Ice seeking ninth title in city's hockey history

In 1942, Judd McAtee scored an overtime winner in the semifinal series to propel the Indianapolis Capitals into the AHL's Calder Cup Final, where they'd beat the Hershey Bears in a deciding fifth game at the Coliseum.

That would be the first time a championship trophy has come to Indianapolis, but not the last.


Friday night, when the Indiana Ice begin the USHL Clark Cup Final in Waterloo against the host Black Hawks, it will be seeking to bring a ninth championship to Indianapolis. The eight previous titles have been won by six different franchises in five leagues, and have come in 11 league finals appearances.

We'll look more in-depth at all of the championships in the next few days, but here is a capsule of every Indianapolis team to play for a league championship. Three of the eight titles were won in the deciding game. Two were sweeps. Only three times has an Indy team lost a final series. One came in a best-of-9.

Here is a list of Indianapolis teams in championship series. The playoff MVPs, when named, are also listed. Look for a series on all championship teams in the coming days! Every team except the short-lived Capitols of 1963 -- who only played nine games as an Indianapolis team -- and the WHA's Racers -- has won a championship.

Indianapolis teams in league championship series
(*-championship clinched in Indianapolis)
Indiana Ice (USHL Clark Cup)
2014: vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
2009: Ice 3, Fargo Force 1 

Indianapolis Ice (CHL Miron Cup)
2000: Ice 4, Columbus Cottonmouths 3. MVP: Jamie Morris

Indianapolis Ice (IHL Turner Cup)
1990: Ice 4, Muskegon Lumberjacks 0*. MVP: Mike McNeill

Indianapolis Checkers (CHL Adams Cup)
1984: CHL Oilers 4, Checkers 0*
1983: Checkers 5, Birmingham South Stars 2. MVP: Bruce Affleck
1982: Checkers 4, Dallas Black Hawks 2*. MVP: Kelly Hrudey

Indianapolis Chiefs (IHL Turner Cup)
1958: Chiefs 4, Louisville Rebels 3
1957: Cincinnati Mohawks 3, Chiefs 0*

Indianapolis Capitals (AHL Calder Cup)
1950: Capitals 4, Cleveland Barons 0*
1943: Buffalo Bisons 3, Capitals 0*
1942: Capitals 3, Hershey Bears 2*