Today in history: January 1

Happy New Year from the Indy Hockey blog

Five New Year birthdates from the annals of local hockey history

Calum MacKay: A member of the Caps from 1947-50, he played 115 games for the blue and white, with 50 goals and 69 assists. That included a 26-goal season in 1948-49. Midway through the 1949-50 season, he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Joe Carveth -- an original Capital who would return to the team at the end of his career. He had a couple of cups of coffee with Detroit during his time as a Capital, but flourished in Montreal. He played with the Canadiens in three Stanley Cup Finals, winning the title in 1953. His NHL career ended with a training camp injury in 1955. A native of Toronto, where he was born in 1927, he grew up in Fort William, Ont. He passed away in 2001.

Owen Lessard: The Blackhawks' ninth-round pick in 1990, Lessard played parts of three seasons with the Ice from 1990-93. In 115 games, the left wing had 11 goals and 16 assists. He continued to play in North America -- primarily at the "AA" level -- and in Europe through 2004. A native of Sudbury, Ont., he is 42. 

Arvid Rekis: A defenseman who made his pro debut with the CHL Ice in 1999-2000, he was an amateur "playoff-only" signee and played on the Miron Cup championship team that year. He was scoreless in four playoff games. A graduate of the USHL (Dubuque) and OHL, Rekis went on to play three seasons in North America -- primarily with the ECHL Peoria Rivermen -- and headed to Europe in 2003. He played seven seasons in Germany and in 2010, joined the Kontinental Hockey League's Dynamo Riga, in his home nation of Latvia. Rekis has represented Latvia in six World Championships and also in the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games. A native of Jumala, Latvia, he is 33. 

David Jesiolowski: Rugged winger who played for the Ice in 2000-01. He had four goals, 11 assists and 189 penalty minutes in 38 games after coming over from WPHL Tupelo. He played six pro seasons, from 1996-2002, and also played for Rod Davidson -- his coach with the Ice -- in Alexandria in 1998-99. A native of Edmonton, he is 38. 

Eddie Levens: Defenseman for the Ice in 2006-07. In 46 games, he had two goals, five assists and 100 PIMs. He also had an assist in seven postseason games that year. A native of Windmere, Fla., he is 25.