manitoba, he is 48. 
Andrei Trefilov: Ice goaltender for one game in 1997-98 and 18 more the following year. He had a 9-7-2 record for the Ice, and had a solid .934 save percentage with the 1998-99 team. Trefilov joined the Ice nearing the end of a long career split between the NHL and the minors. Midway through the 1998-99 season, the Blackhawks dealt his rights, and he ended up lining up against the Ice in the 1999 IHL Playoffs as the Detroit Vipers' goaltender. That season, he shared the IHL's top goaltender award with Kevin Weekes for their work with the Vipers. The following year, he was the league's playoff MVP with the Chicago Wolves. He played in 54 NHL games over six seasons with the Flames, Sabres and Blackhawks between 1993-99. Trefilov won a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics with the Unified Team. Today, he is a sports agent. A native of Kirovo-Chepetsk, Russia, he is 42. 

Sept. 1
Geoff Benic: Member of the Ice for 10 games in 1988-89, where he had one goal. The Blackhawks' ninth-round pick in the 1986 draft only played 15 games professionally over two seasons. Today, he works in business in his hometown. A native of Toronto, he is 43. 
Scott Lewis: Defenseman who played for the Ice in 2002-03, with 11 goals and 17 assists in 64 games. He also had four playoff assists in eight games that year. The Ferris State grad came to the Ice after a year with Mobile and Richmond of the ECHL, and finished his pro career after his stint with the Ice. A native of McAuley, Manitoba, he is 35. 

Sept. 3
Marc Boileau: Marc "The Shark" played two years with the Chiefs from 1956-58, totaling 51 goals and 93 assists in 123 games. He also had 10 goals and eight assists in 19 playoff games, leading the Chiefs to the Turner Cup Finals in 1957 and the championship in 1958. He scored the Turner Cup-winning goal in the Chiefs' 3-2 Game 7 victory at Louisville that year. A member of the "Killer B" line with Pierre Brillant and Bob Bowness, he had 26 goals and 61 assists in 1957-58 -- his highest-scoring season as a pro. He played several years professionally -- from 1953-71 -- in the IHL, AHL and WHL, spending six seasons with the WHL's Seattle Totems and four more with the Los Angeles Blades. He did play 54 NHL games with the Red Wings in 1961-62, where he had five goals and six assists. Boileau became the player-coach of the Fort Wayne Komets in 1972 and coached for 13 seasons, through 1986. He matriculated to the NHL midway through the 1973-74 season with the Penguins and led them through 1976. He then took over the WHA Quebec Nordiques for two years and won the 1977 Avco World Trophy championship -- defeating the Indianapolis Racers along the way. His NHL/WHA coaching record was 153-118-30. He also led the Komets to the 1973 Turner Cup title. Boileau was borne in Pte. Claire, Quebec in 1932. He passed away in 2000. 
Rob Conn: Popular hard-checking right wing for the Ice in two stints -- from 1991-95, and again in 1996-97. In total, he played 278 games for the Ice, totaling 72 goals, 77 assists and 309 penalty minutes. His best year was his final one, as he had 25 goals and 32 assists to help lead the Ice to a division title. Conn also played 30 NHL games with the Blackhawks and Sabres, totaling two goals. In the years between Ice stints, he won two AHL titles, with the Devils and Sabres' affiliates. A native of Calgary, he is 43. 
Fred Knipscheer: Center who had 10 goals and nine assists with the Ice over 41 games in 1996-97. He also had two assists in the postseason that year as the Ice won the division title. Knipscheer is one of a handful of Hoosiers to play in the Circle City, as he is a native of Fort Wayne. Today, he resides in Carmel and is active in local youth hockey. After his career at St. Cloud State University, he joined the Boston Bruins' organization in 1993. He came up to the NHL in the 1993-94 season and scored two playoff goals. He would play 28 NHL games -- 27 with the Bruins and one with the Blues -- prior to 1996, and then continue to play in the IHL (and a short 17-game stint in the AHL) through 2000. Knipscheer was also an assistant coach with the Ice in 2004-05. A native of Fort Wayne, he is 42. 
Dale DeGray: Member of the Ice in their final IHL season, 1998-99. The defenseman had three goals and 11 assists in a player-assistant coach role. It came at the end of a 16-year pro career that took him through the AHL, IHL and 153 NHL games with the Flames, Maple Leafs, Kings and Sabres. In his first pro season, he played against the Indianapolis Checkers with the Colorado Flames, and then played with the Ice in his final pro season. He was a high-scoring defenseman in the IHL, with four straight double-digit goal seasons from 1992-96 with San Diego, Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati. After his stint as a player, he began coaching -- first with UHL Rockford from 1999-2001. He now is general manager of the Ontario Hockey League champion Owen Sound Attack. He was named OHL Executive of the Year this past year. A native of Oshawa, Ont., he is 48. 

Sept. 4
Clare Raglan: Capitals defenseman from 1949-51, he had six goals and 27 assists in 98 games. He also had three playoff assists and was a key part of the 1950 Calder Cup championship team. Raglan also played 100 NHL games for the Wings and Blackhawks from 1950-53, and played professionally before retiring in 1961. A native of Pembroke, Ont., he was born in 1927. He passed away in 2002. 
Dave Inkpen: Racers defenseman from 1976 through the aborted 1978-79 season. He played 81 games for the Racers, with six goals and 29 assists. He also played in all nine postseason games in the 1977 playoffs, in which the Racers swept Cincinnati. He played 293 WHA games from 1975-79, also suiting up for Cincinnati, Edmonton, Quebec and New England. After the WHA folded, he spent one year in the AHL and several years in Europe before retiring in 1985. A native of Edmonton, he is 57. 
Cab Morris: Ice goaltender in 2009-10, where he had a 21-13-2 record and 2.57 GAA in 38 games. He also had three shutouts as the team's primary netminder. Morris then matriculated to Dartmouth College, where he suited up for one game as a freshman this past season. A native of Wilmette, Ill., he is 20. 

Sept. 5
Stan Maxwell: High-scoring left wing for the Chiefs in 1959-60, totaling 26 goals and 31 assists. "Steamer" had played minor pro hockey in the U.S. from 1949-54, then played five years of senior hockey before joining the Chiefs. His 57-point year in Indy was the highest-scoring one of his career -- and final one. He is the father of former NHL player and coach Bryan Maxwell -- whose rights, incidentally, were briefly held by the Racers before being dealt to Cleveland.  He retired to Lethbridge, Ont. and worked for a local brewery and played hockey. He is a member of the North Bay, Ont., Sports Hall of Fame. A native of North Bay, Ont., he was born in 1925 and passed away in 2008. 
Harrison Gray: Goaltender who played three games for the Capitols in their shortened 1963 season. He allowed 10 goals in those three games and thus had a 3.33 GAA. He also suited up for his lone NHL game that year, allowing five goals in a game for the Red Wings. He would continue to play through 1968 in the Eastern Hockey League.  A native of Calgary, he is 70. 
Bill Horton: Defenseman who played 59 games for the Racers in their inaugural 1974-75 season. He had two goals and nine assists. He played 193 WHA games from 1972-75, also suiting up for Cleveland and Los Angeles. Horton played in the minors -- primarily the IHL -- from 1967-72 when the WHA was founded. After his stint with the Racers, he spent two more seasons with their NAHL affiliate in Mohawk Valley and then played in the minors through 1982. A native of Lindsay, Ont., he is 65. 

Sept. 6
Shawn Silver: Ice goaltender in 2002-03. He played 46 games for the Ice, which won a division title that season. He had a 29-12-4 record and six shutouts that season. It was his final pro season after playing several years in Canadian Major Junior and at the Canadian university level. He also played three seasons in Europe prior to joining the Ice. A native of Thunder Bay, Ont., he is 36. 

Training camp starts today!

The Ice's preseason practices began today, and the first public peek at the team will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Carmel Ice Skadium. The Ice will face the Chicago Steel in back-to-back exhibition games this weekend -- in Chicago on Saturday and at Carmel on Sunday afternoon.

One more preseason game is on the docket -- on Sept. 17 against Muskegon at Western Michigan University -- before the USHL Fall Classic the following weekend.

The training camp roster is here. It includes 10 returning players and one former player who is back after a year in the NCAA -- Jacob Fallon.

The regular season schedule is here It begins Oct. 1 at Cedar Rapids.