Indy's title teams: The 1982 Checkers

This is the fifth in a nine-part series looking at Indianapolis' nine championship-winning hockey teams. Previously, the 2009 Indiana Ice (USHL), the 2000 Indianapolis Ice (new CHL), the 1990 Indianapolis Ice (IHL) and the 1983 Indianapolis Checkers (old CHL). Next Monday: the 1958 Indianapolis Chiefs (IHL). 

In minor league hockey, franchises come and go. Players do the same. Rosters turn over completely every couple of years. A team at the end of the season looks nothing like one at the beginning.

The Checkers skate the Adams Cup in 1982

The Indianapolis Checkers had managed to buck the trend in their first two seasons -- and for most of their five-year history in the Central Hockey League. But there was one major overhaul the New York Islanders' minor-league affiliate went through during its five-year history, coming in the summer of 1981.

There was a new home rink, as the Chex traded their spot at Market Square Arena for the cozier digs of the 8,100-seat, 1939-built Fairgrounds Coliseum. There were several new players. And there was a new sheriff in town, as coach Bert Marshall and GM Jim Devellano left the team at the end of the previous season, to be replaced by one man – Fred Creighton.

A hard-nosed coach, Creighton had seen several stints in the National Hockey League. He was trying to find his way through the new league and a handful of new players sent down by the New York Islanders. He stressed being sound and disciplined on defense and creating pressure on the forecheck. With the Coliseum’s gigantic – and unorthodox -- 210x90 surface, offensive play was going to be even more stressed. But despite a number of new faces on the roster, Creighton had a number of returnees including a pair of goaltenders who had joined the Chex at the end of the previous season, and were on their way to becoming household names in Indianapolis – veteran Rob Holland and rookie Kelly Hrudey. Captain Kevin Devine was also back, as was big-scoring wing Neil Hawryliw. Charlie Skjodt, Monty Trottier and Mike Hordy also returned after a stint with the Isles.

Indy's title teams: The 1983 Checkers

This is the fourth in a nine-part series looking back at Indianapolis championship hockey teams. The next five editions will run each Monday. Previous retrospectives: the 2009 Indiana Ice, the 2000 Indianapolis Ice and the 1990 Indianapolis Ice.Next Monday: The 1982 Indianapolis Checkers.

The Checkers stream off the bench to celebrate the 1983 championship.

The New York Islanders were hockey's premier franchise in the early 1980s. Winners of four straight Stanley Cups -- and five straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final -- they were one of hockey's greatest dynasties.


Not only were the Islanders one of the greatest teams in NHL history in that time frame, their success filtered down through the organization. During their dynasty years -- from 1979-84 -- their top farm team was the Indianapolis Checkers. Wearing the same blue-and-orange uniforms as the Islanders, the Checkers mirrored the success of their parent club -- with a group of veteran stars that remained largely intact year-to-year, a stable roster and a winning tradition. The Checkers had been birthed in the aftermath of the Racers' midseason suspension of operations in December 1978. Eight months later, the Islanders put a minor-league team in Indianapolis, and GM Jim Devellano said, "when hockey treats Indianapolis right, Indianapolis will treat hockey right."

The Islanders and Checkers couldn't have treated Indianapolis much better, putting a winning team on the ice their first two seasons -- although they were successful, they couldn't scale the mountain and win a title. In 1981-82, that changed. With new coach Fred Creighton in charge, a stellar tandem of Rob Holland and future NHL mainstay Kelly Hrudey in goal, and a roster built around a veteran core and a few promising prospects, the Checkers had the right ingredients. One big addition was that of 40-goal scorer Red Laurence, whom Creighton had coached in the NHL. The team caught fire at the end of the season and won the Adams Cup championship.

In 1982-83, the team looked poised for a repeat. Many of the same players were back -- including Holland and Hrudey in goal, rocks Tim Lockridge, Kelly Davis and Darcy Regier on the blueline, and perennial Checkers Garth MacGuigan, Kevin Devine, Steve Stoyanovich and Laurence up front, the team had a strong veteran core. Add to it a slew of talented rookies -- Gord Dineen, Scott Howson, Mats Hallin, Greg Gilbert, Ron Handy and Dave Simpson among them -- and this team looked to be the class of the CHL.

Players/coaches with Indy ties in the playoffs

As the playoffs begin, here is an update on players with Central Indiana ties -- either former Indianapolis players/coaches or those who were born and/or raised in Central Indiana -- who are participating in various professional league postseasons.

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 15

April 15 in Indianapolis hockey history
2011: The Ice sweep the Waterloo Black Hawks in a best-of-3 series, winning 6-3 at the Coliseum. Sean Kuraly and Alex Barron score 1:36 apart late in the first, and Blake Coleman and David Johnstone both scored PPGs 1:16 apart in the second. Daniil Tarasov (G, 2A) and Brian Ferlin (3A) each had three-point games, and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves.
1991: Brian Noonan scores with 18 seconds left in regulation to give the Ice a 2-1 win and a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Sean Williams - who tied the game at 6:32 of the period - and Mike Peluso assisted on the goal.
1981: An epic playoff series between the Checkers and Wichita Wind needs overtime. However, Ron Roulston spoils the party at Market Square Arena, scoring at 14:42 of OT to complete a hat trick and send the Checkers to a 6-5 defeat in the deciding fifth game of the series. Monty Trottier had two goals and an assist, Charlie Skjodt three assists for the Checkers.

Happy birthday to ... 
Sergei Krivokrasov: A perennial Iceman, Krivokrasov was the 12th overall pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, and immediately had a stellar rookie year, with 36 goals, 69 points and 157 PIMs for the Ice in 1992-93. He played 169 games for the Ice from 1992-96, with 71 goals, 79 assists and 374 PIMs. He split time between Indianapolis and Chicago throughout his Ice tenure, but stuck in the NHL in 1996-97. Krivo played 450 NHL games, with 86 goals and 195 points for Chicago, Nashville, Calgary, Minnesota and Anaheim through 2002, playing in the 1999 NHL All-Star Game, and won the silver medal with Russia in the 1998 Winter Olympics. He played six more seasons in Russia before retiring in 2008 and settling in Denver. A native of Angarsk, Russia, he is 40. 
Jim Waite: Another Ice mainstay, Waite is best-known for backstopping the Turner Cup championship team in 1990. He was the eighth overall pick by the Blackhawks in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Waite had a 2.53 GAA in 54 games with the Ice in the Turner Cup year, in which he won the James Norris Trophy as top goaltender. He also had a 3.47 GAA the following season in 49 games, in which he split net time with Hasek and Ray LeBlanc. Waite played briefly in 1991-92 before the Blackhawks dealt him to San Jose. He returned to the Ice in 1994-95 and played three more seasons with the team. His 215 games were the most ever played by an Ice goaltender. He also played 106 NHL games with the Blackhawks, Sharks and Coyotes between 1988-99. Waite played another decade in Germany before retiring in 2010. A native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, he is 45. 

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 13

April 13 in Indianapolis hockey history
1984: The Checkers tie their first-round series against Colorado at two games apiece with a 6-3 victory. Red Laurence, Kevin Devine and Roger Kortko score in the second to give Indy a 3-1 lead. Bob Hess' shorthanded goal at 8:07 of the third ends up the game-winner, as it gave the Checkers a 4-2 edge at the time. After Colorado scores a power play goal to close to one, Garth MacGuigan scores two empty-netters to seal the win. Gerald Diduck assists on three Checkers goals.
1950: In front of 7,727 fans at the Coliseum, the Indianapolis Capitals clinch their second Calder Cup title, sweeping Cleveland with a 3-2 victory. Terry Sawchuk stops 37 shots, Fred Glover scores twice, Pat Lundy adds a goal with a breakaway tally, and Gerry Reid assists on two goals. It marks the first time in AHL history a team sweeps through the playoffs unblemished, as the Caps win all eight postseason contests.

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 12

April 12 in Indianapolis hockey history
2010: The Ice emphatically tie their first-round series with Cedar Rapids, winning 6-1 at Pan Am Plaza. Max Cook (2G, A), Nic Dowd (G, 2A) and Kevin Goumas (3A) all tally three-point nights. Casey DeSmith makes 41 saves in net. 
2008: John Kemp assists on three goals and both Jake Skjodt and Paul Carey post a goal and two assists as the Ice rout the Chicago Steel 7-2 at the Coliseum to even their first-round playoff series at 1-1. Scott Darling stops 25 shots in net. The joy would be short-lived, as the Steel would win the next two games in Chicago to win the series 3-1. 
2005: The Indiana Ice host their first playoff game, but fall 5-4 to Cedar Rapids when Phil Axtell scores at 4:16 of overtime to clinch a three-game sweep for the Riders. Tomas Klempa scores twice for the Ice as they rally from a three-goal deficit to take a third-period lead. Future Red Wing Justin Abdelkader had two assists, including a helper on the game-tying goal in the third for Cedar Rapids.
2000: An epic - and brutal - series-clinching 7-0 win for the Ice over Tulsa at the Coliseum. Jamie Morris posts the shutout in his first playoff start in the winner-take-all Game 5. But the Ice get rolling quickly and build an insurmountable lead. In the third period, everything breaks loose as the Ice and Oilers combine for a CHL playoff record 312 penalty minutes - nearly all in the final period. The Ice's Mike Berger scores two goals against his former team.
1994: Sergei Krivokrasov tallies a goal and three assists to help the Ice beat Milwaukee 5-2 and close the season with a 28-46-7 record. Shawn Byram had two assists. Karl Dykhuis and Rob Cimetta also had two-point nights. Chris Rogles had to make 43 saves in net.
1991: Martin Desjardins scores at 12:22 of overtime, unassisted, to give the Ice a 1-0 lead over Fort Wayne in the playoffs. He also scored the game-tying goal late in the second. Brian Noonan also scored for the Ice, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit and used a 37-save performance by Jim Waite.
1986: Mike Zanier posts a solid game in net and Paul Skjodt scores the shootout winner as the Checkers win 2-1 in Kalamazoo, helping them clinch an IHL playoff spot. 
1977: The Racers take a 2-0 lead over the Cincinnati Stingers in the first-round playoff series, winning 7-2 at Riverfront Coliseum. Reggie Thomas and Mark Lomenda score 43 seconds apart in the first period. Rene LeClerc, Nick Harbaruk and Michel Parizeau all score in the second to give the Racers a 5-0 edge. Thomas would finish the night with two goals and an assist. Michel Dion stops 30 shots.

Happy birthday to ... 
Al Dewsbury: A big, imposing, 6-2, 205-pound defenseman who played parts of four seasons with the Capitals from 1946-50 -- splitting time with the Detroit Red Wings in each of those years. He played 159 games in the Circle City, with 29 goals and 56 assists (and 2-7-9 in 10 playoff games). In his final season with the Caps, he had 15 goals, 22 assists and 76 PIMs in 50 games from the blueline. He also had seven points in the playoffs that season as the Caps swept their way to the Calder Cup -- and then played four playoff games with the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. He was dealt to Chicago after the 1949-50 season, and played six more full seasons in the NHL with the Blackhawks. He had 30 goals, 78 assists and 365 PIMs in 378 NHL games. A native of Goderich, Ontario, he was born in 1926. He passed away in 2006.
Dave Hanson: Member of the Checkers from 1982-84 -- playing a full 80-game season during the 1982-83 Adams Cup year, and one more game the following season. He had 18 goals, 21 assists and 285 PIMs in the blue-and-orange. He also had a goal and three assists in the 1983 playoff run.  The latter isn't shocking if one looks at the name -- Dave is one of the three hockey-playing "Hanson Brothers" from the movie Slap Shot! (but the only one whose given name was Hanson), and his career actually did begin in Johnstown, PA with a team in the then-pro NAHL in 1974. No word on whether he actually put the foil on for the Checkers, but he played 136 NHL/WHA games, with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, New England Whalers, Birmingham Bulls and Minnesota North Stars, tallying 562 PIMs in those games. He retired from playing hockey after the 1983-84 season. A native of Cumberland, Wisconsin, he is 60.
Dan Miele: Played 55 games for the Checkers in 1985-86, the last of his five pro seasons. He had five goals and 11 assists. A native of LaSalle, Quebec, he is 52.
Torey Krug: Captain of the Ice in 2008-09, Krug had 10 goals and 37 assists in 59 games that season. He also had a goal and six assists in 13 postseason games -- the goal being one of the biggest in franchise history. He scored the third-period game-winner in Game 5 against Cedar Rapids that sent the Ice into the next round. The Ice went on to win the Clark Cup that season. Krug had 83 points in three seasons at Michigan State University before signing a free-agent deal with the Boston Bruins in 2012. He emerged as a mainstay with the Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, with four goals and two assists in the postseason run as the Bruins got to the finals. A native of Livonia, Michigan, he is 23.
Austin Ortega: Forward who scored 24 goals and assisted on 18 for the Ice over 44 games in 2012-13. He finished the season with Fargo, and was nearly a point-a-game player as the Force got to the Clark Cup Finals. Ortega recently completed his freshman season at Nebraska-Omaha, with 19 points in 35 games. A native of Escondido, California, he is 20. 

Today in history: January 27

January 27 in Indianapolis hockey history

Birthdays

Hector Marini: "Hector the Wrecker" played for the Checkers in their first two seasons, from 1979-81. In 130 games, he had 44 goals and 71 assists, as well as 229 PIMs. Marini was a third-year pro by the time the Islanders moved their affiliation to Indianapolis. He had five playoff points with the Chex in 1980, but got the callup to the Isles by the end of the following year, and helped them win their second of four straight Stanley Cups. He was also with the Islanders for the 1982 title, although he did not play in the postseason. Marini joined the New Jersey Devils in 1982-83, and was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game, posting 45 points in 77 games that season. Marini totaled 73 points in 154 NHL games. He retired after the 1985-86 season, the result of an injury suffered when he was hit in the face with a slapshot. A native of Timmins, Ont., he is 55.

Jeff Rohlicek: Ice center in 1991-92. He had 25 goals and 32 assists in 59 games in a year split between the Ice and Phoenix. In total, he had 30 goals and 83 points that season. The Canucks' second-round pick in 1985, Rohlieck played nine NHL games with Vancouver from 1987-89, but played primarily in the  AHL/IHL. He had a 110-point season with Milwaukee in 1988-89, and scored the Calder Cup-winning goal with AHL Springfield in 1990. He retired after the 1997-98 season. A native of Park Ridge, Ill, he is 46.

Today in history: January 26

January 26 in Indianapolis hockey history
1958: A double-hat trick for the Chiefs. Pierre Brillant and Bob Bowness each tally three goals in a 7-2 victory over the Toledo Mercurys.


Birthdays
Vic Lynn: A speedy winger, he played for the Capitals in 1943-44. He had four goals and five assists in 32 games. He made his debut with the Rangers, briefly, the previous year, and then came to the Red Wings during World War II. He had several callups to the NHL, and is the only player in NHL history to skate for all six Original Six teams. His best NHL season was in 1947-48, when he had 34 points with the Maple Leafs, for whom he played from 1946-50, and was part of the KLM line with Howie Meeker and Teeder Kennedy. He played in the NHL -- with a few stops in the AHL in-between -- through 1954, and then played senior hockey through 1963. He won three Stanley Cups in 1947, 1948 and 1949. A native of Saskatoon, he was born in 1925, and passed away in 2010.
Wayne Gretzky: A man who needs no introduction, "The Great One" famously began his pro hockey career in Indianapolis with a fledgling Racers outfit that would fold a couple of months later. Gretzky played eight games with the Racers, and scored his first professional goal at Market Square Arena against Edmonton's Dave Dryden. He had three goals and three assists with the Racers in eight games before being sold to Edmonton in a trade that also sent Racers Peter Driscoll and Ed Mio to the Oilers. He would finish that season with 46 goals and 110 points, and the highest-scoring career in hockey history was on. When the Oilers made the jump to the NHL the next year, Gretzky spent the next 20 seasons rewriting the pro hockey record books. He had at least 110 points in each of his first 14 pro seasons, and the number likely would've been 16 straight if not for an injury in 1992-93. He had eight straight 50-goal seasons at the start of his NHL career, with 92 goals and 212 points in 1981-82, 71 goals and 186 points the following year, and 87 goals and 205 points in 1983-84, the year the Oilers won their first of four Stanley Cups in five years with Gretzky. Two more 200-point seasons followed. After winning the fourth Cup in 1988, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he helped build hockey in Southern California during seven and a half seasons. He had an amazing playoff year in 1993, where he had 40 points in 24 games to lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals. He played briefly with St. Louis in 1995-96, then played his final three years with the Rangers before retiring in 1999, his 21st pro season. In 1,567 NHL/WHA games, he had 940 goals and 2,027 assists. His 2,967 points is a pro hockey record, as are the other marks. He also had 132 goals and 270 assists in 221 playoff games. He appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals six times, winning four in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He was a nine-time Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the league's leading scorer, two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as postseason MVP and five-time Lady Byng Trophy winner as the league's most gentlemanly player. Since retirement, he has been a team owner, coached the Phoenix Coyotes and has remained an ambassador for the game. A native of Brantford, Ont., he is 51.
Dean Malkoc: Ice defenseman for 62 games in 1994-95. Malkoc had four points and 193 PIMs in his stint with the Ice. He had played four years in the Devils organization before joining the Ice, then spent much of the next four years in the NHL with the Canucks, Bruins and Islanders. He had four points in 116 NHL games, as well as 299 PIMs. He is now a scout with the Boston Bruins. A native of Vancouver, he is 42.
Jason Selleke: Ice forward for three seasons, from 2000-02, then again in 2003-04. In 195 games, he had 48 goals and 69 assists, as well as 376 PIMs. In the interim, the Ohio State graduate played with UHL Fort Wayne. After leaving the Ice, he played six more years, five in the UHL and one in Italy. A native of St. Clair Shores, Mich., he is 34.
Jarrett Thompson: Amateur "playoff-only" signee for the Ice in 2001. He joined the Ice after his fifth year in the WHL, and played three playoff games. He played three years in the ECHL, split with two years in Canadian university play. A native of Calgary, he is 32.
Eric Miller: One of a handful of Hoosiers to play with the Ice, the Carmel resident played 50 games for the blue and white from 2004-07. He had 12 goals and nine assists, all but two of those points coming in 2006-07, when he played 31 games with the Ice. He also had six playoff goals in seven games as the Ice made a deep playoff run in 2007. Born in Villa Hills, Ky., he is 26.
Jay Clark: Goaltender who played 11 games for the Ice in 2005-06. He primarily played that year and the next in the NAHL, then played collegiately at Army. He finished his college career in 2011 as the Cadets' starting goaltender for three seasons. A native of Baudette, Minn., he is 25.

Today in history: January 19

January 19 in Indianapolis hockey history

Birthdays

Frank "Red" Kane: Capitals defenseman from 1943-45, with 10 goals and 22 assists in 110 games. He also had four assists in 10 playoff games. Kane played two games with the Red Wings in 1943-44, and continued to play in the minors through 1951, primarily in the "AA"-level USHL and PCHL. A native of Stratford, Ont., he is 89. 

Jim Shirley: Capitals goaltender for six games in 1949-50, playing to replace Terry Sawchuk when he was called up to the Detroit Red Wings briefly. He had a 5.17 GAA in those six games, and played minor pro and senior hockey from 1948-60. A native of Rosetown, Sask., he was born in 1929. 

Billy Carroll: Checkers center from 1979-81. The Islanders' second-round pick in 1979, Carroll played 108 games for the Chex, with 36 goals and 54 assists. He also had an assist in seven postseason games in 1980. He got called up to the Islanders in 1981 and had 12 points in 18 playoff games to help the Isles win their second straight Stanley Cup championship. Carroll would be a part of the Islanders' lineup through 1984, winning the Stanley Cup two more times and appearing in the finals in 1984. The following year, he went to the Edmonton Oilers and won the Cup again. He played 322 games with the Islanders, Oilers and Red Wings before retiring in 1987, scoring 30 goals and 54 assists. He also had 18 points in 71 playoff games. A native of Toronto, he is 53. 

Today in history: January 18

January 18 in Indianapolis hockey history

Birthdays

Mark Messier: Racers forward in 1978-79, beginning his pro career on a five-game tryout contract. He was scoreless with the Racers, but joined the Cincinnati Stingers after the Racers folded, playing 47 games. Messier became one of the most prolific players and leaders in NHL history. He joined the Edmonton Oilers after the WHA-NHL merger in 1979 and had a 50-goal season by 1981-82. He followed it up with five 100-point seasons in the next eight years. Messier won six Stanley Cups in his career -- with Edmonton in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 and with the New York Rangers in 1994. He also appeared in the 1983 finals, a loss to the New York Islanders. Messier played 26 pro seasons, retiring in 2004 as a Ranger. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1984, and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy as the NHLPA MVP both in 1990 and 1992. He played 1808 NHL/WHA games, with 695 goals, 1,203 assists and 1,998 points. In the playoffs, he had 109 goals and 186 assists in 239 total games. He is second in NHL history for regular-season points (1887), playoff points (295) and regular season games (1756). His number 11 has been retired by both the Rangers and Oilers. He was a four-time First Team All-Star and played in 15 NHL All-Star Games. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in his first year of eligibility in 2007. A native of Edmonton, he is 51. 

Tim Lockridge: A perennial Checkers defenseman, he played for the team in all five CHL seasons from 1979-84, the full 1984-85 season in the IHL, and a few games the following year. He played in 393 games with the Checkers -- the only pro team he ever suited up for. He had eight goals and 67 assists as a Checker. He was a strong right-handed shooting defenseman. He is third all-time on the Indianapolis hockey games played list, behind longtime Checkers teammates Kevin Devine and Garth MacGuigan. He is the only player to suit up for six consecutive Checkers seasons. The Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1979, he was born in Barrie, Ont. he is 53. 

Jocelyn Perreault: Ice goaltender for five games in 1988-89, going 0-3-0 with a 6.17 GAA. He played parts of four pro seasons in the AHL, IHL and ECHL, and then played several years of senior hockey in Quebec. A native of Montreal, he is 46. 

Today in history: January 17

January 17 in Indianapolis hockey history

1961: Carl Wetzel makes 58 saves, but gives up a penalty shot goal in the final minute and the Chiefs tie Fort Wayne 2-2.

1980: Alex McKendry scores a hat trick against Birmingham’s Reggie Lemelin in a 7-5 Checkers victory, giving the team hat tricks in back-to-back games. 

Birthdays

Joe Cleary: Ice defenseman in 1992-93. He had 10 goals, 17 assists and 110 PIMs in 63 games with the Ice. He also had a goal in three postseason games that year in the series against the Atlanta Knights. The Blackhawks' fifth-round pick in 1998 and a former Boston College captain, Cleary played one more pro season, split between IHL Kansas City and ECHL Charlotte. A native of Boxboro, Mass, he was born in 1970. He passed away in 2009. 

Andrew Taylor: Left wing for the Ice in 2002-03. He had 13 goals and 24 assists in 59 games that season. He also had two goals and three assists in eight postseason games. The Islanders' seventh-round pick in 1995, Taylor broke into pro hockey in 1999 in the ECHL, and played with seven different ECHL and CHL teams through 2004, before playing senior hockey in Ontario. A native of Stratford, Ont., he is 35. 

Mike Zeibaq: Ice defenseman for part of the 2003-04 season. He had four goals and an assist in 38 games. He also played that season with CHL Lubbock and SEHL Knoxville, the second of his two pro seasons. A native of Hauppauge, N.Y., he is 32. 

Mike Embach: Ice winger in 2006-07. He had a goal and six assists in 18 games after coming from the Chicago Steel at the end of the season. He also had two goals and two assists in seven playoff games. Embach went on to a four-year career at Ferris State, and finished the 2010-11 season with the AHL Texas Stars. He is currently playing with the ECHL Chicago Express. A native of Orland Park, Ill., he is 24. 

Stanislav Galiev: Ice winger in 2008-09. He had 29 goals and 35 assists in 60 games to help lead the Ice to a strong season, and then had five goals and four assists in 13 playoff games to help lead the team to the Clark Cup championship. Galiev was a high-scoring forward on the Ice's first -- and so far only -- championship team, but then he went to Canadian Major Junior and won that country's national title, playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs team that won the 2011 Memorial Cup title, so he has now won the top national championship in both the U.S. and Canada. Galiev has tallied at least 60 points in each of his three full junior seasons to date. He was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, and will begin his pro career next season. A native of Moscow, he is 20. 

Today in history: January 15

January 15 in Indianapolis hockey history

Birthdays

Ron Handy: A member of the Checkers in two stints -- from the end of the 1982-83 season through 1984, again in 1986-87 and then a member of the original Ice team in 1988-89. A high-scoring center, Handy had 11 points in 10 playoff games in 1983 as the Checkers won the Adams Cup, then followed with a 29-goal season the following year -- his first full pro season. He had a 10-game callup with the Islanders in 1984-85, but returned to the Checkers as a free agent in 1986-87, where he had a career year with 55 goals and 80 assists, the 135-point season was the highest-scoring in Indianapolis hockey history. He had 43 goals and 57 assists to lead the 1988-89 Ice in scoring. He also served as the team's interim coach for two games after Archie Henderson had to take a leave of absence. As a result, Handy is the most recent player-coach in Indianapolis. In total, he played 238 games with the Checkers and Ice, with 129 goals and 190 assists. He ranks ninth all-time among Indianapolis hockey players in goals and sixth in both assists and points. Handy also had nine goals and 16 assists in 26 playoff games. He played 14 NHL games with the Islanders and Blues, and was a league playoff MVP three times -- in the IHL in 1992 and the CHL in 1994 and 1995. He was also a Second-Team All-Star with the Checkers in both 1984 and 1987. Upon retirement as a player early in the 1999-2000 season, he began coaching. A native of Toronto, he is 49. 

Vesa Surenkin: Checkers defenseman for 14 games in 1986-87. He had three assists and was also scoreless in three postseason games. He headed to his native Europe to play thereafter. A native of Helsinki, Finland, he is 47. 

Rob Woodward: Ice winger for one game in 1998-99, a season he primarily spent with ECHL Columbus. The Michigan State grad is a native of Evanston, Ill., and is 41.

Today in history: January 8

January 8 in Indianapolis hockey history

1946: Johnny Sorrell leaves Capitals’ coaching position to become GM. Earl Siebert replaces him for the balance of the season. Sorrell posted 62-55-30 record from 1943-46. Siebert would go 15-7-4 the rest of the year, but the Caps would be eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.

Birthday
Ray Aho: Ice goaltender in 2000-01, sharing time with Jamie Morris that season. One of several CHL Ice players to hail from Ohio State University, Aho had a 19-13-5 record, a 3.05 GAA and one shutout in 38 games. That was his lone pro season. A native of Allen Park, Mich., he is 36.
 

Today in history: January 4

January 4 in Indianapolis hockey history

1947: The Capitals suffer a strange loss to the St. Louis Flyersa. Don Clark’s shot hits the fence behind the net – where the glass would be today – pops up into the air, bounces off the top of the goal, hits Caps goaltender Red Almas in the chest and dribbles into the net for the game-winner to give St. Louis a 3-2 victory. 

1956: Leo Lamoureaux replaces John Sorrell as Chiefs’ coach. Leo would coach the team for parts of four seasons, leading them to the Turner Cup Finals in 1957 and the Turner Cup championship in 1958. 

1983: Dave Hanson – better known for his role in Slap Shot – scores six seconds into the third period to help the Checkers beat Salt Lake 8-6. It misses the CHL record by one second. 

Birthdays

Dmitri Nabokov: Center for the Ice for 48 games, primarily in the 1997-98 season, when he had six goals and 15 assists, and also scored twice in five playoff games. He was the 19th overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, and had seven goals in 25 games with the Blackhawks in 1997-98, showing flashes of skill. He would be dealt to the New York Islanders the following year, and total 13 points in 30 games before returning to his native Russia to play in 2000. He retired after the 2008-09 season. A native of Novosibirsk, Russia, he is 35. 

Jamie Morris: Ice goaltender from 1999-2003. He got red hot in the 2000 Miron Cup Playoffs, replacing Benoit Thibert in net halfway through the opening-round series against the Tulsa Oilers and then catching fire. He backstopped a sweep of the first-place Oklahoma City Blazers in the conference finals, then did the same in a seven-game victory over Columbus in the Miron Cup Finals. He was the 2000 CHL Playoff Most Valuable Player. Morris played four seasons for the Ice -- out of their five in the CHL -- with a 52-51-13 record and a 3.43 GAA. He had 5 shutouts in 128 games, and naturally holds virtually all of the CHL Ice goaltending records. He was also an adept puckhandler, and had 14 assists, including seven in 2000-01. Upon his retirement as a player, Morris settled in Indianapolis and is a firefighter. He is also in his fifth season as the Indiana Ice's goaltending coach. A native of Winnipeg, Man., he is 38. 

Corey Waring: An amateur "playoff-only" signee for the Ice in 2000, Waring came to the Ice after playing at Western Michigan University. He was scoreless in six playoff games. He played the next two years in the WPHL, ECHL and CHL, including a 27-goal, 60-point season for CHL El Paso in 2001-02. He played senior hockey in his native Canada for four years after that. A native of Brantford, Ont., he is 36.